By Corrib Waters

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.

To see more from the Desmond Egan Collection, click here

With kind permission of the Egan family.