I’d like to share another gem I discovered through Fritzi Kramer’s ever wonderful blog, Movies Silently. So yes, it’s silents films, today…

The fact is, the Irish Film Institute made freely available eight Irish-themed shorts from the 1910s, made during the Irish venture of Kalem Studios. Basically, they sent a crew across the Pond, to capture Irishness in the form of stories of romance, rebellion, murder and the like. Stories ranged from the retelling of old songs and legends to adaptations of popular plays, and made very good use of local scenery.

They are sweet little things, with the charm of a certain old-fashioned naïvety to them and, in Scribblings terms, of the way of romanticising history and stories (and Ireland) in the Teens. You can find the O’Kalem Collection here.

Have fun and, while you are there, you can browse the IFIplayer for lots of other great Irish-themed videos.