More than fifty-five years after his death in a car crash near Ballymena, tribute was paid to the life of Richard Hayward with a touring brochure of the Co. Antrim places he loved. In the 1930s, his major feature film, ‘The Luck of the Irish’ was made in Glynn, while ‘The Early Bird’ was filmed in Glenarm and Carnlough, and ‘Devil’s Rock’ was made in Cushendun. Much of his singing and dialect collecting centred on the area, and his two Ulster travel books showed the special appeal for him – in particular of Islandmagee and the Gobbins which featured in his early poetry.
The brochure featured rare photographs from the early and middle decades of the 20th century and stunning present-day images. Many reflect Hayward’s connection to Larne, where he was educated at the Grammar School in the early 1900s. The trail takes visitors on a tour of the areas he celebrated from Islandmagee, through Larne, over the Sallagh Braes to Slemish, and north to the glens. These are all places where Hayward spent time in his youth which played a vital role in his multifaceted activities.
As well as printing over 1000 copies of the quality brochure we were asked to deliver a Digital online version of the brochure which would be shared online, through social media and email. Our design of the Hayward brochure can be viewed using the following link: http://online.flipbuilder.com/pahc/vrss/
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston, launched the new trail booklet: exploring ‘Richard Hayward’s East Antrim’, in an online video presentation. https://www.facebook.com/larnemuseum