Paper Collections

Access to the Paper Collections is by appointment only. Please contact the Librarian to make an appointment. Please note that there may be certain restrictions on access to archive material due to preservation concerns, copyright law, or conditions laid down by donors. A project to digitise the Poster and Stills collections is underway and these collections can be searched and viewed through the Archive’s database in the IFI Library by appointment.

The Irish Film Archive’s Paper Collection provides primary research material on Irish cinema history. Housed in a climate-controlled vault, the collection holds material relating to the Irish film industry and individual productions, as well as Irish Film Institute records and publications.

Document Collection
The material in the collection is varied and includes scripts, shot lists, productions notes, correspondence, contracts, accounts, press material, programmes, and theses. Some of the individual collections held include:

The Lord Killanin Collection
Highlights of this collection include correspondence and files relating to John Ford and two of his films, The Rising of the Moon, and Gideon’s Day.

The Pat Murphy Collection
Of particular interest are the storyboards and screenplays for Maeve and Anne Devlin, as well as material on Sean MacBride Remembers and Birmingham Six: Parade of Innocence.

The Tiernan MacBride Collection
A valuable record of the development of the Irish Film Industry, this collection contains material relating to his work with the Irish Film Theatre, Film Producers Association, the ITGWU, and the Irish Film Board.

The Horgan Collection
This collection gives an intriguing glimpse into the day-to-day running of the Horgan Picture Theatre, Youghal, Co. Cork. The collection includes photographs, screenings diaries, exhibitor’s diaries, ticket sales records, and accounts. One of the original 35mm Kamm projectors from the cinema is on now display in the IFI Library.

Poster Collection
The majority of the posters in the collection are those publicising feature films. However, the collection also includes posters for IFI screenings and events, film festivals, conferences, film societies, the Irish Film Theatre, and a collection of Gael Linn newsreel posters.

Stills Collection
As well as thousands of stills from Irish productions, the collection includes photographs of filmmakers, cinemas and cinema equipment, film festivals, premieres and events. 

Stills Reproduction Service
Requests for digital or print reproductions of images from the Archive’s collection must be made in writing by completing a request form. Reproduction of stills is subject to certain conditions including:

1 The user is responsible for copyright clearance. The Irish Film Archive will not release any material until the user has supplied written permission from the copyright holder 
2 The appropriate photographic reproduction fee must be paid
3 The Irish Film Archive of the Irish Film Institute must be credited as source

Please note that reproduction requests require a minimum of two working days to process. To obtain a request form and information on the relevant fees, please contact the Librarian.