The Rocky Road to Dublin

[orieleye]

This film was made in 1968. It's a documentary about Ireland from a left perspective. The theme is that the 1916 leaders ('poets and socialists') would be disappointed with what followed, especially Catholic Church ascendancy and censorship. It's an interesting snapshot of Irish society nevertheless. Have a look at the wedding reception in part 6. Entertainment is provided by a priest who sings two nationalist songs, The Merry Ploughboy and Kevin Barry (2.30 and 5.05). The wedding couple look very sad. You wouldn't see anything like that today.

The film was reputedly banned in Ireland (it says so on the DVD cover today). However, in the Making of The Rocky Road to Dublin its director says the censor told him he wanted to ban it but couldn't because there was no sex in it. It played in Dublin for five weeks in 1968.

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Making of the Rocky Road to Dublin:

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[Errigal]

I found this very interesting despite neither agreeing nor identifying with the filmmaker or his targets.

I found Sean O'Faolain's accent quite interesting. Far more "West Brit" than my Grandmother's!

I'd recommend this film to anyone who wants to expand on their two-dimensional, Internet-based view of Ireland.

[Menydh]

I started watching it until one of the videos stopped loading. It is interesting but there is much to criticise to the critique done by the film makers.

I find it interesting because I can relate many of the aspects of the influence of The Church in Ireland in those years, to the influence in Spain in the same years. And, while there is truth in it, it is also being presented in a tendentiously dishonest way.

But I would have to watch the rest of the documentary to be more sure.

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by orieleye

This film was made in 1968. It's a documentary about Ireland from a left perspective. The theme is that the 1916 leaders ('poets and socialists') would be disappointed with what followed, especially Catholic Church ascendancy and censorship.

To be honest, I doubt people like Padraig Pearse would have been bothered by the position the Catholic Church had in the early days of the Saorstat.
In fact, the Socialists amongst them such as Connolly would be more likely to be appalled at today's Lefties who are all for supporting Globalisation's attempt at Mass Immigration / The New Plantation, promoting increased competition for jobs, putting everyone else before the Irish, etc. I can't imagine today's reds speaking of Ireland's "precious racial characteristics" in the way Connolly did. They'd be crucifying him as a Nazi if he were here today.

The film is wasted for me even in the first few lines.
Ireland sinking "beneath the weight of it's.....clergy" and describing the leaders of the Easter Rising as "poets and Socialists" is debatable at least, if not just downright false. I don't appreciate one side of the political spectrum doing a diservice to some of our greatest heroes, unless they are seriously calling people like Pearse and Griffith Socialists, which is pretty laughable. Next they will be telling us it was an uprising purely by the Citizen Army. They would do well to remember these words:-

"Against the Red Flag of Communism...we raise the flag of an Irish nation. Under that flag will be protection, safety and freedom for all."

(Sinn Fein: Sept. 30th 1911)

[orieleye]

Originally Posted by Milesian

To be honest, I doubt people like Padraig Pearse would have been bothered by the position the Catholic Church had in the early days of the Saorstat.

You're right. They were ardent Catholics. 1916-21 was nearly unique in the 20th century in having a (genuinely) spiritual dimension to its political ideals.

"Against the Red Flag of Communism...we raise the flag of an Irish nation. Under that flag will be protection, safety and freedom for all."

Lenin's 1917, on the other hand, ushered in the Black Death of the 20th century.