Old newsreels from Dundalk feature in newly released IFI collection

The Irish Film Institute (IFI), Dublin, in association with Gael Linn, has launched a new collection of historically significant newsreels, Amharc Éireann: A View of Ireland, which includes four newsreels filmed in Dundalk.

This collection of Gael Linn newsreels from the 1950s and 1960s is now available to stream free worldwide on the IFI Archive Player and suite of apps. Additionally, IFI Digital Platforms has developed a new immersive, interactive map of Ireland, a link to which can be found below.

This map allows users to explore the collection in depth and find stories relating to villages or counties. Explore over 250 moments - each tied to a village, town or county - as you browse Ireland geographically.

The map currently features four newsreels from Dundalk. One filmed in 1960, shows the aftermath of a fire which broke out at the Park Street Cinema in Dundalk and caused extensive damage inside the building.

A second newsreel filmed in 1960, features the Dundalk Autumn Races in Dowdallshill, with the Cooley Mountains in the background.

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Another filmed in 1961 features over 100 people participating in a Passion of Christ play, taking place in Dundalk during Holy Week, leading up to Easter celebrations.

The fourth newsreel from Dundalk, was filmed in 1961 and features a delegation from the Irish Foreign Trade Society visits Dundalk Brewery.

The Amharc Éireann newsreel, launched in 1956, was the first regular, indigenous cinema newsreel since the Irish Events newsreel (1917–1920). The newsreel was released initially as a series of short, monthly magazine-style items and later as a weekly issue.

The newsreels can all be viewed at the interactive map here.

A total of 267 editions were released in a five-year period from 1959 and were shown in cinemas across the nation as a curtain raiser to the main feature film. Each episode contained two or three short features of interest to Irish cinema goers.

The interactive map is mirrored on app by Irish tech company Axonista, and the IFI Archive Player app is available to download from Google Play, the App store, Amazon TV, Android TV and Roku.