There's a free screening of We Only Want the Earth, a new film about James Connolly, at Dublin's Light House on 20 April @ 6pm with a filmmaker Q&A. Link to tickets below.
www.eventbrite.com/e/free-scree...
On 12 March 1926, Belfast's Classic advertised not only its double bill of The Unholy Three (US: MGM, 1925), starring Lon Chaney and King of the Castle (UK: Stoll, 1925), with Marjorie Hume, but also its many feature attractions. Images: Irish News, IMDb & Bioscope. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 2 March 1926, Belfast's Diamond Picture House was showing Capital Punishment (US: Schulberg, 1925), which "possesses a perennial interest [and] is remarkable for the extreme realism of the interpretations given by the twelve stars," including Clara Bow. Images: Irish News & IMDb #EarlyIrishCinema
#OTD 1926, a full house and seashore backdrop were the order of the day when the court in Castleisland, Co. Kerry moved from their usual billiard-room venue to the local cinema, where the justice and press occupied the stage and the solicitors sat in the stalls. Image: Kerry News. #EarlyIrishCinema
#OTD 1926, Dublin's Metropole offered The Eagle (US: Art Finance, 1925), directed by Clarence Brown and starring Rudolph Valentino: "As the Eagle he is rapacious, as a soldier he is daring, thrilling, but as a lover he again sways the senses, stirs heart, sweeps the emotions." #EarlyIrishCinema
#OTD 1926, Dublin's Evening Herald published a photo from the Abbey Theatre's premiere production of Sean O'Casey's play The Plough and the Stars, which had been interrupted the previous evening by riots by the audience objecting to the representation of Ireland and the 1916 Rising #EarlyIrishCinema
#OTD 1926, a compensation case for the Masterpiece bombing heard of a warning to “cease to produce these films, and be good enough to remember that such action can only end by exasperating the over-tried patience of those who object to being kept by force in the British Empire.” #EarlyIrishCinema
#OTD 1926, Cork's Lee cinema was showing A Sainted Devil (US: Famous Players-Lasky, 1924), starring Rudolph Valentino, who "is seen at his best in this picture that gives him plenty of scope to display those abilities which have brought him fame." Images: Evening Echo and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
"Eric von Stroheim produced 'The Merry Widow,' and our Censors turned it down. He produced 'Greed' [US: Metro-Goldywn, 1924] and our Censors didn't turn it down; so it will be shown at the Corinthian Cinema all next week." Evening Herald, this week 1926. Images: Herald and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
Dublin's Evening Herald reported #OTD 1926 that cinema owner Isaac Eppel was in London editing his War of Independence film Irish Destiny (Ireland: Eppel, 1926) for a projected trade show in Dublin at the end of February. #EarlyIrishCinema
After the rush to see The Gold Rush (US: Chaplin, 1925) the previous week, Dublin's Metropole was on 31 January 1926 entering the second week of its run of a film that showed Chaplin as "a great artist in a great comedy." Images: Evening Herald and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 11 January 1926, Limerick's Gaiety was showing The Only Woman (US: Talmadge, 1924), starring Norma Talmadge and Eugene O'Brien, while the Grand Central had The Squire of Long Hadley (UK: Stoll, 1926), with Marjorie Hume and Brian Aherne. Images: Limerick Leader and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
This week 1925, Dublin's La Scala put the film Wicklow Gold (Irish Photoplays, 1922) at the centre of its All-Irish Week, claiming the film was showing for the first time, but it had had its first run at Dublin's Empire in November 1922. Images: Evening Herald & Sunday Independent. #EarlyIrishCinema
This week 1925, letter writer Civis noted in the Kerry News that proposed Irish press censorship was unlikely to be effective given the way film censorship had failed in the case of Lovebound (US: Fox, 1923), recently shown in Tralee. Images: Kerry News & IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
Denis Condon on early Irish cinema exhibition
Denis Condon on early Irish cinema exhibition
Today at @tlrhub.bsky.social some of the great scholars of film in Ireland celebrate the career of Ruth Barton and her profound influence on Irish film studies.
1st up @deniscondon.bsky.social on cinema exhibition in turn of the century munitions factory in Arklow.
On 7 December 1925, Omagh's cinemagoers could choose from For Sale (US: Associated National Pictures, 1924) at the Picture House and Pampered Youth (US: Vitagraph, 1925), an adaptation of The Magnificent Ambersons, at the Star Kinema. Images: Ulster Herald & IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
This weekend 1925, the Voice of Labour reported on the picket that took place on the charity Cinema Bal-Masque at Dublin's Metropole on 27 November in protest at the holding of an event at a venue where a strike had been ongoing for five months. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 30 November 1925, the Cinema, Kells was showing He Who Gets Slapped (US: MGM, 1924), starring Lon Chaney, "a story for the millions, told in gripping pictures - conceived by love and beauty and human kindness." Images: Meath Chronicle and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
Webinar, 1 December@6.30pm (CET): "Researching South American cinemas: national contexts and global connections", with Maria Paz Peirano and Alejandro Kelly. Discussant Paolo Noto. Organised by AIRSC (Italian Association for Research on Film History). Link: us02web.zoom.us/j/8694741655...
On 27 November 1925, Larne's Electric Theatre offered The Drums of Jeopardy (US: Hoffman, 1923), starring Elaine Hammerstein, in "the strange romance of two men and a girl." Images: Larne Times and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
At the beginning of this week 1925, the Evening Herald published a photo of Rudolph Valentino arriving at Southampton at the start of a tour of Europe. #EarlyIirishCinema
On 23 November 1925, Belfast's Picturedrome the Mount offered The Breath of Scandal (US: Schulberg, 1924), "a new kind of problem play, in which a pretty girl has to face scandal through the foolishness of her father." Images: Ireland's Saturday Night & IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 21 November 1925, Limerick's Grand Central Cinema had its last screenings of I Am the Man (US: Chadwick, 1924), "an intensely gripping drama of American life," starring Lionel Barrymore and Seena Owen. Images: Munster News and Exhibitor's Trade Review. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 20 November 1925, Dublin's Masterpiece was bombed during the run of Ypres (UK: British Instructional Films, 1925), the first copy of which had been stolen from the cinema by armed raiders the previous week. Images: Evening Herald. #EarlyIrishCinema
Yes, really lovely.
Call for Papers
HoMER 2026: Cinema Communities and Community Cinemas
University of Exeter, UK | 8–10 July 2026
Pre-conference: 7 July 2026
Submission form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Deadline: 19 January 2026.
Further information:
Dr Matthew Rule-Jones — m.w.jones@exeter.ac.uk
17 Nov 1925: Dublin Metropole had The Phantom of the Opera (US: Universal, 1925), "unquestionably the most amazing film that has been produced up to the present time. It is an astounding spectacular achievement and a masterpiece of characterisation." Images: Evening Herald & IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 16 November 1925, Drogheda's Boyne Cinema offered The White Sister (US: Inspiration, 1923), with Lillian Gish, whose "restrained conception of the difficult role of Sister Angela stands at the top of her many famous characterisations." Images: Drogheda Independent & Wikipedia. #EarlyIrishCinema
On 15 November 1925, Dublin's Corinthian began a run of College Days (AKA The Freshman; US: Lloyd, 1925), starring Harold Lloyd in "a clean, wholesome picture that will make you laugh all the time." Images: Evening Herald and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema
