BAFTA win for Ballymena cameraman

Filmed for This World on BBC One NI and BBC Two, the programme investigated the failure of the Catholic Church to deal with abusing priests in Ireland and was up against ‘Britain’s Hidden Housing Crisis’, ‘The Other Side of Jimmy Savile’, and ‘What Killed Arafat?’ in the BAFTAs current affairs shortlist.

Seamus McCracken was director of photography for the programme which was produced by Sam Collyns, directed by Alison Millar and presented by Darragh MacIntyre.

Seamus, who grew up on the town’s Fry’s Road, discovered his passion for photography when an uncle bought him a camera for his 14th birthday and after leaving university, the former St Louis Grammar School pupil found a trainee placement at the BBC as a camera operator.

Speaking to The Ballymena Times at the weekend, Seamus said he’s still trying to take in the team’s BAFTA success.

“I’d watched all the other programmes that were up in the same category but I really thought ours looked the best. It had very good investigative journalism and was creatively and technologically better. I just felt it deserved to win but it was all down to the judges.

“None of us had any inkling we’d won until it was actually announced - we hadn’t a clue, which was really good but it was also a major shock. Even now it feels a bit surreal.

“Usually there’s only one award given out but because we were all individually named on the nomination all four of us got BAFTAs,” said Seamus whose award now has pride of place in his Belfast home.

“I look at it and I can’t quite believe it,” he said.

Seamus stressed that the programme was a real team effort and that it was only made possible by the brave people who came forward to talk about the abuse they had suffered in the past.

“It was very important for them that their stories were told,” he said.

Peter Johnston, director, BBC Northern Ireland, who is also from Ballymena, said: “This was a robust and challenging piece of journalism. I congratulate the team for making it happen and for bringing this story to the BBC’s local and network audiences.

“Winning this second award is not only a tribute to the team, it establishes BBC Northern Ireland as a centre for quality, investigative journalism.”

Earlier this year, the programme won a Bronze Torc Award for Excellence in the same category at the Celtic Media Festival in Swansea.

This World, with the help of Catholic Canon lawyer and commentator, the Reverend Thomas Doyle and leading Irish writer Colm Toibin, examined the unique relationship that has long existed between the Irish Catholic Church and state.

It also looked at the great power the Catholic Church once had and explained how the Catholic faithful were too frightened to break the silence and report crimes perpetrated on young victims.