Digital Film Archive

DescriptionDate
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Teacher Training College

Paddy Hoey and Seamus O'Neill look back on their days at Trent House teacher training college in Belfast with footage of some of their sporting activites and car rallies as well as famous ex-teacher, Seamus Heaney. This clip appeared in Series 1, Programme 1 of Super 8 Stories.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Belfast Trollybuses

Images from the final days of the trollybus era in Belfast captured by Lord Laird when he realized that they were about to be decommissioned. There are also fond memories from David Irwin and Sammy Jeffers, two of the drivers who drove them for many years. This clip appeared in Series 1, Programme 2 of Super 8 Stories.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: The Battle of Joe Hewitt's Field

When land was vested by the government for the creation of the new town of Craigavon in the 1960s local farmer Joe Hewitt took a stand and led a protest of farmers who blockaded fields with their tractors. The event became known as the Battle of Joe Hewitt's Field and is remembered by his widow Molly and the cameraman who shot the footage, Michael McKeown. This clip appeared in Series 1, Programme 4 of Super 8 Stories.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: The Short Strand

The strong sense of community felt in the terraced streets of Belfast's Short Strand area in the 1960s is recalled by residents Maureen Bell and Margaret Lawler, with footage of children playing games in the street and of living room parties. This clip appeared in Series 2, Programme 1 of Super 8 Stories.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Strabane Carnival

The annual carnival held in Strabane during the 1950s is remembered by Michael Kennedy (son of the film-maker) and Brenda Mellon with footage of sports and old style amusement rides. This clip appeared in Series 2, Programme 1 of Super 8 Stories.
1959
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Life in Donaghadee

Local chemist, Bertie McKnight, filmed his home town of Donaghadee every year during the 50s and 60s. His son, Terrance, shares some of the memories of his father's films along with many of the locals people who featured in them. This clip appeared in Series 3, Programme 1 of 'Super 8 Stories'.
1959
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Growing Up in Rathcoole

Growing up on the huge housing estate of Rathcoole in Belfast during the 1970s is recalled by Eddie Campbell and by boy film-maker Michael McAdam. Resplendent in 70s fashion and Chopper bicycles, the footage is lively and fun and features the children of the estate hard at play, filmed by themselves. This clip appeared in Series 2, Programme 3 of Super 8 Stories.
1979
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: The Royal Avenue Hotel

Victor Catling and Judy Hinds recall their memories of their family's Royal Avenue Hotel and of the difficulties of operating a business in Belfast City Centre at the height of the Troubles. As well as footage showing the interior of the hotel there are also scenes of the damage inflicted on the hotel by bombs and incendiary devices. This clip appeared in Series 2, Programme 4 of Super 8 Stories.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: West Belfast Youth Club

It may have seemed as though West Belfast was a dark place during the Troubles in the 1970s, but the children found a light in the shape of the Youth Club run by the St Agnes Church. Gabriel Davey shares his memories of running the club and filming its activites for posterity, while Marann Gourey and Billy Macklin remember the joy of attending it. This clip appeared in Series 2, Programme 4 of Super 8 Stories.
1979
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Belfast Dock Workers

Workers from the Belfast Docks look back on their hard-working days labouring beside the boats in the busy port of Belfast during the 1960s. As well as being days of hardship there was a good camaraderie between the workers and a plethora of great stories to remember. This clip appeared in Series 3, Programme 1 of 'Super 8 Stories'.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: The Portaferry Ferry

The ferry between Portaferry on the tip of the Ards Peninsula and Strangford provides a vital link between these two communities which sit side by side within sight of each other but are seperated by a round trip of around 100 miles by road. Some of the sailors on the ferry tell us of the opening of the ferry and of their time operating it, coupled with amateur footage of the events. This clip appeared in Series 3, Programme 2 of 'Super 8 Stories'.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Ballynahinch Market

Ballynahinch man, Charles Rutledge, was a very keen and able movie maker and used his skills to make several amateur films featuring his home town. Among the aspects of town life he captured was the weekly market and these images are combined with Charles' memories and those of some of the local market traders, James and Marie Murdoch, as they reminisce on the bygone days of bargain hunting in town centre markets. This clip appeared in Series 3, Programme 3 of 'Super 8 Stories'.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories: Portavogie Fishermen

The fishing industry in the Irish Sea has always been important to many of the communities living along the shoreline of County Down. However, by the turn of the 20th Century into the 21st this way of life was very much in decline with huge impacts for the small towns which had been built up on fishing traditions and used it as their livelihood. Amateur footage from the 1970s, when the industry was performing well, is mingled with interviews conducted in 2005 with some of the fishermen from Portavogie who had watched its decline to make this one of the more melancholy segments of Super 8 Stories as a community comes to terms with a changing world. This clip appeared in Series 3, Programme 3 of 'Super 8 Stories'.
1979
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories Extra Footage: Belfast Docks in the 1960s

Sections of this footage were included in the Super 8 Story, 'Belfast Dock Workers'.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories Extra Footage: Donaghadee Yearly Film Magazine 1957

Sections of this footage were included in the Super 8 Story, 'Life in Donaghadee'.
1957
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories Extra Footage: To Build a Church

Sections of this footage were included in the Super 8 Story, 'Carney Hill to Bangor'.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories Extra Footage: Opening of the Portaferry Ferry

Sections of this footage were included in the Super 8 Story, 'The Portaferry Ferry'.
1969
thumbnailSuper 8 Stories Extra Footage: Visit of Lord Wakehurst to Rathlin Island

This is additional archive from Charlie McBride whose footage appeared in the Super 8 Story, 'The McBride Family'.
1959

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