PJ Gilmore used his film camera to record life in the west of Ireland.
Having bought a second hand projector in the 1950s and PJ Gilmore began to rent and show films to local people a couple of times a week. Once word got around he was invited to put on fiilm shows in villages and towns that had no cinema. At first it was hard to run this venture as business but then PJ Gilmore came up with the idea of buying a film camera. He began to record local life in the west of Ireland and offer people the opportunity to see themselves on the big screen.
Making his own films which documented various aspects of Irish life also created an audience who wanted to see themselves.
People...might come in if they were the stars themselves. By having them up there on the screen doing whatever they were doing in their shops or in their fields or going to mass or whatever they were doing.
Having acquired a 16mm film camera PJ Gilmore set out to capture local events all of which attracted people to cinema showings. Filming in black and white, and colour PJ Gilmore recorded aspects of life in Galway and Mayo during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
RTÉ producer Peter Feeney came across the material while researching for the documentary series 'The Age of de Valera'. He made 'Flight from the Snipe Grass' using some of the films shot by PJ Gilmore with the script and narration provided by Breandán Ó hEithir.
'Flight from the Snipe Grass' was broadcast on 18 March 1984.
The films of the late PJ Gilmore were donated to RTÉ Archives by his family.
P.J. Gilmore
