The Miracle Club: Maggie Smith film that took 20 years to make to get premiere

Story of four Irish women who leave Dublin for the first time will be screened in New York next Monday

For almost 20 years, film-makers had struggled to make a heartwarming film about four riotous working-class Irish women, but they just could not make it happen - despite having a star in Dame Maggie Smith, whose awards include Oscars, Emmys and Baftas.

The screenplay was not quite right and funds could not be raised, but Smith never lost faith in the project.