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‘Remembering the Battle of The Somme’ Donegal County Museum Events

Remembering the Battle of The Somme

 

Donegal County Museum invites you to participate in a series of events to commemorate the Battle of the Somme which began on the 1st July 1916.   

 

On Friday 1st July at 7.30pm the Museum presents, “The Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916 with the 36 Ulster Division”, a cloth model re-enactment by Col. Declan O'Carroll.  Using a specially created cloth model, Col. O’Carroll will re-enact the first day of the Battle of the Somme from the perspective of the 36 Ulster Division.  The re-enactment will depict the topography and terrain features of the battlefield and show the movements of both forces involved from zero hour on 1 July until the end of the day. This event is being held in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny.  Admission is free and all are welcome.

 

On Sunday 3rd July at 3pm in the Century Cinema, Letterkenny, Donegal County Museum in partnership with Imperial War Museums (IWM) as part of the First World War Centenary Partnership and Century Cinema, invites you to a special free screening of the 1916 film ‘The Battle of the Somme’.  

 

Remembering the Battle of The Somme

 

Over 80 men from Donegal died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916. By the end of the Battle, on 18th November1916, there were over a million casualties.

 

Shot and first screened in 1916, it was the first feature length documentary about war that changed the way both cinema and film was perceived by the public.  The black and white film was shot by cameramen Geoffrey Malins and J B McDowell. The film depicts trench warfare and shows marching infantry, artillery firing on German positions, British troops waiting to attack and the treatment of wounded British and German soldiers. The documentary is accompanied by a music score composed by Laura Rossi. This is the first feature length war documentary inscribed onto the UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.

 

Admission to the film is free but pre-booking of tickets is required.  Tickets will be available from Friday 10 June through Century Cinemas, Letterkenny either by calling directly to the Cinema or through its Box Office: 074 9121976. Tickets are strictly limited to 4 per person. Running time is 74 minutes. Please note it is suitable for children aged 11 and over. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Donegal County Museum would like to acknowledge the support of Mark Doherty and his staff of Century Cinemas in facilitating this screening.

 "We are delighted to be able to show the Battle of the Somme in Century Cinemas. With the rarity of such a film and the fact it contains actual WWI, has us all very excited. It's an honour to have it at our cinema." Will Quinn- Manager Century Cinemas

 

Screenings of the Battle of the Somme film have been arranged for other venues in Donegal in the coming months. Further details will be released shortly.

 

For further information on these events contact Donegal County Museum, 074 9124613; [email protected]

 

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