120125 VO Cultural and Regional Studies: English-Speaking World (2011S)

This series of lectures will consider the history of Irish cinema from its beginnings in the 1890s through to the 'post-Celtic Tiger' era. The focus will be on representative milestones in Irish film history in relation to the social, political, and cultural contexts of their respective period. The following examples will constitute some of the major chapters: "Man of Aran" and De Valera’s Ireland; "The Quiet Man" and the Irish-American perspective; "Mise Éire" and documentaries on Irish nationalism; "The Rocky Road to Dublin" and the secularisation of Irish society; Cinegeal and Irish-language films; "Waking Ned Devine", "The Matchmaker" and Irish stereotypes; "Michael Collins" and the 'troubled' history of Ireland; "Adam & Paul", "Once" and the underbelly of the Celtic Tiger.