The Agony of Belfast

Raw reportage and indelible images of a ravaged city

This reportage from a Belfast ravaged by Ireland's original 'Troubles' is indelibly raw and impressively economical. In just three minutes it paints a portrait of a city marked by communal tension, child poverty, violence by adults and children (specifically, loyalist attacks on Catholics), a military presence and people forced from their homes.

This item was part of the short-lived Irish Events series which ran from 1917 to 1920, then the only newsreel produced in Ireland - making for fascinating comparison with the extensive coverage of Irish during the same period by London-based British newsreel companies.