The Horgan Brothers’ films (1910- 1920) are some of the earliest moving images made in Ireland. Brothers Philip, James and Thomas Horgan began their careers in the late 19th century in Youghal, Co. Cork as shoemakers and photographers. They ran magic lantern shows in Youghal and in the surrounding villages and townlands. Following the success of their photographic studio and shows, James Horgan began to experiment with a moving image camera capturing current events in Youghal and environs. In 1917 the brothers opened the purpose-built 600-seat cinema The Horgan Picture Theatre in Youghal, where they screened The Youghal Gazette – their local topical newsreel featuring events of local interest – and contemporary international feature films. This practice was not uncommon among early cinema owners where exhibitors became filmmakers, capturing well attended local events at fairs, churches and factory gates, and then screening the films to full houses of their enthusiastic subjects. The Horgan experimented with photographs and models to make the earliest surviving Irish stop-frame animation which we estimate dates from about 1910. It features the Youghal Town Hall Clock standing on its head and pirouetting. 

The original collection of fragile 35mm nitrate rolls was donated to the IFI Irish Film Archive by Jim Horgan, grandson of James Horgan. Soon after acquisition, the rolls were transferred to modern safety stock. Although most of the reels had suffered the ravages of time, enough had survived to provide an invaluable moving image record of what appeared on screen a century ago in a rural Irish cinema.