Moynalty woman's crowd funding for 1916 film

Elaine Gallagher for Moynalty is leading a crowd-funding campaign to make a  short film about the women of the 1916 Rising, called “Reel: Irish Women”. It was written, directed and produced by Elaine and among the cast involved was the Ashbourne 1916 re-enactment group, led by Tóla Collier. The funding campaign ends on 19th May.

As an emerging filmmaker with a keen interest in history, I decided to mark the 1916 centenary in the best way I know how – by making a short film. My subject matter: the women of the Rising.

It is astonishing to think that only in the past few months have the wider Irish public begun to learn the names, Helena Moloney, Dr. Kathleen Lynn, Margaret Skinnider and even Elizabeth O'Farrell; who up to now have been footnotes in history, or at best niche subjects for feminist historians.These women, and many more like them, played an integral role, not only in the Easter Rising, but in the changing cultural landscape that was Ireland in the early 20th century, and yet until very recently, and even still today, they are largely unknown.

Granted, we recognise the striking figure of Countess Markievicz – the first woman ever to win a seat in Westminster, a seat she refused to take. We also know of Maud Gonne, who was in fact abroad during the Rising, but she is more often remembered as Yeats's muse, than as an activist and republican in her own right.

Perhaps the figure who best encapsulates the role of women in the Rising is Elizabeth O'Farrell. Elizabeth O'Farrell, who at the end of Easter week emerged from Moore St. with the white flag, who surrendered to Brigadier General Lowe alongside Pearse, who had the unenviable and perilous task of going from garrison to garrison, informing the remaining leaders to lay down their arms. More than any other, history, and even fictionalised history, has forgotten this woman time and time again, from Neil Jordan's “Michael Collins” to this year's “Rebellion” series, which ironcially enough told the story of the Rising from a largely female perspective and yet inexplicably managed to take the white flag from her hands and place it in those of a fictional Volunteer.

Most infamous of all is the photograph taken at the official surrender, where O'Farrell is unseen, except for her feet and in some published versions of the photograph even these have been removed. Regardless of what the agenda might have been in that particular instance, over time the image has come to symbolise the removal of all revolutionary Irish women from our history. And it was this image that inspired my short film.

Shot in the newsreel style of the day 'Reel: Irish Women' captures the actions of the many women who took part in the Rising and examines how and why they were subsequently removed from the narrative history chose to tell.

The film was shot on location in Meath and Dublin and among its cast are acclaimed actress, Rachael Dowling as Countess Markievicz, as well as several members of the Battle of Ashbourne 1916 re-enactment group.

A largely independent project, “Reel: Irish Women” has received some funding from the Meath County Council and this kind contribution, along with the goodwill and hard work of the film's cast and crew, means that the film is already shot. However, in order to complete the project, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched, via the Irish company, fundit.ie. to pay for outstanding production and post-production costs. If you would like to be involved in telling the largely untold story of these exceptional women, please go to http://fundit.ie/project/reel-irish-women or simply support the project by liking and sharing our facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ReelIrishWomen/?fref=ts