THE Horgan Brothers of Youghal, Co. Cork, Philip, James, and Thomas, were true pioneers of Irish cinema.
From humble beginnings as shoemakers and photographers in the late 19th century, they became some of Ireland’s earliest filmmakers, documenting a changing nation through stills and moving images.
By 1903, James Horgan had adapted a projector into a film camera to capture local life, starting with the Royal visit to Lismore Castle.
The Horgan brothers were pioneers of Irish cinemaThe brothers’ footage soon became a fixture of local culture, and in 1917 they opened their own 600-seat cinema, The Horgan Picture Theatre, where they screened The Youghal Gazette—a homegrown newsreel that brought everything from town fairs to royal parades to the silver screen.
The Horgans were also innovators. Around 1910, they created Ireland’s earliest surviving animation, featuring the Youghal Town Hall clock doing a comic pirouette.
Locals flocked to see themselves on film, an early example of community storytelling through cinema.
Their photographic archive, now held by the IFI Irish Film Archive thanks to a donation by James Horgan’s grandson Jim, captures Ireland on the cusp of independence.
It’s a vivid portrait of rural life, political awakening, and the quiet drama of ordinary people living through extraordinary times.
The Horgan Brothers - The Irish Lumières brings their work to life again, revealing, in frame after frame, how two brothers from Youghal helped define how Ireland saw itself.
The Horgan Brothers – The Irish Lumières, By Darina Clancy, Contributions by Jim Horgan & Patricia Horgan
Whyte. Price: €19.99; £18.99. Imprint: Mercier Press. Distribution: Gill
See More: Film Industry, Irish Films
