IFI Irish Film Archive
This newsreel filmed in August 1922, shows a throng of people lined up outside the Pro Cathedral on Marlborough Street Dublin, for the funeral of former President, Arthur Griffith. O’Connell Street is cleared to make way for the funeral procession of over a half a million mourners, as the president makes his final journey to his resting place at Glasnevin Cemetery. Arthur Joseph Griffith founded and later led the political party Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922. He was also chairman of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.
In this newsreel from August 1922, thousands of people line the streets waiting their turn to pay their respects to Michael Collins. The Royal Irish Constabulary officers are working hard to try and hold back the crowds outside the Pro-Cathedral on Marlborough street. RIC Soldiers march up O’Connell street behind the funeral carriage as it makes it way to Glasnevin Cemetary. In the final segment Free State soldiers play “The Last Post” on bugles as his coffin is being placed in the ground. Michael Collins was an Irish revolutionary, soldier and politician who was a leading figure in the early 20th century Irish struggle for independence. He was Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State from January 1922. He was assassinated on August 22nd 1922 in Cork.
This newsreel shows the first 60,000 British Troops to leave Ireland and go back to England in May 1922. As soldiers march past, crowds of people line up to cheer and wave. The troops are taken away in a military transporter, most with a smile on their face as they wave and shake hands with the fellow soldiers that stay behind. At the Curragh, troops are packing and removing equipment such as field kitchens onto the train. On August 17th, Dublin Castle was formally handed over to the National Army and the last of the British Army Troops left Ireland.
This newsreel shows the first 60,000 British Troops to leave Ireland and go back to England in May 1922. As soldiers march past, crowds of people line up to cheer and wave. The troops are taken away in a military transporter, most with a smile on their face as they wave and shake hands with the fellow soldiers that stay behind. At the Curragh, troops are packing and removing equipment such as field kitchens onto the train. On August 17th, Dublin Castle was formally handed over to the National Army and the last of the British Army Troops left Ireland.
Despite the opening intertitle which refers to activities on the streets of Cork, much of the footage here was filmed in London. The film documents the final journey of Terence Mac Swiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, who died on hunger strike in Brixton Prison on October 25th, 1920. MacSwiney's death was marked by three funeral processions - in London (seen here); in Dublin (where an empty coffin was carried through the streets of Dublin - not seen here) and in Cork where he was finally laid to rest. Opening sequence shows coffin carried by MacSwiney’s brother and others and being blessed by Archbishop Mannix of Melbourne before being placed in horse drawn hearse. Hearse travels through streets of London. Thousands line the streets. Members of the constabulary hold back throngs outside St George’s Cathedral, Southwark where thousands come to pay their respects. Scenes as members of the clergy arrive at Brixton prison. There are some scenes of the funeral procession through the streets of Cork. 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.
October 11th 1921: London, and Sinn Féin delegates, including Arthur Griffith, arrive for the first formal peace negotiations at 10 Downing Street. In this newsreel, scenes of the Irish Embassy at 17 Grosvenor Place, London are shown, with the Irish Tricolour flag prominently placed above the main entrance. Crowds are seen kneeling and praying on the street outside and cheer with Flags as the delegates leave the Embassy and make their way to Downing street to discuss the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It’s interesting to note the strong presence of the Tricolour in this newsreel as the National flag. It was first presented as a gift to Ireland in 1848 by the French, representing the reconciliation between Protestant and Catholics. Following the events of the 1916 Rising it was locally accepted as the national flag but wasn’t until 1937 that this was made official under the Constitution of Ireland.