British Pathe

Pathe News item - 24. Limerick, Ireland: "Troops revolting against Free State occupy Limerick City - first pictures of occupation of hotels and public buildings by armed followers of De Valera." L/S of group of men - some in military uniform - standing on the steps of a building. Closer view of some...

Pathe News item - 24. Limerick, Ireland: "Troops revolting against Free State occupy Limerick City - first pictures of occupation of hotels and public buildings by armed followers of De Valera." L/S of group of men - some in military uniform - standing on the steps of a building. Closer view of some of the men. Two hold rifles by their sides. Low angle shot of two men leaning out of a house window pointing rifles. M/S of man in overcoat with machine gun over his shoulder. "Order is maintained, however, by Provisional Government tanks patrolling city thoroughfares." M/S of armoured tank - looks hand built. Men with rifles walk beside it. Tank driven at speed towards the camera. "Internal strife continues, but Erin's contest with England is finally over - last British troops are replaced by I.R.A. troops at Dublin Parliament." High angle panning shot of large crowds of people standing outside the Parliament. British troops led by marching band in kilts and sporrans march through an archway. Troops march away from the camera through a crowd lined street. "Carrying the Treaty to the people - tremendous ovation greets Michael Collins speaking in (sic) behalf of the Free State." High angle shot of massive crowd listening to the speech. Michael Collins seen in the distance. M/S of men holding back a surging crowd. "Ireland's "fighting leader!" C/U of Michael Collins shouting - news camera visible behind him. Crowds cheer and wave their hats.
01:22:56 Pathe News item - 58. "Dublin, Ireland: "Flames sweep through Dublin streets as rebels are driven from their last strongholds - the burning of Gresham Hotel involves a loss of $15,000,000." (Must be an American issue as uses dollar sign rather than pound sign.) L/S of Hotel on fire. Closer shots of flames emerging from windows. Small tanks are driven through the streets. "Ruined buildings on Sackville Street are a reminder of war-ravaged towns in France." L/S of buildings surrounded by rubble. Dust falls from a window. M/S of shop front - Hickey & Co. - with broken windows and rubbish piled inside. Shot of same shop with chairs and broken furniture pouring out onto the street. "Free State soldiers on the lookout for Republican snipers..." One soldier crouches behind the corner of a shop, another behind a post box. Cahill's Outfitters M/S - two armed men climb through the broken window. "What happened to the window from which the Pathe News cameraman "took" some scenes, a few minutes after his departure..."

C/U of a window riddled with bullet holes. 01:24:54 Pathe News item - 59. "Dublin, Ireland. Aftermath of civil war in Dublin - thousands of curious spectators throng the scenes of ruin and devastation left in the wake of recent armed clash." High angle shot of people walking in a damaged street. Pan down of an empty shell of a building - only two walls left standing. Spectators look at the destroyed building. Pan down of a side view of one remaining wall. Smoke emerges from the bottom of the wall. "Tearing down skeletons of wrecked buildings which were used as strongholds by the rebels." Good shots of buildings being pulled down whilst spectators watch and take photographs. 01:26:15 Pathe News item - 75? "Belfast, Ireland. Situation in Ireland grows more tense every day - ruins resulting from war between revolutionists and British troops. Two young boys stand in the rubble of a ruined building. Children play in the ruins (short). A group of boys pose in front of mural depicting men on horseback. "Effigies dangling from windows are familiar sights in the streets of Belfast." C/U of two models hanging from the eaves of a house - a woman and a man. L/S of a Belfast street. Children stand in the road, elderly woman crosses the road carrying a basket. "The government has reinforced its guard on all thoroughfares." L/S street corner - soldiers standing behind a wall of sandbags.

01:27:08 Pathe News item - no number. "Pathe News presents first pictures of revolutionary clash in Ireland between Free State and Republican forces. General O'Connell, who was seized as hostage by the Republicans, forcing the Free State to take action." C/U of General O'Connell smiling at the camera. "Curious persons gather around the gates of the Four Courts Building where the rebels were barricaded..." Crowds outside the courts including group of young schoolboys. Men stand and look through the railings. L/S of the courts (?) "Even miniature soldiers "play rebels" in front of the sandbag fortifications at Four Courts." - two young boys with sticks representing guns over their shoulders march past the courts. C/U of them standing to attention in front of gates with sandbags piled high behind them. They turn and march off. "Artillery in action on the Four Courts - the stronghold of the Republicans for 5 days till routed by the Provisional Government." Group of men in uniform stand behind a cannon which is fired.

Closer shot of the cannon being loaded. Cannon is fired again. "Crowds risk death from stray bullets to watch the "warfare". Large crowd of people including lots of children with no shoes and socks stand at the end of a road with soldiers trying to keep them back. Closer shot of the crowd. "Armoured cars with reinforcements ready to answer the Sinn Fein call..." Pan across a square where several armoured cars wait. Young boys stand around.
01:29:51 Pathe News item - 100. "Cork, Ireland. Cork seized by terror as fire and bullets sweep town - latest activities in Cork, where many die and $15,000,000 property is destroyed in reprisal raid. Soldiers drop smoke-bombs to keep crowds from gathering in the streets." Soldiers with rifles stand in a street as smoke from a smoke-bomb engulfs them. Civilians help to lift a casualty into the back of an army truck. M/S of several soldiers on duty at a cross-roads. "The City Hall which was caught in the conflagration." - shot missing. "Precautions are taken in London where the Houses of Parliament and other public buildings are under close guard." Two women talk to a policeman - possibly outside Parliament. Other people walk past. High angle pan across ruined buildings - presumably in Cork - many people mill around looking at the damage. Street level view of rubble and damaged buildings. "Many were killed and the damage is estimated at $15,000,000. More rubble with smoke rising. Pan across destroyed buildings with people walking by.
01:31:45 Pathe News item - 94. Dublin, Ireland. Raids and reprisals terrorise Irish capital - at risk of his life, cameraman secures vivid scenes of dispersal of crowds by troops and armored (sic) cars." Street level shots of armoured cars being driven through crowds. People seem amused rather than frightened - they smile. Soldiers try to keep crowd back. "Hand of war is felt everywhere - busses (sic) are stopped and searched for concealed weapons." Soldier climbs aboard a tram. Horse and cart passes the camera. Soldier on top deck of the tram makes a man stand up so that he can check his seat. "A Black and Tan ready for action! Note revolver in grasp of soldier in foreground." Various shots of soldiers on duty. Crowds stand around and watch. Man pushing a barrow is hurried along soldier with bayonet. "Crowds must be kept moving and clashes between opposing factions are daily occurrences." Crowds moved along by soldiers, several people fall.

Half a dozen soldiers lie on the ground aiming their guns. Shop in the background is John Purcell Ltd. - tobacconist. "The new Lord Mayor of Cork, Donald O'Callaghan - the third mayor Cork has had in eight months." C/U of O'Callaghan smiling. 01:33:40 Pathe News item - 81. "Dublin, Ireland. Hundreds of victims in wake of Irish disorders - British soldiers pay final tribute to comrades killed in ambush." Parade of soldiers march past camera with rifles under their arms. Military funeral - horse drawn carriages carry coffins with Union Jack flags draped over them. Soldiers walk alongside carrying wreaths. Marching band in the background. "Reprisal raids by the "Black and Tans" continue to spread death and destruction - scenes of ruins in Town of Trim." Pan across building blackened by fire with windows blown out. Shop front with no windows - smoke billows out. A man pretends to try and start a car with a crank handle - the car is completely wrecked. "Fleeing with all their possessions - the Sinn Fein flag leads the way. A group of men load furniture into the back of a cart. Horse draws the cart - man stands on front of the cart holding a small flag.

01:35:13 Pathe News item - 57. "Dublin, Ireland. In the wake of the Four Courts Battle - views of the Republican stronghold aflame immediately after rebels were routed by Free State troops." Building next to the courts in flames. Smoke billows out of the building. M/S of part of a damaged court building. View of a street with smoke billowing overhead. "Walls of the Four Courts Building which tell the tale of a 5-day bombardment." Closer shots of the damaged walls. "Free State soldiers receiving medical attention after their victory..." C/U of man having his head bandaged by another soldier. He is flanked by two colleagues. L/S of group of wounded soldiers sitting on a pavement resting. "Barricaded windows in hotels which were used as strongholds by the Republicans." Low angle shot of building with many sandbagged windows. "Free State troops patrol almost every street in Dublin, and all passers-by are subjected to a thorough search." L/S of a checkpoint, a horse and cart is let through. A row of men are subjected to a search. They hold their hands up high as a man with a rifle looks through a bag and checks pockets. M/S of soldier searching a man's briefcase.

01:37:29 Pathe News item - 24? "Dublin, Ireland. Sinn Fein demonstrations sweep Ireland - British use tanks to quell riot and seize arms at Sinn Fein "arsenal". High angle shot of soldiers in tin helmets walking past crowds. People crowd around as a tank is driven past. "Sympathizers (sic) cheer as prisoners are taken away in lorries." Crowds stand around waving and cheering - lorry in background. ("New York City. Europe's heavyweight champion here - Georges Carpentier visits America for the first time as he arrives on "La Savoie." - title for following story, images not seen.) Troops (and dog) walk towards the camera. Group of soldiers stand at ease. "Free State soldiers take possession of the rebel strongholds." Views of a city street from behind sandbags barricade. Shops include Hasset's. Camera pans to show lorry and carts blocking the road. Closer shot of soldiers behind sandbags and crowds of people standing on the other side of the roadblock. M/S of men standing surrounded by sandbags. "The National Army is in absolute control." Two soldiers with their backs to the camera look out over a river. They hold rifles on top of a wall. C/U of sandbags on a rooftop. Pan across to show soldier on lookout. "The price of civil strife..." Pan across wrecked housing - windows blown out and debris strewn around in front. Three soldiers stand in front of the debris. One of the soldiers walks off in a very exaggerated fashion. Shot of what is possibly a wrecked church.

Amendment October 2011: A visitor to the site has commented that this clip confuses events. It mixes footage of the Irish War of Independence with material from the Irish Civil War.