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You are > Home > When the cinema came to Wexford
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Thursday, June 10, 2010
When the cinema came to Wexford
A VISIT to the cinema is an extraordinary experience.
Guided by brilliant colour, complete clarity, and a sound system that evokes the feeling of almost taking part in the film.
We all need to take our minds off the everyday problems that impinge on our daily lives.
We live in a generation when we take television and the cinema for granted.
We have grown up with the films as entertainment or educational fodder, but what of the origins of the cinema in Co. Wexford?
Using an article by Liam O’Leary, which is credited at the end of the article along with a brief biography of the author, answers his own question – When did Wexford get its first view of the Cinema? – "It is hard to say."
However, it was long before the days of radio, television and even talking pictures. He suggests that in all probability moving pictures may have been shown by travelling showmen in the fairground at George’s Street.
John Toft and the Sylvester Brothers included films in their attractions. It is known that Edison Pictures which were shown in Dublin at Mr. Jameson’s Rotunda Rooms, were presented at Wexford’s Theatre Royal on January 29th 1902.
It is possible that this was not the first showing at the Theatre Royal, for Dan Lowry, who first introduced the Cinema to Ireland in 1896, toured his films as did Mr. Jameson at an earlier stage.
Programmes in those days consisted of short items of five or ten minutes in length. They were usually of international interest.
Mostly topical items like the Coronation of the Czar of Russia, British Royal occasions, the funeral of American President McKinley, the Race for the America Cup, Shooting the Rapids in Killarney, The Oberammergau Passion Play, football matches, interest films of all kinds and very short dramas and comedies. The day of the "film star" had not arrived!
Sydney McEwan, who opened the Assembly Rooms in Cork in 1909, also gave film shows at the Theatre Royal and film shows became more frequent.
In "The Bioscape" (March 21st 1912), it is printed that Mr. E.P. Ronan, proprietor of the Theatre Royal, presented amongst other films, The Dark Valley, Francesca da Rimini, Nat Pemberton, Foils Black Band and Longlegs Brigand.
Apparently to show the films it was essential to have electric light and this could be provided at that time by a dynamo, itself a comparably new invention!
Boxing film footage was added to the growing interest in the images shown and of particular interest was the famous Jefferson versus Johnson fight in 1910, so it is fair to state that sport assisted the development of the cinema.
According to Anne Marsh’s book, "The Athenaeum, Enniscorthy, "A Stroll Down Memory Lane", 1892-2004, a Picture Show concert and lecture was presented at the Athenaeum Hall, Enniscorthy, on February 4th 1912.
In 1913, the travelling Sylvester Brothers presented a cine-variety show at Enniscorthy.
1914 was an important year for films. D.W. Griffiths epic ‘Birth of a Nation’ appeared that year and Charlie Chaplin made his debut in films directed by Mack Sennett, whose parents came from Enniscorthy. Actually Chaplin’s grandfather was a cobbler from County Cork.
On December 7th 1914, the Wexford Cinema Palace opened under the management of Charles Vize, who was a well-known photographer and he could also turn out a fine tune on the clarinet.
The directors of the Cinema Palace were M.J. O’Connor, the well-known local solicitor, and A.T. Wright, a pioneer of the cinema who at the time controlled 29 cinemas in Ireland and was head of the distributors, Films Ltd.
Curiously the opening gave films a low profile for it was a concert given in aid of the Belgian Refugees in Gorey. The Mayor of Wexford, Alderman James Sinnott, presided on the occasion.
In his opening speech he said: "The directors assure me that at no time shall there be put upon the screen or stage anything that might in any way sully the reputation of the Palace or Wexford."
This remark, greeted with loud applause, reflects in a way the suspicion and distrust with which the cinema was received in official circles at the time.
Incidentally, the Cinema Palace was designed by George O’Connor of Dublin and the contractor was William Underwood of Wexford, and it could seat 600 people.
1915 saw films being shown at both the Theatre Royal and Cinema Palace, Wexford, and at the Picture Hall, which was located at Abbey Square, Enniscorthy. The early days of the cinema had been controversial about Sunday openings, however, generally in Wexford and Enniscorthy, films could be shown after religious services had ended.
The price of admission at that time was 9 pence, which was expensive enough!
Liam O’Leary signs off on his essay in 1928, the year he left Wexford, obviously because that was his brief for the article, but he went forward to witness all of the great developments in cinematography, from silent movies to ‘talkies’, from black and white to colour, the development of widescreen films and astonishing improvements to sound systems.
In the 1980’s, two films were partly made using Enniscorthy as the scenery for part of the story – “The Violet Enemy", which I managed to get a copy on DVD, and a German war movie called "Underground", and if anybody has a copy of this film I would love to share a copy. It doesn’t appear to make it to DVD so far!
"I think my life was very much enriched by what I saw in that humble place of entertainment (Cinema Palace). I was made aware of the new levels of human experience. My eyes were trained to look."
Liam O’Leary stated that its fruits were to come in the later years with the foundation of The Irish Film Society, his experience as a film maker, and his years as an archivist in the National Film archive in London.
"Three books on the Cinema could not have been written without the love and understanding I gained from this great art in the Cinema Palace, Wexford.
The development of the film industry was gradual in the early days, but cinemas began to open all around the country. The best films from Hollywood came to a screen near you.
The development of colour and widescreen presentation was a boost for cinema attendances, while in Ireland, Gael Linn in the 1950’s and into the 1960’s produced short films shot around the country and including footage such as important political and sporting events, including the All Ireland hurling and football finals, rugby, soccer and horse racing.
*Liam O’Leary was a film historian who was born in Youghal, Co. Cork, on September 25th 1910. He died in Dublin on December 15th 1992.
When he was four years old he lived in Wexford town and it was there that he fell in love with cinematography.
In the Journal of the Historical Society, No. 11, (1986-’87), appeared an article from the pen of Liam O’Leary headlined, "Reminiscences of a Wexford Filmgoer, 1923-1928" and it is that article that I have relied upon to research this week’s article.
His father, Donnchadh Ó’Laoghaire taught Irish and French first at the Christian Brothers’ School and then for the rest of his life at St. Peter’s College. Liam remained in Wexford until he moved to Dublin to study at UCD in 1928.
Liam was an authority on the history of films, film-making and the cinema in Ireland.
He was also a civil servant and actor who in 1934 founded the Dublin Little Theatre Guild and later the Irish Film Institute.
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