Tourism as an Industry

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2m 33s

Tourism as an Industry

Brenda Malone, Curator of Military History at The National Museum of Ireland, explores brand Ireland promoted by British Pathé as a tourist destination. Aspects of Ireland's beautiful landscapes are uncovered including Glendalough, The Giant's Causeway, Kerry's Lartigue Monorail and how the sleepy village of Ennis is dealing with the increase of transatlantic flights at Shannon airport. This film is part of The Irish Independence Film Collection – The Early Irish Free State that explores facets of Irish society after the War of Independence and up to the birth of the Irish Republic.

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2m 29s

Along the Line

This 1931 film from the Pathé Pictorial cinemagazine series features the Lartigue Monorail, running from Listowel to Ballybunion, Co Kerry. The steam-powered monorail (originally designed by Frenchman Charles Lartigue) operated from 1888 to 1924 and carried passengers, livestock and freight. In this newsreel we can see how the monorail rides along supported A-shaped trestles. Footage from the roof of the train treats the viewer to footage inside the driver’s carriage as well as exciting shots of the train travelling directly towards camera. Passengers disembark and smile at camera and children wave from the carriages. The line was severely damaged during the Irish Civil War and closed in 1924. This footage, dated 1931, is presumably retrospective film before its closure. Today, visitors can visit The Lartigue Museum and experience a trip on a diesel-powered replica of the original monorail. This film is part of The Irish Independence Film Collection – The Early Irish Free State that explores facets of Irish society after the War of Independence and up to the birth of the Irish Republic.

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1m 40s

The Causeway of the Giants

The majestic Giant’s Causeway, Co. Antrim, takes centre stage in this film from the Pathetone Weekly cinemagazine from 1935. A man clambers on some of the 37,000 basalt rock columns as a narrator describes the location as one of the ‘wonders of the world’. Most of the rocks are hexagonal in shape but there is one octagonal rock is known as the Keystone . Good fortune awaits those who sit in the Wishing Chair or drink from the Wishing Well. The narrator tells the legend of how an Irish giant built the causeway while trying to get to Scotland to fight a rival. He then adds how ‘it is probably really formed by volcanic action’ and is “one of the most superb rock formations in the world”. This film is part of The Irish Independence Film Collection – The Early Irish Free State that explores facets of Irish society after the War of Independence and up to the birth of the Irish Republic.

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2m 44s

Legend of the Lough

This short travelogue, part of the Pathetone Weekly cinemagazine, features the scenic landscapes of Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Stunning footage of the ‘earthly paradise’ includes the upper and lower lakes, the majestic round tower, St. Kevin’s Church, and a ruined monastery. The narrator tells the story of St. Kevin – an Irish saint who lived very primitively in a cave by the lake in the 6th century. Facts are sprinkled with anecdotes: ‘A young woman enamoured with the holy man once visited him, only to meet with his displeasure. Indeed, he would have none of her and pushed her into the water.’ Tourists still flock to Glendalough to experience the spectacular scenery, rich history, archaeology and abundant wildlife. This film is part of The Irish Independence Film Collection – The Early Irish Free State that explores facets of Irish society after the War of Independence and up to the birth of the Irish Republic.

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2m 30s

Ennis

A study of the sleepy village of Ennis, Co. Clare, in the 1940s and how Shannon Airport affected daily life in the locality. While Pathé’s lens focuses on primitive thatched cottages, a narrator describes how Ennis ‘clings to the old ways of life’. A young boy fills a bucket from a street pump and the voiceover tells how ‘water for a wash or a drink still means a long walk for someone’. Shannon Airport is only sixteen miles away and the locals have noticed a change. Cars, once a rare sight in the village, now ‘disturb the peace and quiet’ and hold up traffic on narrow country lanes. 23-year-old hotelier Josette O’Regan, however, anticipated the rise of footfall and marketed The Old Ground Hotel to tourists and airlines. This film is part of The Irish Independence Film Collection – The Early Irish Free State that explores facets of Irish society after the War of Independence and up to the birth of the Irish Republic.