“Goodbye Darling,” available on the Irish Film Institute's IFIPlayer, is one day in the enduring love story of Irish Volunteer Michael Joseph O’Rahilly and his wife Nancy.
It is day five of the 1916 Rising, and as the fighting intensifies, a concerned Nancy seeks comfort and diversion by playing the piano, unaware that her husband is leaving the beleaguered G.P.O. to lead the charge that will ultimately claim his life.
The short film, released in 2016, was directed by Maria-Elena Doyle and produced by Fiona Kinsella, Deirdre Levins, and Fantastic Films. It is now part of the Irish Film Institute's After ‘16 Collection.
About the Irish Film Institute's After ‘16 Collection
Funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, After ’16 is a creative response by Irish filmmakers to the events of Easter 1916. This collection of nine short films is a mix of live-action, animation, and documentary, and tells stories from the eve of the Easter Rising, through the Troubles in 1970s Northern Ireland, and beyond.
Following a premiere at the Audi Dublin International Film Festival in 2016, the films went on to screen as a collection at Galway and Cork Film Festivals, as well as at Irish film festivals around the world, including Boston and Toronto. The films also found audiences outside the cinema, with screenings at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks and in Dublin City Libraries. The Party and A Terrible Hullabaloo were included in the official selection for the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival, Bristol. In 2017, the Party was nominated for a BAFTA in the Short Film category.
It is anticipated that the unique addition of downloadable notes for schools will expand the potential for young people to appreciate our history and storytelling heritage more fully.
“Goodbye Darling" is published here with thanks to the Irish Film Institute (IFI). 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 in 2021, and updated in Aug 2026.
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