[2] She designed the Field Day productions of 'The Communication Cord' (1982) by Brian Friel and 'Boesman and Lena' (1983) by Athol Fugard.

[1] After producing the banned documentary Mother Ireland in 1988, Harkin co-wrote and directed her first drama, Hush-a-Bye Baby (1990), which won “Best Drama” at the International Celtic Film Festival the first of several international awards including The Ecumenical Jury Award at the Locarno Film Festival 1990.

[3] A groundbreaking drama focusing on teen pregnancy in Northern Ireland, its score was written by singer Sinéad O'Connor, who also made a cameo appearance in the film.

In 1992 Harkin founded Besom Productions Ltd.,[1] producing a range of genres from television education programmes to drama but she is best known as a chronicler of key periods of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Over a twelve-year stretch from 1998 to 2010, Harkin filmed 'Bloody Sunday-A Derry Diary' a deeply personal documentary following the Tribunal of Inquiry into Bloody Sunday from the perspective of local people profoundly affected by the original events in addition to addressing Harkin’s own experiences on Bloody Sunday.