A Celebration of NFI Films

"Uachtarán na hÉireann" showing the inauguration of Sean T. O'Kelly as President of Ireland in 1945. Taoiseach Eamonn de Valera and Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid are in attendance. Also seen are Cardinal McRory, Sean Lemass and Sean McEntee.

A young man (Joe Lynch) contracts tuberculosis to the dismay of his wife (Joan O’Hara) and to the shame of her aunt (Marie Keane). He recovers following a long spell convalescing in a Tuberculosis sanatorium.
A public information film infused with tension and humour directed by actor/playwright Gerard Healy, this dramatized film looks at the treatment of TB in Ireland and was designed to encourage people to have regular health check-ups and to reduce the social stigma associated with the disease. The film opens with a young man believing he has a cold but when it lingers, is prevailed upon by his wife to see a doctor. The doctor diagnoses TB in its early stages, a disease which was widely associated with poverty and lack of hygiene, and which greatly upsets Aunt Mary. The young man’s case is followed through all the stages of treatment until he leaves the sanatorium restored to his normal good health. The film ends with statistics on governments efforts to reduce TB including building of new sanatoria in Dublin and Galway.
TB was a scourge that ravaged Ireland for much of the last century killing over 10,000 people a year with more than half of them children. This highly infectious disease thrived in crowded tenements in Dublin’s inner city and in the poorly ventilated and thatched cottages in the countryside. By the early 1950s, public awareness, new treatments and improvements in medical care saw the death rate from TB drop from 4,306 in 1943 to 1,600 in 1952. By the end of the 1950s the epidemic had been eradicated.
This film was one of a series of informational films produced by the National Film Institute (now IFI) in both Irish and English versions. The cast of talented, bi-lingual actors would shoot their dialogue scenes in Irish and then in English (or vice versa) and two versions were then edited, titled as appropriate and released in theatrical and non-theatrical venues such as cinemas, schools and clubs.

A road safety film where Mr. Careless, usually a good law-abiding citizen, becomes a menace when he gets behind the wheel of a car.
Produced by the National Film Institute for the Department of Local Government in 1949 and directed by Liam O’Leary, this road safety film warns of the dangers of drink driving and the dire consequences that can result. Mr. Careless proves to be a most inconsiderate driver as he faces a series of scenarios where he fails to adhere to basic rules of road. His journey takes him from the Wicklow Hills and the village of Avoca into Dublin’s busy streets passing Christchurch, College Green and the Custom House. Though the tone is sometimes humorous, the message is very serious as the film promotes safe, alcohol-free driving and illustrates the perils of drink-driving with grim statistics.

Cycling through a city can be a stressful experience. This public information film, produced by the National Film Institute (now IFI) for the Department of Local Government and directed by filmmaker (later archivist) Liam O Laoghaire (aka O’Leary), advises on the best cycling practice around busy Dublin streets.
This public safety film from 1949 was shot with tongue firmly in cheek. While dangerous cycling habits are usually nothing to smile about, their re-enactment for the purposes of instruction and amusement can make for entertaining viewing. The film shows the streets of 1940s Dublin filled with cyclists – some heavily burdened, some devil-may-care, some attentive to the rules of the road, some not at all – and provides an unusual saddle-level view of a wide range of north and south city locations. From the history of the bicycle to basic road safety procedures this film can still teach even the most proficient cyclist of today a thing or two.

One of the highlights of the GAA series is the All Ireland Hurling Finals of 1959, which includes footage of the official opening of the new Hogan Stand at Croke Park.

"Where Does the Money Go?" one of a series of public information films directed with verve and humour by actor/playwright Gerard Healy, this film was commissioned by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in the impoverished years of the 1950s, in an attempt to encourage Irish spendthrifts to mend their frivolous ways.
The film’s intention was to encourage people to save in the Post office, to help provide security for their family, for a holiday, old age or in the event of an illness.
The viewer is given many examples of how people are careless with money, a housewife wastes food and electricity, a young woman fritters away her earnings on hats and magazines, and a bachelor puts his money on horses, greyhounds and into the barman’s pocket. The film includes evocative scenes of O’Connell Street and the GPO as well as the hustle and bustle of Moore Street Market in 1952.
This film was one of a series of informational films produced by the National Film Institute (now IFI) in both Irish and English versions. The cast of talented, bi-lingual actors would shoot their dialogue scenes in Irish and then in English (or vice versa) and two versions were then edited, titled as appropriate and released in theatrical and non-theatrical venues such as cinemas, schools and clubs.