Reflections – Ireland

Eileen O'Hara lives as a member of a cult in a remote retreat in the Adirondacks with her father, an embittered man since his wife's infidelity years earlier. Because his wife was untrue, O'Hara is determined that his daughter, Eileen, shall never marry. Peyster Sproul was the man who had the affair Mrs. O'Hara's infidelity, and when he shows up as president of the Sagamore Club and attempts to buy O'Hara's land, the two men come to blows.

This lyrical film opens with a quote from Irish mythology where Oisín describes Irish birdsong as ‘the sweetest in the world’ and urges us to ‘Stop and listen!’ What follows is a stunning, non-narrated depiction of Irish birds, animals and landscapes. Oisín was commissioned by the Department of Land of Ireland as a contribution to the European Conservation Year.

An Irish rogue uses his cunning and wit to work his way up the social classes of 18th century England, transforming himself from the humble Redmond Barry into the noble Barry Lyndon.

A depiction of the conflict between King Henry VIII of England and his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, who refuses to swear the Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church in England.

Waves is a visually breathtaking film about the power of the sea. Capturing the Atlantic Ocean in various moods as it crashes against the Irish coasts, the film is a hymn to the relentless power and endless beauty of this elemental force of nature. With coastal scenes harking back to the majesty of Flaherty’s Man of Aran (1934), Carey offers a unique sea-centred depiction of the islands as his painterly cinematography offers mesmerising images of roiling seas, waves crashing against the Aran rocks, sunsets and a golden full moon. John Taylor, friend and colleague of Carey, had originally worked on Man of Aran and filmed some of the additional photography in Waves.

Yeats Country is a lyrical film commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the centenary of the birth of William Butler Yeats. The first Irish film by cinematographer and director Patrick Carey celebrates the landscape of Yeats’ poetry through stunning photography, narrated by Tom St. John Barry. Evocative images of the west of Ireland illustrate the poet’s life including Thoor Ballylee Castle where he lived, Coole Park, home of Lady Gregory where literary figures of the period socialised, Lissadell House, Knocknarea Mountain, the slopes of Ben Bulben, the waterfall at Glencar and finally Yeats’ grave at Drumcliffe. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short in 1966.

Journey into Spring is a 1958 British short documentary film directed by Ralph Keene, and made by British Transport Films. The film -- partly a tribute to the work of the pioneering naturalist and ornithologist Gilbert White (1720-1793), author of The Natural History of Selborne -- features a commentary by the poet Laurie Lee, and camerawork by the wildlife cinematographer Patrick Carey. The journey suggested by the title is through time rather than space. In fact, two such journeys are made: the first back to the eighteenth century to pay tribute to the work of White, and the second studies the changing natural landscape near White's home town of Selborne in Hampshire between a typical March and May. It was nominated for two Academy Awards -- one for Best Documentary Short, and the other for Best Live Action Short.

Exploration of the Slimbridge Wild Fowl Trust in Gloucestershire, England, which boasts the largest collection of living wild fowl in the world.

The Living Stone is a 1958 Canadian short documentary film directed by John Feeney about Inuit art. It shows the inspiration behind Inuit sculpture. The Inuit approach to the work is to release the image the artist sees imprisoned in the rough stone. The film centres on an old legend about the carving of the image of a sea spirit to bring food to a hungry camp. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Told from the POV of Black Beauty himself, his birth and perception of humans are explored, but his first owner, a boy named Joe, is his most memorable.

Mists of Time is a poetic, visual portrait of the mythology surrounding Ireland’s megalithic tombs and standing stones. The monumental dolmen and passage graves of Ireland, once burial grounds from the Late Stone Age, are depicted alongside tales of the pagan Halloween festival, Samhain. Dramatic cinematography depicting sunsets and tombs at the Burren, Country Clare, and Newgrange, County Meath (Ireland’s best-known passage grave) is underscored by the music of Brian Boydell.

A Canadian boy visits cousins in Scotland; his attitude first causes antagonism with Scottish youngsters, but disappears when the lad proves himself by riding a horse over dangerous country to bring aid to an injured shepherd.

Sets out to persuade businesspeople of the advantages of going from city to city by train. How it gives them time to relax, work or sleep in comfort.

This documentary is set against the scenic backdrop of Mount Errigal in County Donegal. The mountains of Donegal are depicted like fairytale characters, where the hero Mount Errigal competes with neighbouring villain Mount Muckish. A fantastical narrative explains that the landscape is ‘a battleground where the weapons are the elements themselves’. Dramatic footage of storms and lightning blends with a superb score by Irish composer Brian Boydell.

Wildfowl and wallabies in the wild, exotic animals in the office.

An exploration of the wild desolation of West Cork, Beara is a landscape film featuring the unique flora and fauna of the Beara Peninsula off the coast of Cork. The film begins with a slow zoom in on the Beara Peninsula on a map of Ireland. What follows is a breathtaking depiction of nature. Raging waterfalls, stunning water reflections, turbulent waves, sea cliffs, bathing birds and nesting puffins form some of the striking imagery of this film.