Viewers were left "stunned" and "gripped" by BBC Two's new drama, Danny Boy, which aired on Wednesday evening. The TV film, which stars Derry Girls actor Anthony Boyle and Toby Jones, tells the riveting true-story of a young soldier accused of war crimes in Iraq.
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Many took to social media to give their verdict of Danny Boy after the one-off programme aired. One tweeted: "Watched the @BrianWoodMC #DannyBoy story last night and was shocked about what our country put these people through after they put their lives on the line #hero #KeepAttacking."
WATCH: Danny Boy starring Toby Jones and Anthony Boyle - official trailer
Another was equally stunned watching the film. "#DannyBoy I don't watch a lot of TV, but was gripped by this story, @BrianWoodMC how well we train our military, the mental strength to go from conflict and chaos to cornflakes /cuddles and bedtime stories is staggering. Hope this story helps others."
A third wrote: "Just watched Danny Boy. Honest & heartfelt. Great story, & fantastic performances #DannyBoy."
Danny Boy proved even more poignant for audiences watching given that the plot is based on a true story. The film focuses on Brian Wood, a soldier who was falsely accused of killing and torturing civilians and prisoners while serving in the Iraq War at just 24 years old.
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© Photo: BBCAnthony Boyle plays Brian Wood
Brian fought in what's now thought of as one of the fiercest battles of the Iraq war - the Battle of Danny Boy. For his part in the battle, Brian was awarded the Military Cross for bravery.
But when he returned home, he was informed that there were disturbing allegations against himself and his regiment and he subsequently found himself embroiled in one of Britain's biggest ever public investigations, the Al-Sweady Inquiry.
In the film, actor Toby Jones portrays human rights lawyer Phil Shiner, who was accusing Brian and his fellow soldiers of war crimes – however, after a long investigation, Brian was eventually cleared on the charges.
Danny Boy is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer, now.
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