Film of O'Donovan Rossa's funeral?

luckat

http://www.geocities.com/heathcliffiam/mcrising.htm

This page claims that Michael Collins commissioned a film of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa's funeral. Anyone know what happened to the film or who filmed it?

*Though it may sound odd for a funeral to be the birthing place of burgeoning careers, it was not unusual at the time for funerals to be used as political tools and it was Michael Collins who arranged for Rossa’s funeral to be filmed because he understood the propaganda value that a medium like film would have. A.T.Q. Stewart comments on Collins's keen insights on the medium:


"Collins showed an uncanny prescience of the power of the cinema in propaganda. At a time when film was still something of a novelty, he had a short clip made in which he and Diarmuid O’Hegarty were shown sitting at a table outside Pearse’s old school and signing bonds purchased by Pearse’s mother, Clarke’s widow and Connolly’s daughter. It was used to good effect in the United States, from where Boland wrote to him: ‘Gee, Boy. You are some movie actor. Nobody could resist buying a Bond and we having such a handsome Minister for Finance.’ In Ireland the IRA over the next year went into cinemas, forced the projectionist at gunpoint to show the clip, and then disappeared before the police and military could arrive. The brief film brought Collins’s name and image before the public as never before. All this was the more remarkable because Collins had taken great pains to prevent the police from having a reliable photograph of him. As late as 1921, during the Treaty negotiations in London, he instinctively moved his head each time a photograph was taken, so that the image was blurred."

luckat

Aha: http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/P/PatrickPearcesSpeechat1915.html

?] [Patrick Pearce's Speech at the Funeral of O'Donovan Rossa]
(1915) Irish
B&W : Short film
Directed by [?] Gordon Lewis? and/or Norman Whitten?

Cast: Patrick Pearce

Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Shot on August 1, 1915. Rossa was a member of Sinn Féin. / The film is presumed lost.

Documentary.


Last updated: 12/14/00

luckat

And further, apparently in 1959 there was a Dáil debate about whether money could be found to make copies of several films, including this one:

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0173/D.0173.195902260016.html

Seán Ó Loingsigh: Ar dtúis, mar fhreagra ar an cheist a chuir an Teachta Ua Maolchatha mar gheall ar an suim sin £4,000, tá £3,000 ag dul ar leabhra agus £1,000 chun fiacha do ghlanú.

In answer to Deputy Corish, the type of films which are in question here and which we desire to preserve are cinema films of Irish historical interest. The intention is that we make copies of them and they are available, I understand, in the form of newsreels. Typical examples of these are the O'Donovan Rossa funeral with Pearse making the oration, the funeral of Thomas Ashe, the scenes of the Easter week fighting and the Treaty Debate meetings of Dáil Éireann. As I indicated when I introduced the Supplementary Estimate, these are on a certain base which is no longer capable of preserving them. We may have to make copies quickly of them on a more permanent base in order to have them preserved for posterity.


Mr. Corish Mr. Corish


271


[271] Mr. Corish: Do not keep them for posterity. Show them to the people of to-day.


Mr. J. Lynch Mr. J. Lynch


Mr. J. Lynch: It will not be possible to have copies made of them at all if we do not move now. In regard to Gael Linn, I agree with what has been said by Deputy Corish and Deputy O'Donnell. However, the sum granted in this instance, £3,250, was specifically requested by them. As the House knows, for some time past, they have been adding Amharc Éireann to the Universal News feature and they were able to do that out of their own funds every month by arrangement with the Rank Organisation, and apparently the Rank Organisation has been very co-operative with them. Gael Linn decided they could do it every fortnight, but they did not have the resources themselves to do it, but would require the extra sum of £3,250 to do it. Unfortunately, after the grant had been sanctioned, but before the introduction of this Supplementary Estimate, Ranks put an end to Universal News in the cinemas. Gael Linn are now trying—and I am sure they will succeed—to produce some alternative means of presenting these films fortnightly on the screens.

I do not think the suggestion of Deputy Corish is really necessary for the carrying out of this work. On their merit, Gael Linn are good enough to command public attention and respect without any imprimatur from the Minister for Education. I admire their initiative and think their success is really due to the initiative they have shown and the independence with which they can work. By leaving them alone and giving them whatever assistance they desire from time to time, if it can be given, I believe they will do far better work for the language.

In regard to the suggestion that due attention be given to Gael Linn in the commission which is studying the Irish language in general, that will be done; in fact, they are represented by their chairman on the commission and he is one of the most active men in Gael Linn.


272


Another point made both by Deputy Corish and Deputy O'Donnell referred [272] to the provision of £3,000 for Dun Laoi. Dun Laoi was a project started some years ago in Cork. The Gaeltacht organisation there had no adequate centre of activity and they bought an old house in the North Mall reasonably convenient to the centre of the city. I forget exactly what they paid for it, but the total sum for acquisition and reconstruction amounted to £7,000. Much of the work done was voluntary, including the architect's work. Most of the members themselves did the work of reconstruction. Notwithstanding that, they found themselves unable to meet the full cost of £7,000. They provided £4,000 from their own resources and as well as that the annual outlay amounted to £1,000, with the result that they were unable to make any provision to pay the balance of £3,000 that was due on the purchase and reconstruction of the premises.

It was in order to meet that situation that we came to their assistance. There was grave danger that, having got so far, if they did not receive assistance from us, they might have had to abandon the house and all the activities that go with it. This is not intended to be an annual grant by any means. It is a capital sum. Neither is it intended as a scheme whereby similar organisations in different parts of the country can feel themselves entitled to grants. This was a special case, as I have indicated, and special provision was made to meet it.


Mr. O'Donnell Mr. O'Donnell


Mr. O'Donnell: Would the Minister say if the £12,000 is still available for Aisteóirí Ghaothdobhair for the erection of their theatre.


Mr. J. Lynch Mr. J. Lynch


Mr. J. Lynch: I do not know if it is in my Vote, but there is no question of its not being available in future.


Mr. Dillon Mr. Dillon


273


Mr. Dillon: I should like to ask the Minister whether between now and the main Estimate discussion he would turn his mind to the problem of the Place Names Commission. Every year thousands of people are dying who have irreplaceable information on the place names of this country. Progress is deplorable. Nobody seems to give a damn and I would invite the Minister to inquire into that matter in detail so that we may raise it when the [273] main Vote comes before the House for consideration.

Vote put and agreed to.

luckat

Anyone? I'd really like to find this film, because it might have film of my grandfather, who died when my mother was a year old - we have a few precious photos of him, and I spoke to many people who knew him when I was a child, but film would be unimaginable.

martarg

I would love to see that film too... does anyone know where to look for this sort of material? The National Library doesn't seem to have anything beyond photographs... has anyone ever tried looking up film footage for research?

wrcole

Hi there - someone forwarded me this post. I have a reel of film that I've transferred of JODR's funeral (I'm his great grandson as well). Would be interested in investigating if this is the same one you refer to. Any other information? Please reply via my personal e-mail.
Best, Williams Rossa Cole

luckat

It seems to be quoted extensively in Mise Eire, which I think may be out of print (phone Gael-Linn and ask), but I have a copy...

luckat

Has anyone got an email for wrcole, please? He sent me a pm saying someone had forwarded this thread to him and asking for me to reply to his private email, but not giving his address.... Please ask him first, and then send it to me by pm if he agrees; don't post it publicly.

Sheera

As far as I know you can view this film at the Pearse Museum at St. Enda's in Rathfarnham.

I'd imagine its also held in the National Archives?