The Desolation of Cork. Dec 12, 1920

Here, we combine original footage from the British Topical Budget Newsreel 486-1 (Ireland's Agony) with 2 scenes from the feature film Irish Destiny, produced in 1926, but which included newsreel from various events in the War of Independence, including the burning of Cork.

The footage in general is unstable and noisy, and in black and white. We've stabilised it, cleaned it and colourised it. It is a work in progress, as there are a few areas that need additional manual intervention. 

As far as we are aware, this is the only footage of the event that has received this treatment. Given the significance of the event for the people of Cork, it is long overdue.

There are some poignant scenes here, particularly those involving children playing among the ruins. It is perhaps not surprising that the event has lived so long in the memories of the people of Cork, with the stories that these children passed on to their children and grandchildren.

Today, we honour the men and women, the firefighters, shopkeepers,  traders and common people who rebuilt and restored Cork with this very small additional restoration.