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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Song of Ulster
Embark on a musical tour of Ulster. Enjoy diving-board hi-jinks and cruise along a sun-dappled Lough Erne. Let song and landscape tell you the story of each county.
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Overview
Eschewing the standard voiceover, this Tourist Board film weaves a story from stunning scenery and song. At Belfast's Victoria Park children show their skipping prowess, whilst a young Gloria Hunniford entertains guests in the Slieve Donard Hotel. Given that the film was made in the midst of ‘The Troubles’, the filmmakers - by adopting this format - avoided addressing the conflict and were instead able to conjure-up images of an idyllic Ulster.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board produced this film. This government 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 Irish tourism at an intriguing time, as conflict escalated so did the pressure to close the Tourist Board. Resilient staff adapted creatively to the uphill struggle to find ways and places where they could responsibly encourage tourists to visit. Despite these obstacles they continued to create films during the 1970s and 1980s earning the nicked name the ‘Fermanagh Tourist Board’.
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