Established in the month before the Easter Rising 1916, the Film Company of Ireland began producing films with actors from the Abbey Theatre. They released their first film in August 1916 and went on to make over thirty more. This presentation will introduce this little known company, examining their approach to filmmaking, the setbacks they encountered, the beauty of their first feature film, their attempt to break into the American market, and the importance of Ellen (Nell) O’Mara Sullivan to the company’s success.

About the Presenter

A former Irish Research Council Scholar, Veronica Johnson is an early and silent film historian currently working on a history of the Film Company of Ireland, Ireland’s first indigenous fiction film company. She has lectured at University of Galway and Maynooth University and is co-editor and book review editor for the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television.

IMAGE CREDIT: IRISH FILM INSTITUTE.