This is a remarkable production showing local life as it was experienced eighty-six years ago.
The footage covers everyday street scenes, a road race, a fair day, Corpus Christi, a fancy-dress parade, a carnival (fun fair), etc. The carnival may have been held in the field behind the Captain Murphy Memorial Hall. It moved to Murphy’s field on the Dublin Road in the 1950s, a site now occupied by Flynn’s and by Aldi.
The filmmaker was Fr John Lalor, a Rathvilly native who was parish priest of Ballon-Rathoe from 1923 to his death on 17 June 1947. Fr Lalor used show his films to the boarders in St Mary’s College, Knockbeg.
It was there that Msgr Brendan Byrne discovered this film, and a number of others, during the recent renovation of the college. Msgr Byrne had the film restored by Super8 a French film restorer based in Galway and subsequently presented it to Tullow Museum.
Research by Tullow native, Msgr John Byrne established that the film was made around 1936, rather than 1945 as first thought. The cinema dates from 1940 and is not shown in the Square here.
Among the people identified in the film, are: Msgr John Byrne’s father, John (Byrne’s Garage), John Kelly (Crosskeys), Michael (Mickey) Murphy, Jack Flynn, Tom Bolger (Kill), Fr James Mahon (?), Guard Kelly (father of Marian Ryan, Abbey Street).
Note Tullow’s low carbon footprint!
Are there any other photographs of Tullow fair days in existence?
With thanks to Msgr Brendan Byrne, Msgr John Byrne, John Keogh (Tullow Museum), Msgr John McEvoy and Turtle Bunbury.
Tullow Historian 