West Coast Of Ireland (1965)

castles a country of castles that is ireland a land still dotted with fortified towers and giant crosses carved in stone by a devout people centuries ago today a city like cork has a business-like urgency that makes a mockery of all that blarney about leprechauns and little people which some visitors still like to believe just look across at the oil refineries in nearby cove harbour and you see an almost space-age skyline sprouting up these you can say are the castles of the 20th century today's landmarks of power from a determined nation with a burning desire to make an industrial impression in the world foreign capital has been brought in in a big way and a dutch firm have found the blueprint for success in their expanding shipyard a few miles from cook you can sense the irish style celebration when the largest ship ever built here it's a good luck blessing thirty thousand tons nudge down the slip way by the traditional bottle of champagne and the excitement bubbles over ireland isn't out on her own anymore this sort of international cooperation is launching her on a voyage of prosperity but the pace might not be as hectic as you find on the massive expanse of loch derg it's one of europe's top venues for water ski enthusiasts whether it's fun or fishing you can't ignore the irish afloat it takes courage for these west coast fishermen to venture out into the angry waters of the north atlantic but the catch often makes it rich business you can see why continental trawlers take a chance on poaching inside the lawful limits with this sort of almost guaranteed success it's one time when foreign intervention just isn't part of a fair deal fishing from here at kilibegs is exclusively irish like the legend which surrounds the rugged beauty of croak patrick the holy mountain which is the scene of an annual pilgrimage from the lower slopes you view the magnificent sweep of west coast grandeur dominated by saint patrick's statue if it's real irish character you're looking for then galway has it all laid out on the curbside a street market is just as much a social occasion as a bring and buy sale for out of town country food the donkey work can be tough at times but there's color in a street side flower stall another intimate corner of a market that sprawls in the shadow of the newly built galway cathedral we're not as you might think inside the cathedral the glittering tributes to christianity are showpiece creations from a dublin company who specialize in high altar ornaments there's inch perfect precision right from the drawing board stage to the chasers who tap out the sacramental patterns in bronze silver and gold the eye-catching care as each jewel is set in position is a skill that has been handed down through generations a monstrance can cost a thousand pounds and take months to complete by a team of 20 experts this irish craft is earning a flag waving success throughout the christian world even here at home in the remotest corners of county limerick where an old thatched cottage seems centuries away from industrial development sadly though it's been caught up in economic reality we're inside the village museum at banrati folk park created to preserve some of the fast disappearing west coast cottages this cozy domestic scene once took place six miles away at shannon where a piano factory now stands on the old cottage site and is part of a bold industrial experiment yes this is another west coast image a cosmopolitan scheme centered around the shannon international airport the special tax concessions offered here are sweet music in the ears of foreign investors now ireland is really calling the tune in this previously unexploited western outpost you can almost regard it as a foreign country on irish soil because goods produced by american german and other overseas firms face a stiff customs check when being exported from the airport area into ireland itself and that's no young spinning story mass production never meant much in these parts until the shannon scheme was launched now the pattern for the future development is taking shape including plans for a super town that will challenge dublin and cork may one day be ireland's international city with a unique status of being almost a country on its own a city created in the jet age yet one which will never be without the touch of the green and you don't need to spell it out for fly away visitors you

Channel: British Pathé

Views: 412,821

Keywords: Bunratty, ducks, Park, 353.01, travelogues, dockyards, British Pathe, pianos, water, religion, crowds, Lama-Knit, documentary, donkeys, Cathedral, Galway, castles, bridges, Free, Cork, chickens, Limerick, towers, newsreel, Derg, Ross, fabrics, aeroplanes, Development, Loch, cemetries, Ireland, Folk, BritishPathe, harbours, Castle, factories, churches, tourists, nuns, Croagh, footage, Patrick, skiing, Airport, Shannon, CP 578, markets, Martelo, Reuters

Id: JWY8ucN1BVk

Length: 6min 34sec (394 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 13 2014