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Amateur

Films in Amateur

11m 06s

Along the Milky Way - The Roy Spence Collection

A comical documentary film by Roy Spence focuses on the various stages of a bottle of school milk. The commentary is given by a pint-sized cartoon character called Junior who appears on the milk-bottle cap. He explains the whole procedure to a little girl at school who has confused the words ‘diary’ and ‘’dairy’. This charming educational film was made for the Milk Marketing Board for Northern Ireland. Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur filmmaker. For the past 50 years Roy has been making and screening a series of remarkable and sometimes eccentric films in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down. The films span many genres from sci-fi to horror to folk-life documentaries shot between 1965 and 1986. His collection of over 40 films (13 documentaries/non-fiction and 29 fiction feature films) is held and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

23m 43s

Belleek, An Enduring Heritage - The Roy Spence Collection

This award-winning documentary on Belleek pottery was made jointly by filmmakers Roy Spence and J.J Tohill. Narrated by RTÉ newsreader Cyril Smith, this stunning documentary highlights the talent and craftsmanship that goes into each and every single piece of fine china and the generations of skilled artisans who create these works of art. Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur filmmaker. For the past 50 years Roy has been making and screening a series of remarkable and sometimes eccentric films in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down. The films span many genres from sci-fi to horror to folk-life documentaries shot between 1965 and 1986. His collection of over 40 films (13 documentaries/non-fiction and 29 fiction feature films) is held and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

7m 18s

Bending the Sally - The Roy Spence Collection

In this documentary by Roy Spence, willow weaver Alison Fitzgerald takes the viewer through the labour intensive process of weaving a ciseog from willow rods, from her workshop Greenwood Baskets in Loughgall. A ciseog is a type of basket that is traditionally used for straining potatoes. From the cutting of the willow rods to the intricate weaving of the sally rods, we are treated to a brief history of a craft and tradition that’s admired all over the world. Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur filmmaker. For the past 50 years, Spence has been making and screening a series of remarkable and sometimes eccentric films in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down. The films span many genres from sci-fi to horror to folk-life documentaries shot between 1965 and 1986. His collection of over 40 films (13 documentaries/non-fiction and 29 fiction feature films) is held and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

14m 30s

Birds and Beasts - Desmond Egan Collection

This amateur film, shot in 1946, is a remarkable and nostalgic window into a family day out at Dublin Zoo. Families enjoy the sights and sun and children take a tour of the zoo on top of an elephant. Desmond Egan’s lens focuses on various animals from lions and chimpanzees to pheasants and peacocks. Egan was one of the first in Ireland to film in colour and Birds and Beasts was shot on 16mm Kodachrome film. Desmond Egan was a skilled amateur filmmaker with a background in professional production. A wine merchant by trade, he lived with his wife and 4 daughters in Glenageary, Co Dublin. His films were shot between 1937 and 1946 and the collection of silent, colour films includes home movies, short dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects. With kind permission of the Egan family.

22m 29s

Brady's Bargain - The Roy Spence Collection

Brady has spent his life trying to outsmart the leprechauns and his big chance comes when he manages to capture one. Keeping the little man a prisoner, he starves the leprechaun until he reveals the secret of his wealth. Armed with this knowledge, Brady sets off across the moor to make himself a very rich man. Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur filmmaker. For the past 50 years, Spence has been making and screening a series of remarkable and sometimes eccentric films in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down. The films span many genres from sci-fi to horror to folk-life documentaries shot between 1965 and 1986. His collection of over 40 films (13 documentaries/non-fiction and 29 fiction feature films) is held and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

16m 19s

By Corrib Waters - Desmond Egan Collection

This amateur documentary on the stunning surroundings of Lough Corrib and the Cong River in Connemara is considered to be one of Desmond Egan’s finest films. At the junction of the Cong River and Lough Corrib stands Ashford Castle – now a luxurious hotel but formerly the residence of the Ardilaun family. Framed by the stunning surroundings of Connemara, west Ireland, the film also features the superb Kylemore Abbey. It was built in 1867 as a family home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy doctor from London. In 1920 the Abbey became a Benedictine monastery run by nuns who had fled Belgium in World War I. The Benedictine community restored its famous walled garden to its former glory and it is today one of Ireland’s most popular attractions. Desmond Egan was a skilled amateur filmmaker with a background in professional production. A wine merchant by trade, he lived with his wife and 4 daughters in Glenageary, Co Dublin. His collection of silent, colour films includes home movies, short dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects. With kind permission of the Egan family.

31s

Cambria Ship - Father Delany Collection

A newlywed couple board the TSS Cambria II in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. They bid farewell to their loved ones and set sail for Holyhead, Wales. The Twin Screw Steamer, Cambria, serviced the Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead route from 1921 to 1948 until it was replaced with the motor vessel Cambria. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

2m 54s

Card Games - Father Delany Collection

This film shows a group of people playing card games in a sunny back garden of a family home. Card and board games, such as bridge and dominoes, would have been popular in 1930s Dublin. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

1m 39s

Castlerea Train Station - Monsignor Reid Collection

This short film follows a train journey from Roscommon to Dublin in 1947. When everyone is aboard the train leaves Castlerea Station and the camera captures the stunning landscape of the trip. Castlerea Train station opened on November 15th 1860 and continues to service the Roscommon area today. Father Reid (later Monsignor Reid) acquired his first ‘movie’ camera in the mid-1930s. He continued to film a wide variety of subjects until the 1970s. He filmed in the United States, where he lived for most of his life, and also religiously documented life in Ireland with family and friends during his regular trips home. His films include holiday and family activities against the backdrop of beautiful Irish scenery. He also captured holidays abroad in France, Spain, England and Italy.

1m 29s

Children's Play - Father Delany Collection

This beautifully shot footage dates from the 1930s and depicts children at play featuring fine costumes and a dressed stage that would rival many professional productions. It’s one of the many gems from the Father Delaney Collection. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

24s

Clock Tower Animation - The Horgan Brothers Collection

The Youghal Clock Tower is a light-hearted and playful exploration of the possibilities of animation in its infancy. In this short, the well-known landmark is depicted dancing into frame as the clock gate comes to life, spinning and dancing through the main street of the Cork town. It is likely that James Horgan was one of the earliest animators in Irish film history, as he experimented with film production techniques including stop-motion animation and the use of models, as well as retouching still photographs. The Horgan Brothers’ films (1910-1920) are some of the earliest moving images made in Ireland. The brothers were photographers who turned their attention to the moving image, eventually opening a cinema in their home town of Youghal, Co Cork. It was here they screened their newsreel-style films, which they named The Youghal Gazette.

2m 51s

Corpus Christi - Father Delaney Collection

This amateur film by Father Jack Delaney shows hundreds of members of the inner city parish around Gloucester Street participating in the annual Corpus Christi procession, a Roman Catholic ritual celebrating the Eucharist. Traditionally all Catholic parishioners attended. In Father Delaney’s film we see children in their first holy communion and other religious attire. This is an invaluable, heavily-populated record of the community as they proceed through the streets of their parish Father Jack Delaney (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly in Sean McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His images of trips with his parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and scenes within the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent which housed a Magdalene Laundry provide us with a fascinating glimpse of life in inner city Dublin in the 1930s.

8m 42s

Crock of Gold - The Roy Spence Collection

When two children discover a herd of cows at the end of the rainbow they are disappointed as they were expecting to find gold. The film traces the journey of butter from cows grazing, to milking, to the final churning of milk into a crock of gold – packets of butter – much to the delight of the children. It is a simple delight, and moments like the creative sound mixing in the laboratory scene gives you a taste of Spence’s filmmaking talents. Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur filmmaker. For the past 50 years, Spence has been making and screening a series of remarkable and sometimes eccentric films in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down. The films span many genres from sci-fi to horror to folk-life documentaries shot between 1965 and 1986. His collection of over 40 films (13 documentaries/non-fiction and 29 fiction feature films) is held and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

2m 51s

Croquet - Father Delany Collection

This rare footage shows gentlemen (who appear to be Christian Brothers) playing croquet and relaxing in their spare time. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

1m 58s

Declan's Well - The Horgan Brothers Collection

Located in Ardmore, Waterford, Saint Declan’s Well dates back to the 14th century. In this film the viewer is shown parts of the oratory and Saint Declan’s tower but perhaps the most interesting is footage of a man and a woman walking underneath Saint Declan’s stone. Legend has it, on the feast day of the saint (24th of July) pilgrims would crawl under the stone as a cure for arthritis. However the mythical tale also warned that the stone should not be approached by the unworthy as they risked getting stuck and trapped for their sins. Although most of The Horgan Brothers Collection had suffered the ravages of time and were incomplete, enough survived to provide an invaluable moving image record of what appeared on screen a century ago in a rural Irish cinema. The Horgan Brothers’ films (1910-1920) are some of the earliest moving images made in Ireland. The brothers were photographers who turned their attention to the moving image, eventually opening a cinema in their home town of Youghal, Co Cork. It was here they screened their newsreel-style films, which they named The Youghal Gazette.

10m 43s

Dots, Whips and Cobwebs - The Roy Spence Collection

This film looks at the work of three prominent lace makers in Carrickmacross, Northern Ireland in the 1980s. Mary Wilson, Mary McMahon and Rose Feeney show various intricate lacework techniques that were inspired by their natural surroundings, as well as teaching us the history and language of lace through detailed demonstrations, all captured beautifully in this film by Roy Spence for the Ulster Folk Museum. Although the popularity of lacework has declined in recent years, the Ulster Folk Museum continues to preserve these disappearing traditions for future generations. Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur filmmaker. For the past 50 years, Spence has been making and screening a series of remarkable and sometimes eccentric films in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down. The films span many genres from sci-fi to horror to folk-life documentaries shot between 1965 and 1986. His collection of over 40 films (13 documentaries/non-fiction and 29 fiction feature films) is held and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

1m 16s

Dublin Zoo - Father Delany Collection

Father Delany’s lens captures a school visit to Dublin Zoo. The highlight is a visit to the elephant enclosure where the Zookeeper demonstrates how to mount the elephant like a horse. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

1m 17s

Dun Laoghaire Storm - Father Delany Collection

This short amateur film by Father Delany shows powerful waves crashing over the harbour walls on a stormy evening in Dun Laoghaire. A small group of people gather dangerously close to the edge as the boats and buoys rock erratically in the distance. One gentleman can be seen making a dash for it to avoid a nasty soaking. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly in Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His images of trips with his parishoners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and scenes within the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent which housed a Magdalene Laundry provide us with a fascinating glimpse of life in inner city Dublin in the 1930s. With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

2m 08s

First Communion - Father Delany Collection

In this film, Father Delany captures a group of children dressed in their finest outfits, proudly walking down an inner city Dublin street on their way to First Holy Communion. A crowd gathers at the railings of the church to see the event and wave at the camera. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

7m 05s

Gloucester Street - Father Delany Collection

Gloucester Street (which became Seán McDermott Street in 1933) is alive with activity: children play and grapple for the camera’s attention; teachers play school yard games with students and women reluctantly pose for camera. Moments in time are captured in a heavily-populated, inner-city Dublin neighbourhood. The tenement dwellings here were later demolished after Dublin Corporation purchased them in 1941. An early rooftop scene shows the façade of Rutland Street National School in the distance. The schoolyard scenes show the boys and girls of Rutland Street National school at play with their teachers. Thirty years later, in the 1960s, the voices of the Rutland Street school children were recorded by their teacher Peg Cunningham. These recordings inspired and provide the sound track for Brown Bag’s Give Up Your Aul Sins. Father Jack Delany (1906-1980) was ordained in 1930 at the age of 24 and served as a parish priest in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. He served mainly around Seán McDermott Street (then Gloucester Street), Rutland Street and Gardiner Street. His films offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time in inner-city Dublin and include scenes of trips with parishioners, tenement life, school children at play, religious processions, and residents of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent (which housed a Magdalene Laundry). With kind permission of Irene Devitt.

27m 58s

Harvest - Desmond Egan Collection

This superb documentary, shot by avid amateur filmmaker Desmond Egan in 1946, explores antiquated harvesting methods used in remote areas of Ireland. From horse and cart to manual tilling of the land, Harvest proposes a more profitable and efficient way of working that would result from investing in machine technology. Desmond Egan was a skilled amateur filmmaker with a background in professional production. A wine merchant by trade, he lived with his wife and 4 daughters in Glenageary, Co Dublin. His films were shot between 1937 and 1946 and the collection of silent, colour films includes home movies, short dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects. With kind permission of the Egan family.

4m 32s

Holiday in England - Monsignor Reid Collection

This film from 1947 captures a holiday in Bournemouth, England, and includes shots of the Redhill Hospital, the Downs, a trip to Bournemouth and Stonehenge and some stunning shots of Salisbury Cathedral. Father Reid (later Monsignor Reid) acquired his first ‘movie’ camera in the mid-1930s. He continued to film a wide variety of subjects until the 1970s. He filmed in the United States, where he lived for most of his life, and also religiously documented life in Ireland with family and friends during his regular trips home. His films include holiday and family activities against the backdrop of beautiful Irish scenery. He also captured holidays abroad in France, Spain, England and Italy.

15m 12s

Holiday in Highland, New York - Monsignor Reid Collection

This film was shot in the town of Highland, New York, between 1939 and 1940. It consists of scenes depicting the Hudson River Bridge, miners working the Iron mines of the Hudson Highlands and family outings. Father Reid (later Monsignor Reid) acquired his first ‘movie’ camera in the mid-1930s. He continued to film a wide variety of subjects until the 1970s. He filmed in the United States, where he lived for most of his life, and also religiously documented life in Ireland with family and friends during his regular trips home. His films include holiday and family activities against the backdrop of beautiful Irish scenery. He also captured holidays abroad in France, Spain, England and Italy.

11m 40s

In Wicklow Hills - Desmond Egan Collection

This short amateur film sees two of Desmond Egan’s daughters taking a stroll along a country lane in Wicklow as the Sugar Loaf Mountain towers in the background. The Sugar Loaf is located between Delgany and Kilmacanogue and, at only 501 meters high, its volcanic appearance and isolation from other hills make it appear much taller than it is. Desmond Egan was a skilled amateur filmmaker with a background in professional production. A wine merchant by trade, he lived with his wife and 4 daughters in Glenageary, Co Dublin. His films were shot between 1937 and 1946 and the collection of silent, colour films includes home movies, short dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects. With kind permission of the Egan family.

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