Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive is a free public access resource for teachers, students, historians and anyone who has an interest in moving images. Spanning from 1897 to the present day, the films in the Digital Film Archive cover all aspects of life in Northern Ireland and includes everything from dramas to documentaries, newsreels and features, animation to amateur footage.
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Blossom and Birds
Ulster plays to the camera in these delightful scenes by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
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Overview
The idyllic hawthorn hedges cut to the starting line of the Long Kesh race course both reflecting Antrim. As people tinker in the pits you see the contrast of old and ‘new’ cars. The Old Crocks’ romp across the finish line. The pace slows as a military band are ‘beating the retreat’ at dusk in Holywood. Finally there are boisterous scenes from a Children’s Gymkhana in Clandeboye Estate. As it ends glimpse riders’ racing to the nearest sack in an equine version of musical chairs.
These rushes are amongst a wealth of footage that was generated by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. This government department had their own staff who documented the region through stills and moving images and the films they created capture various facets of life in Northern Ireland. The department was particularly busy in the mid-1950s to late 1960s, creating films that aimed to sell Northern Ireland as a holiday destination. This material captures Northern Ireland at an intriguing time, post-World War Two and pre-Troubles.
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