Emigration in film: a select list of documentaries

A number of documentaries have been made about emigration over the years; here’s a list of some of them, with links to where you may purchase them. (Before purchasing any DVD, make sure it is compatible with your region.)

Celtic Waves: The Flow of Irish Emigration – An excellent introductory video focusing on emigration from Famine to Celtic Tiger period.

Irish Empire: The complete five-part series about the Irish abroad.

Five videos by Bob Quinn:

  • Damhsa an Deoraí (The Emigrant Dance): Story of the Galtymore Ballroom in London 50 minutes, subtitled, 2002.
  • Graceville: The Connemaras in Minnesota (50 mins, subtitled)
  • Pobal in Deutschland: Conamara emigrants in Germany. (½ hour)
  • Pobal in Boston: Conamara emigrants in the USA. (½ hour)
  • Pobal in London: Conamara emigrants in London  (½ hour)

Emigration-related Radharc films: available through Radharc

  • Travellers of Murphy Village – Irish Travellers in the US
  • From Beara to Butte – Mining links between Cork and what was once the most Irish city in America
  • Emigration and the Single Woman
  • The Gaucho Irish – The Irish of Argentina
  • The Black Irish – the Irish of Montserrat in the Caribbean
  • The French Connection
  • When Ireland starved – the exodus – part 4
  • Boat Train to Euston
  • Oldbury Camp
  • The Tatie Hawkers
  • Goodbye to Glocamorro

Philip Donnellan’s The Irishmen – a moving portrait of Irish workers in Britain in the 1960s (I cannot find a DVD of this)

An Bothar Fada– The experience of the Irish who emigrated to post-war Britain.

Out of Ireland – Irish Emigration to America

Rotha Mor an Tsaoil – The Hard Road to Klondike – a documentary based on the book. (£25 from Faction Films)

Of Stars and Shamrocks – Chronicles the migration of  Russian Jews of the pogroms and Famine Irish into Boston.

Hidden History: Duffy’s Cut- the mystery of the death of 57 Irish railway workers in Pennsylvania

Home: The Movie – an Irishman in post-September 11 New York

Memory Brings Us Back – Irish Stories of Farewells and Fortunes – Splendid! A moving, powerful depiction of older Irish emigrants in New York.