Garvagh writer on screen in new BBC NI documentary Abandoned Ulster
A new BBC NI documentary sees Garvagh writer Anne McMaster team up with a photographer to examine her haunting images of Northern Ireland’s abandoned buildings.
Abandoned Ulster shines a light on the work of acclaimed photographer Rebecca Brownlie, whose haunting images of abandoned buildings across Ulster have earned her a dedicated online following.
The film follows Rebecca as she embarks on a new creative project, collaborating with Ulster-Scots writers Anne and Darren Gibson.
Anne McMaster was once a full-time farmer and spent several years teaching in California and travelling the US before returning to Northern Ireland. She has lectured in both English Literature and Performing Arts while developing original projects and theatre productions – working as a playwright and theatre director for over 25 years.
Together, Anne, Darren and Rebecca visit historic sites with strong Ulster-Scots connections – from a former linen mill in County Antrim to a farmhouse in County Down and a mission hall in County Armagh - bringing words and pictures together as they explore what these forgotten spaces can tell us about the lives, faith, and work of previous generations.
Blending photography, literature, and Ulster-Scots culture, the collaboration produces a vivid record of abandoned properties while delving into universal themes of mortality, heritage, and memory.
The writers’ reflections, inspired by Rebecca’s evocative images, highlight how language and landscape intertwine to preserve a sense of place.
Though the buildings she documents may be relics of the past, the film demonstrates how art can revive their stories in the present and safeguard them for the future.
Abandoned Ulster will be shown on BBC2 Northern Ireland at 10pm on Sunday, September 14.