On this day in 1918, a film adaptation of C.J Kickham's novel Knocknagow opened at the Empire Theatre in Dublin. It has been described by Denis Condon, lecturer in Film Studies in Maynooth, as “the most significant film made in Ireland during the silent period.” You can see the film in full, for free, by clicking on the link below.
Set in 1848, the film concerns the relationships among a large cast of characters who live on or adjacent to the lands of the absentee landlord Sir Garrett Butler, particularly in the village of Kilthubber and the hamlet of Knocknagow. The film was shot almost entirely in Mullinahone and Clonmel.
The film is based on Kickham's 1879 novel of the same name and was the Film Company of Ireland's (FCOI) most ambitious film up until that point. It starred Nora Clancey, Brian Macgowan and Cyril Cusack amongst others. It was suggested that part of the national interest in the film may be explained by the fact that it tried to make accessible a novel that some critics argued was very widely bought but very little read.
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