Irish Film Institute
IFI Archive
Player

IFI Irish Film Archive

Historic Unionist Conference at Liverpool

Year1921 Duration33s ProducerTopical Film Company
November 17th 1921, less than a month away from the signing of The Anglo-Irish Treaty, at a conference in Liverpool Unionists decide to support the Government, provided that Ulster’s position as part of Britain is protected. Liverpool had a substantial Irish population most of which were nationalist but a substantial proportion were unionist. The local M.P., Sir Laming Worthington Evans, was Unionist (the name for the Conservative Party from 1886 to 1922) and a member of the Coalition Lloyd George government.

You may also like

44s

Irish Free State

This newsreel, which is predominately text based, declares that “after centuries of strife, Britain adds a contented New Dominion to the Crown”. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed between Irish and British negotiators in London at 10 Downing Street, and would determine the future of 20th century Ireland. British Prime Minister David Lloyd George threatened the Irish with “Immediate and terrible war” should they decide not to accept The Treaty. Michael Collins signed it as he believed it would be either a dominion and peace or a Republic and war. The Treaty was signed at 2.20am on December 6th 1921. Irish delegates seen at the end of the Newsreel, include Mr Arthur Griffith {Left} and R.C Barton {Center}, “agreed to an arrangement whereby all Ireland – except Ulster- becomes a Free State”.

9m 35s

Housing Discrimination - Trish McAdam Filmmaker Playlist

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. Shot in 1953, this film highlighted housing discrimination practiced by the unionist-controlled council in the town of Fintona in County Tyrone. It outlines the inequalities faced by the poorer, and usually nationalist, inhabitants, and details how new council houses are being given to unionist residents who are in less need of the houses than nationalists. It argues that the discrimination is motivated by the desire to maintain a majority of unionist voters in certain constituencies. Housing Discrimination was produced by the Information Division of the Irish Department of External Affairs (now the Department of Foreign Affairs) and was allegedly partly shot using a hidden camera. In 1954 it was distributed in Britain by the Anti-Partition League, which prompted the Northern Ireland provincial government to complain to the British government, asking it to lodge a complaint with the Irish government. The film is interesting for a number of reasons; its originator (effectively the Irish government), its subject matter (housing discrimination in Northern Ireland), its argument (discrimination represents a conspiracy against the people of Ireland by a ruling group acting in concert with the British government) and its language (virulently Irish nationalist and anti-British). With kind permission of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

2m 00s

Sinn Féin Rebels

In this newsreel we see disarmed Sinn Féin rebels marching from the Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, to be deported from Kingstown (now known as Dun Laoghaire).The Richmond Barracks is where more than 3,000 rebels including 1916 Rising leaders were sent for executions or to prison camps in England and wales. A still of Eoin Mac Neill is shown towards the end of the newsreel. Mac Neill established the Irish Volunteers in 1913, and served as its Chief-of-Staff. He held this position at the outbreak of the Easter Rising but had no role in the Rising or its planning, and after learning about the Easter Monday uprising he confronted Patrick Pearse and put up a last-minute news advertisment advising Volunteers not to take part. He was later elected to the First Dáil as a member of Sinn Féin.

2m 00s

Sinn Féin Rebels

In this newsreel we see disarmed Sinn Féin rebels marching from the Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, to be deported in Kingstown (now known as Dun Laoghaire). The Richmond Barracks is where more than 3,000 rebels including 1916 Rising leaders were sent for executions or to prison camps in England and wales. A still of Eoin Mac Neill is shown towards the end of the newsreel. Mac Neill established the Irish Volunteers in 1913, and served as its Chief-of-Staff. He held this position at the outbreak of the Easter Rising but had no role in the Rising or its planning, and after learning about the Easter Monday uprising he confronted Patrick Pearse and put up a last-minute news advertisment advising Volunteers not to take part. He was later elected to the First Dáil as a member of Sinn Féin.

26s

Waterford Elections

The Waterford by-elections, March 22nd 1918: An enthusiastic crowd of people gather and cheer in excitement outside as Sinn Féin candidate Dr. Vincent White, exits a building alongside Captain William Redmond (son of John Redmond). Captain William Redmond, from the Irish Nationalist Party defeated Sinn Féin candidate Dr. Vincent White in the by-election but campaigns began shortly afterwards when the General Election was called. The government decided to introduce conscription into Ireland which was hugely unpopular. The Irish Parliamentary Party which had called for men to join up, were opposed to the Bill and on April 17th1918 a cross-party nationalist party meeting at the Mansion House condemned the Bill. The threat of conscription boosted support for Sinn Féin.

1m 10s

The Outgoing President

In this newsreel the Ministry and members of the Republican Party who opposed the Treaty stand for the camera after contesting the policy of the Free State Party at the elections in 1922. On 14th January 1922 a meeting of the members elected to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland was held at the Mansion House, Dublin. At the meeting the Anglo-Irish Treaty was ratified by the Irish side and a Provisional Government was elected. Michael Collins was appointed its Chairman and the Provisional Government took up office two days later on January 16th 1922 when the British administration handed over Dublin Castle to Collins in person. The Treaty, which would replace the Republic as a dominion of the British Commonwealth, was signed on December 6th. De Valera was not happy with the signing of it as he had stipulated that regardless of the outcome the delegates should not be pressured into any agreements and should return to consult with the cabinet and him, their President. After the Treaty was narrowly ratified, de Valera and a large majority of Sinn Féin T.D.s left Dáil Éireann and Arthur Griffith was elected President.