History

Documentary

Ocras

30th August 2016

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This powerful documentary in Irish examines the history and legacy of the hunger strike by Irish Republicans in the Maze prison in 1981. In this documentary directed by Margo Harkin, the people centrally involved – both inside and outside the H Blocks of Long Kesh prison – reveal the inside story of an event that […]

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Documentary

Kathleen Lynn: The Rebel Doctor

26th August 2016

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Kathleen Lynn: The Rebel Doctor is a documentary which tells the previously unknown story of an extraordinary Irish woman. Kathleen Lynn was born in County Mayo in 1874 into a wealthy protestant family. As a young woman she was deeply affected by the abject poverty and disease that ravaged the lives of local people in […]

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Documentary

President Kennedy In Ireland

24th August 2016

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This documentary film produced by the Columban Fathers chronicles President John F. Kennedy’s historic visit to Ireland in June 1963, only 5 months before his tragic assassination. The producer, Father Gerry Smith, a Cavan-born missionary priest, had studied filmmaking in the U.S. He had made a number of films about ‘the old country’ before making […]

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1930s-1960s

Gloucester Street

24th August 2016

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Gloucester Street (which became Seán McDermott Street in 1933) is alive with activity: children play and grapple for the camera’s attention; teachers play school yard games with students and women reluctantly pose for camera. Moments in time are captured in a heavily-populated, inner-city Dublin neighbourhood. The tenement dwellings here were later demolished after Dublin Corporation […]

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Amateur

Magdalene Laundry

24th August 2016

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One of the most notable of Father Delany’s films was made on the grounds of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity Convent and features a Magdalene Laundry (which closed its doors in 1999). In the film we see nuns and residents playing games in the garden, as well as dancing and performing in a […]

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History

Stamps for the Missions – Radharc

24th August 2016

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At the time of the film’s production, Irish adults and children collected stamps and sent them off St. Stanislaus College in Tullamore ‘for the missions’. This story looks at what happened to the stamps and shows how the clerics from the college meticulously sorted and organised the thousands of stamps so that they could be […]

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History

Sick Calls – Radharc

24th August 2016

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This short film describes the rites and rituals involved in administering the Sacrament of Extreme Unction – also known as the ‘Last Rites’ to people. It shows what preparations should be made at home for the reception of this sacrament. Radharc was an independent production company established by Father Joe Dunn, Father Desmond Forristal and […]

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1960s-1980s

The Village With the Most Vocations

24th August 2016

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The film explores the unusually high number of vocations emanating from the parish of Doon, Co. Limerick. In 1962, when the documentary was made, there were 117 living nuns who were born in Doon. Through a series of interviews with the parish priest, nuns and the children from the local convent school, the Radharc team […]

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Entertainment

Manners in Church – Radharc

24th August 2016

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This quietly humorous instructional film from the Radharc series shows church-goers how to behave courteously and correctly in church. It cautions against: unpunctuality; noisy entrances; inappropriate attire; loud whispering of prayer; skulking at the back of the church; smoking outside. The film is testament to the capacity of the Radharc team (comprised at that time […]

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Entertainment

Blessing the Aer Lingus Fleet – Radharc

24th August 2016

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Originally broadcast in 1962, this story from the Radharc series explains how Aer Lingus planes are named after Irish missionaries. It also shows the mechanics of the aircraft and marvels at how they transports passengers to their destination. The blessing of the planes, a tradition since 1947, is also featured here. Radharc was an independent […]

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History

Penal Crosses – Radharc

24th August 2016

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This short film examines the history, design and function of Penal Crosses in Ireland. The crosses date from the time of the Penal Laws in Ireland when Roman Catholics were forbidden to practise their religion, own property or gain positions of power. Penal Crosses were a portable, easily concealed, relic of worship for Catholics whose […]

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Entertainment

Glenties Tidy Towns – Radharc

24th August 2016

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The Tidy Towns competition established in Ireland in 1958 has proven to be a great initiative, bringing communities together and encouraging residents to look after their town and keep their locality tidy. Glenties in County Donegal is no stranger to the competition and has taken the crown for tidiest town in Ireland for three years […]

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