Gala screening of documentary on heroic Irish doctor

A documentary on the life of a Cork doctor who survived Dunkirk and was a prisoner of war after being captured by the Japanese in Java is due to have a gala screening at UCC next month ahead of its cinema release.

A Doctor's Sword tells the story of Aidan MacCarthy, a UCC-trained medic from west Cork, who survived some of the most harrowing episodes of the second World War, including the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

He was the first non-Japanese doctor to assist in the relief effort after the bombing, and was given a Samurai sword by a Japanese officer.

The animated film follows his family’s search to uncover the origin of the sword, which now resides in MacCarthy’s Bar in Castletownbere, Co Cork.

The gala screening in honour of Dr MacCarthy will be attended by the filmmakers Gary Lennon and Bob Jackson, and Dr MacCarthy’s family, as well as dignitaries including the Japanese cultural attaché Yuichi Yamada, the deputy head of mission Kojiro Uchiyama and senior defence official Lieut Col Sean Cosden, who will attend on behalf of the American embassy.

The film premiered at the Cork Film Festival last November to a sold-out crowd, prompting a second screening. Its gala screening will be on August 6th