Roy Spence

A strange old hermit uses witchcraft to give life to the Frankenstein monster. Will the creature be his instrument of revenge, or will it turn on its creator?

Brady has spent his life trying to outsmart the leprechauns and his big chance comes when he manages to capture one. Keeping the little man a prisoner, he starves the leprechaun until he reveals the secret of his wealth. Armed with this knowledge, Brady sets off across the moor to make himself a very rich man.

This award-winning documentary on Belleek pottery was made jointly by filmmakers Roy Spence and J.J Tohill. Narrated by RTÉ newsreader Cyril Smith, this stunning documentary highlights the talent and craftsmanship that goes into each and every single piece of fine china and the generations of skilled artisans who create these works of art.

A miner finds an ancient Druid artefact which released a beast on a small Welsh town

Considered to be one of the most ambitious short films made by the Spence Brothers, this stone-age alien extravaganza has everything a true sci-fi fan needs in spades. The mission is simple: aliens must capture and record living specimens from earth. However a violent earthquake forces the ship to take off whilst a giant robot, used to collect specimens, is swallowed up in the eruption. During quarry excavations in the present day the robot is re-animated, and the mission is still on.

Inspired by the American Horror films from the late 1950s, in a remote American lake a fisherman dislodges a canister which has been jettisoned from a flying saucer. A teenager and his girlfriend manage to convince the police of the existence of an all-consuming creature that has emerged from the canister, but it’s not long before all hell breaks loose and the creature from space consumes everything in its path.

This delightful short film documents a trip by ferryboat to the Maidens lighthouse on the little island of Magee, Co. Antrim, to deliver essential supplies to the lighthouse crew. Shortly after this movie was shot, the lighthouse became fully automated and the need for this service disappeared.

When two children discover a herd of cows at the end of the rainbow they are disappointed as they were expecting to find gold. The film traces the journey of butter from cows grazing, to milking, to the final churning of milk into a crock of gold – packets of butter – much to the delight of the children. It is a simple delight, and moments like the creative sound mixing in the laboratory scene gives you a taste of Spence’s filmmaking talents.

In this Roy Spence film, Two children rescue an old woman from a gang of young bullies. She rewards them with a magic ring which enables them to "see things not as they are, but as they were." Along the way the pair encounter all many of quirky characters and witness quaint customs. This film is courtesy of Roy Spence and is held in the Irish Film Archive.

Rosemary Wilson leaves home one morning for a very important interview, but finds her car has a flat tyre. Luckily ‘a friend’ of her husband spots her dilemma and offers her a lift. After a series of setbacks they reach the Town Hall, 15 minutes late. Here, Rosemary discovers that the fact that the job has already been appointed isn’t the only shock that awaits her.

Two children playing hide and seek stumble upon a strange visitor on the beach. This sparks a chain of bizarre events inspiring civil disobedience in a Newtownards housing estate.

This loving crafted short documentary follows the work of Tommy Orr of Killinchy, Co. Down, who has carried on the family tradition as a blacksmith for over 40 years. From the ringing of the anvil to the smoke billowing from the roadside forge, this film focuses on his work as a farrier and shows not only the unique skill that’s required but his genuine love and pride in his work.

This documentary was made by Roy Spence for the Ulster Folk Museum and showcases the work of Alex Ralston. Ralston is one of the few remaining shoemakers in Belfast who hand crafts shoes using leather and traditional skills. Alex takes us through the entire process from original pattern through to the finished pair of shoes.

A comical documentary film by Roy Spence focuses on the various stages of a bottle of school milk. The commentary is given by a pint-sized cartoon character called Junior who appears on the milk-bottle cap. He explains the whole procedure to a little girl at school who has confused the words ‘diary’ and ‘’dairy’. This charming educational film was made for the Milk Marketing Board for Northern Ireland.

In this Roy Spence film, created for the Ulster Folk Museum, Joe O’Neill shows a range of blacksmithing skills and techniques using tools and methods that have not changed in centuries. These include heat welding, scarfing, scrolling, curling and bending. All completed in a traditional simple forge. The original version of the film included an audio track explaining the history, tools and techniques of a blacksmith, however even as a silent film, the powerful visuals of this timeless skill remains evident.

This short documentary film, made by Roy Spence for the Ulster Folk Museum, focuses on the work of master willow-weaver, James Mulholland of Gawley’s Gate, Co. Armagh. The film traces the various stages in the making of a willow log basket from cutting the raw willow rods through to the completed product.

A young man travels to collect his inheritance left to him by his late uncle but discovers that the man dabbled in the occult.

A young man travels to his uncle’s lonely castle to give him a rare tractate. His uncle enlists his help in summoning up the ancient demon Cthulu, using secret rites of Black Magic which involve grave-robbing and murder. As the demon is summoned, the young man fears the worst and is forced to make a life changing decision.

In this documentary by Roy Spence, willow weaver Alison Fitzgerald takes the viewer through the labour intensive process of weaving a ciseog from willow rods, from her workshop Greenwood Baskets in Loughgall. A ciseog is a type of basket that is traditionally used for straining potatoes. From the cutting of the willow rods to the intricate weaving of the sally rods, we are treated to a brief history of a craft and tradition that’s admired all over the world.

Join Me in the Pines is the solo moniker for multi-instrumentalist and songwriter David Geraghty, also known to audiences as a founding member of Bell X1. Feels So Heavy is his latest single from the second album Monomania and is comprised of footage from Keep Watching the Skies (1975) filmed by Roy Spence. IFI was delighted to work with David on his response to the wealth of material filmed by the filmmaker and preserved in the archive.