Post date: Feb 24, 2015 11:2:56 PM

The film includes some of the oldest film footage ever shot in Ireland and many of the key personalities of this period are captured on camera. We witness Padraig Pearse delivering his famous oration over the graveside of O’Donovan Rossa, in a segment that also contains the only known footage of James Connolly. Other historical figures of the period include Roger Casement and Michael Collins.

The film premièred last year at the Royal College of Physicians, close to St. Stephen's Green, a historic area of Dublin that featured prominently in the events of Easter Week. Indeed, footage from 1897 of O'Connell Street and St. Stephen's Green have been unearthed in putting together this film.

"With the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising approaching in 2016, this film is a must see for anyone with even the remotest interest in Irish History." according to the film's website.

Ireland: Birth of a Nation will be available for school showings until March. See the film's website for more details.