The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid
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Tadhg O'Sullivan
| The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Feargal Ward |
| Screenplay by | Feargal Ward Tadhg O'Sullivan |
| Produced by | Luke McManus |
| Cinematography | Feargal Ward |
| Edited by | Tadhg O'Sullivan |
Production company | FSE Films |
| Distributed by | FSE Films Torch Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 76–86 minutes (depending on cut) |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid is a 2017 Irish documentary film directed by Feargal Ward, concerning the legal struggle between a small farmer and the power of international corporations and government institutions.[1]
Thomas Reid (born 1962) owns a 72-acre (29 ha) cattle farm in Blakestown townland, west of Leixlip in County Kildare, and right next to Intel Ireland's main campus.[2]
In 2011, IDA Ireland filed for a compulsory purchase order on his farm, with the intention of selling the land to Intel. Reid disputed this in court, saying that CPOs were not intended to be made with the intention of selling property to a specific private company. The case goes to the High Court and Supreme Court, with Reid winning in the end.
Interspersed with reconstructions of the court cases are interviews with Reid, who lives alone in Hedsor, an 18th-century farmhouse that has been in the family for over 100 years, and depictions of his life on the farm.[3][4]
Release
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid received its world premiere at the 2017 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
It went on release in Ireland on 18 October 2018, and aired on Irish television on 1 July 2019.[3]