This footage is particularly valuable because of the dearth of film on the Troubles in Belfast 1920 - 1922. The violence in Ulster had begun in April 1920 in Derry and intensified there in June. Intercommunal warfare began on 21 July at 'dinner hour' in the shipyards when Catholics and socialists were expelled. The expulsions spread to the Sirocco works, Musgraves, Mackies, etc. in the ensuing days. Most of the fighting took place at night (hence the paucity of film) and involved Protestant assaults on Catholics enclaves (notably Short Strand and the Lower Falls). The Catholic districts were defended by members of the IRA and Protestsants were often backed up by the revived UVF. During the first 40 seconds loyalist children pose for the camera and oblige by throwing cobbles prised from the street (known as 'kidney pavers') with a 'No Pope Here' graffiti as backdrop. Also seen is a military post, regular troops were involved from the outset - no Black and Tans or Auxiliaries here and no Specials until a few months later. At 01:40 people forced out of their homes load belongings onto carts.

Title sourced from the Irish Film Archive.

Norman Whitten's 'Irish Events' (1917-1920) was the only indigenous Irish newsreel until the Amharc Eireann series appeared in the 1950s. (Amharc Eireann was an Irish language newsreel produced between 1956-64). Cinema audiences in Ireland watched mostly British newsreels and some American material throughout the height of the newsreel era, which began in the 1910s and declined from the 1950s onwards with the advent of television. This meant that coverage of local events was usually undertaken by 'external' news producers and Irish audiences often watched representations which were contrary to their own knowledge of events, particularly during the turbulent War of Independence and Civil War. 

Title sourced from the Irish Film Archive.

Produced by Irish Events, 17 Great Brunswick Street, Dublin. The newsreel company Irish Events produced films from 1917 -1920.

• Irish Film Archive