"Killarney Scenes" is now available to view for free on the Irish Film Institute's IFIPlayer.
This colorful, amateur film by Desmond Egan features a range of scenes in the stunning surroundings of Killarney, County Kerry in 1946.
Cinematic shots showcase the landscape as the camera pans across lakes, rivers, and springs and a mother and daughter enjoy a picnic at the foot of mountains. The traditional Irish craft of wool spinning is also on display where we see the various processes required to prepare a fleece.
About the Desmond Egan Collection
Desmond Egan was a skilled amateur filmmaker with a keen eye for detail. A wine merchant by trade, he lived with his wife and 4 daughters in Glenageary, County Dublin. His films were shot between 1937 and 1957.
Egan had been involved in a professional capacity with architect Michael Scott (designer of Busáras) and cameraman George Fleischmann when they established the production company Hibernia Films in 1945. The company produced a series of government information films, including "Silent Order", "Next Please", and "Voyage to Recovery".
His professional experience no doubt influenced his own film-making activity. His films, unlike those of many other amateurs, are finely crafted and edited works. He worked exclusively with colour film rendering his beautiful garden (his wife’s pride and joy), his home (designed by Michael Scott) and his daughters’ childhood with great warmth and vibrancy.
His short documentaries, though silent, are invaluable records of the subjects they explore. Shot with great skill, they are all cleverly constructed and edited to include explanatory titles and inter-titles.
To see more from the Desmond Egan Collection via the Irish Film Institute, click here.
“Killarney Scenes" is published here with thanks to the Irish Film Institute (IFI), who IrishCentral have partnered up with to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collection entails. You can find all IrishCentral articles and videos from the IFI here.
To watch more historic Irish footage, visit the IFI Player, the Irish Film Institute’s virtual viewing room that provides audiences around the globe free, instant access to Irish heritage preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive. Irish Culture from the last century is reflected through documentaries, animation, adverts, amateur footage, feature films, and much more. You can also download the IFI Player Apps for free on iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.
IrishCentral has partnered up with the IFI to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collections entail. You can find all IrishCentral articles and videos from the IFI here.
* Originally published in 2021, updated in Aug 2023.
