You Can Now Watch Micheal Collins’ Famous Speech After Signing The Treaty Online

History boffins, rejoice!

Footage from one of the most turbulent and seminal periods in Irish history is now available online.

The rarely-before-seen footage covers one of the most significant periods of Irish history including Collins’ speech, Constance Markievicz returning home after her imprisonment and the shelling of the Four Courts.

The lack of Irish filmmaking at the time meant that most footage from arguably the most important period of our history was held abroad.

The 155 films spanning 1900-1930 in the Irish Independence Film Collection are available now worldwide on the IFI Player, and the free IFI Player suite of apps developed by Irish company @axonista @DeptAHG https://t.co/D1h51VA8DB pic.twitter.com/die4ib6PTO

— Irish Film Institute (@IFI_Dub) May 3, 2018

The films were shown to the Irish and British public in cinemas before the main features – sorta like trailers. 

So, some of this stuff hasn’t been seen by Irish audiences in over 100 years. 

The priceless newsreels have been repatriated and digitised from British film collections by the Irish Film Institute (IFI) supported by the department of Heritage, Culture and the Gaeltacht.

It’s also available on the IFI player app, if you fancied checking out the films while on the go.

The IFI might also be showing them on the big screen so we’ll keep you updated. 

I don’t know about you but I am going home and covering myself with the Irish flag when I watch them.

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