A look at Dublin City around the time of the 1916 Easter Rising

"Dublin 1916," a brief newsreel clip from British Pathé that's been preserved as part of the Irish Film Institute, hints at the devastation caused by The Easter Rising

The camera slowly pans from Eden Quay, looking down O’Connell Street to Bachelors Walk. The bombing of buildings is still evident as smoke can be seen billowing out broken windows and rubble, as people walk among the smoldering debris.

The footage, captured following the week-long rebellion in 1916, shows a city in ruins following seven days of skirmishes in the Irish capital. 

The 1916 Easter Rising would eventually prove pivotal in Ireland's fight for independence, inspiring widespread public resistance during the Irish War of Independence between 1919 and 1921. The brutal and swift executions of 15 Irish leaders in the weeks following the Rising would provoke a wave of public fury and outrage that persisted until the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921. 

This amazing footage is part of the Irish Film Institute’s Irish Independence Film Collection.

The video below is published with thanks to the Irish Film Institute (IFI), who IrishCentral have partnered up with to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collection entails. You can find all IrishCentral articles and videos from the IFI here.

To watch more historic Irish footage, visit the IFI Player, the Irish Film Institute’s virtual viewing room that provides audiences around the globe free, instant access to Irish heritage preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive. Irish Culture from the last century is reflected through documentaries, animation, adverts, amateur footage, feature films, and much more. You can also download the IFI Player Apps for free on iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.

*Originally published April 2020. Updated April 2022.