IFI Irish Film Archive

A Day of Drama

Year1922 Duration1m 59s

This newsreel shows a crowd of people outside Mountjoy Prison in December 1922 in support of, and praying for the hunger striking prisoners. Between the years of 1913 – 1922 more than 1000 hunger strikes occurred in both England and Ireland. These types of protests were centred on common political issues, with seven people dying during this period as a result, and many more from complications later on.

Our second IFI Filmmaker Playlist is curated by filmmaker and visual artist Trish McAdam. Since the production of her early shorts in the 1980s, Trish has created a vibrant and varied body of work, embracing a range of forms and subjects and retaining a singular, independent voice. We're delighted to welcome Trish to the Irish Film Institute to select her top picks from films preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive and presented on the IFI Archive Player. This newsreel shows a crowd of people outside Mountjoy Prison in December 1922 in support of, and praying for the hunger striking prisoners. Lord Mayor of Dublin Laurence O'Neill and Maud Gonne McBride stand outside the Mountjoy Prison gates. Between the years of 1913 - 1922 more than 1000 hunger strikes occurred in both England and Ireland. These types of protests were centred on common political issues, with seven people dying during this period as a result, and many more from complications later on.

1m 11s

Martial Law in Ireland

This newsreel shows very rare scenes inside the first concentration camp where members of the Sinn Féin party were treated as prisoners of war. Ballykinlar Internment Camp was the first mass internment camp to be established by the British in Ireland during the War of Independence. Situated on the County Down coast and opened in December 1920, it became home to hundreds of Irish men arrested by the British, often on little more than the suspicion of involvement in the IRA. Held for up to a year, and subjected to often brutal treatment and poor quality food in an attempt to break them both physically and mentally, the interned men instead established a small community within the camp,sharing knowledge and skills to stave off boredom.

22s

Coal Strike – Ireland

This newsreel shows the impact the mining crisis in England (March 1921) had in Ireland. The camera pans across the docks showing boats being held up and coal wharfs empty in the ports. In the aftermath of the First World War,the Triple Alliance (a group made up of (Railwaymen, Transport Workers, and Coal Miners) were regarded by many trade unionists as a defence against the threat of wage reductions occasioned by the onset of economic depression. A complicating factor was that both the coal industry and railways had been controlled by the state during the war and were not immediately returned to private hands. The Coalition-Liberal Government of David Lloyd George was unwilling to impose wage reductions, as this would provoke strike action against the government, with political implications. Reductions for miners were postponed until the industry was de-controlled on March 31st 1921. Miners who refused to accept the reductions were locked out of employment.

5m 18s

Terence MacSwiney Laid to Rest

This newsreel shows the final journey for Terence Mac Swiney, who died in Brixton, England on October 25th 1920. His body arrives in Cork at Customs House Quay on October 31st (it was diverted from Dublin to avoid demonstrations). The coffin of Terence McSwiney arrives on the tugboat Mary Tavy into Cork's Custom House Quay. A procession of mourners fill Patrick Street as hordes of people turn up to show their respects. His brother Sean MacSwiney is seen walking alongside the coffin along with his other brother Peter, who is acting as pallbearer. His coffin is carried into the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne and he is buried at St Finbarr’s Cemetery. Terence James MacSwiney was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was elected as Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War of Independence in 1920. He was arrested by the British on charges of sedition and imprisoned in Brixton Prison in England. His death there in October 1920 after 74 days on hunger strike brought him and the Irish struggle to international attention.

1m 02s

Curragh Stable Lads Strike

The early 1920s were a turbulent time for Ireland. Following the War of Independence and The Civil War, Ireland experienced a severe economic depression. Farmers in the west of Ireland were the most severely hit with poor harvest prospects and little to no employment prospects. One industry that was still thriving during these difficult economic times was Horse racing. In 1922 differences were briefly put aside during the Civil War to find the winner of the 1922 Irish Derby. Horse racing was still proving to be financially fruitful, however the downturn in the home economy had encouraged owners to reduce training fees. In this newsreel from the Curragh in 1924, the impact of the downturn in the economy is shown as stable boys sit on fence striking after having their wages cut.

3m 37s

Connemara’s Appeal

Following the War of Independence, the Civil War and economic depression, Ireland was in a ruinous state. Between 1923 and 1924, wages were cut by 16%, the old age pension was reduced by 10% and a seven day working week was introduced. For farmers, especially in the west of Ireland, harvests were particularly poor and animal stocks died in large numbers due to hunger related diseases and turf, the main fuel resource could not dry due to the wet damp weather. By the beginning of 1925, hundreds of thousands of people were in dire need. In this newsreel we get a glimpse of some of the struggles people in Connemara (considered one of the most impoverished regions) experienced. The conditions were so dire that, even with government aid grants of £500,000, these conditions resulted in many deaths and widespread suffering.