The Irish Film Institute and Maynooth University are proud to announce the opening of the IFI Irish Film Archive @ Maynooth University, a new purpose-built moving image preservation facility at Maynooth University, launched today by Josepha Madigan T.D., Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The largest facility of its kind in Ireland, this state-of-the-art building triples the IFI Irish Film Archive’s current storage capacity, thereby ensuring the preservation of Ireland’s national film heritage for generations to come.
Films from directors including John Huston, Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan, Lenny Abrahamson, Mary McGuckian, Pat Murphy, Aisling Walsh, George Morrison, Paddy Breathnach, Bob Quinn, Louis Marcus, Joe Comerford and Alan Parker amongst many others will be stored at the facility as part of the Institute’s collections, plus a large number of amateur films from the IFI Film Archive’s vast repository.
In November 2011, the IFI officially launched the IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation Fund after its archive building in Temple Bar reached capacity. Through this innovative partnership with Maynooth University and support from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Maynooth University, the Irish Film Board, and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, the IFI Irish Film Archive @ Maynooth University has come to fruition. Measuring 180 sq m (1,900 sq ft), the facility contains 120 sq m (1,300 sq ft) of climate-controlled vault space to help house part of the IFI Irish Film Archive’s vast collection of 30,000 cans of film dating from 1897.
Speaking at the opening of the facility, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan T.D. said: “This archive is a treasure trove which contains over a 100 years of Irish stories on film. It will preserve those stories so that new generations will see how the preceding generations looked upon themselves. This is the nation talking to itself in reel time! I am delighted that my Department was in a position to support the Irish Film Institute in providing this new facility in Maynooth University.”
Ross Keane, the Director/CEO of the Irish Film Institute, added: “A key component of the IFI Strategy 2017-22 was to increase capacity for moving image preservation and acquisition through the development of additional off-site climate-controlled vaults, and we are therefore delighted to be officially opening the new IFI Irish Film Archive @ Maynooth University. This significant expansion of our vaults addresses a critical space issue and is a key development for the IFI, and will ensure that we can continue to acquire and preserve precious moving image material for current and future generations.”
Maynooth University and the IFI also have initiated a new academic partnership that uses the archive as a teaching and research resource. Students in MU's Master's in Critical and Creative Media course (Department of Media Studies) have the opportunity to take a module in Media Archives that is co-taught by IFI's Kasandra O'Connell, and Maynooth's Dr Denis Condon and Prof Maria Pramaggiore, also an IFI Council Member.
President of Maynooth University, Professor Philip Nolan, commented: ‘Maynooth University is delighted to welcome the Irish Film Archive to campus; it complements wonderfully our established research and academic strengths in the arts and humanities in general and in Media Studies in particular. In addition to preserving the history of the moving image in Ireland, the IFI Irish Film Archive @ Maynooth University supports a new academic partnership between our two institutions, giving Maynooth students and researchers the opportunity to be at the forefront of media archive education and research.’
To ensure optimum storage conditions for the films stored in the vaults, the temperature in the vault will be lowered to 4°C while the Relative Humidity will be maintained at 35%. The research and preservation space will contain viewing and winder facilities for all film formats including 8mm, Super8mm, 16mm, 35mm film, and will contain 16mm and 35mm Steenbeck flatbed editing tables.
Saoráid Caomhnaithe Nua-Aimseartha Oscailte - Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI @ Ollscoil Mhá Nuad
Tá bród ar Institiúid Scannán na hÉireann (IFI) agus ar Ollscoil Mhá Nuad a fhógairt go bhfuil Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI @ Ollscoil Mhá Nuad oscailte. Sheol an tAire Cultúir, Oidhreachta & Gaeltachta, Josepha Madigan, T.D., an tsaoráid seo a tógadh in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad le híomhánna a chaomhnú. An tsaoráid is mó dá leithéid in Éirinn, méadaíonn an chartlann nua-aimseartha seo an spás stórála atá ag Institiúid Scannán na hÉireann faoi thrí. Cinnteoidh an chartlann seo go gcaomhnófar oidhreacht scannán na hÉireann do na glúnta atá le teacht.
Coinneofar scannáin ó stiúrthóirí éagsúla ag an tsaoráid; i measc na stiúrthóirí sin tá John Huston, Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan, Lenny Abrahamson, Mary McGuckian, Pat Murphy, Aisling Walsh, George Morrison, Paddy Breathnach, Bob Quinn, Louis Marcus, Joe Comerford agus Alan Parker. Beidh na scannáin mar chuid de bhailiúcháin na hinstitiúide chomh maith le líon mór scannán amaitéarach ón taisclann ollmhór atá ag Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI.
I mí na Samhna 2011, sheol an IFI Ciste Caomhnaithe Chartlann Scannán na hÉireann toisc go raibh an foirgneamh cartlainne i mBarra an Teampaill lán go béal. Tríd an gcomhpháirtíocht nuálach seo le hOllscoil Mhá Nuad agus le tacaíocht ón Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta & Gaeltachta, ó Ollscoil Mhá Nuad, Bord Scannán na hÉireann agus ó Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann, tá Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI @ Ollscoil Mhá Nuad curtha ar bun. Achar 180 méadar cearnach (1,900 troigh chearnach) atá sa tsaoráid nua seo le 120 méadar cearnach de spás insocraithe de réir aeráide. Cabhróidh an spás seo trí chuid den bhailiúchán ollmhór atá ag Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI, 30,000 canna de scannáin a rinneadh ó 1897, a choinneáil.
Ag labhairt di ag oscailt na saoráide, dúirt an tAire Cultúir, Oidhreachta & Gaeltachta, Josepha Madigan, T.D.: “Stór iontach atá sa chartlann ina bhfuil breis agus 100 bliain de scéalta Éireannacha i bhfoirm físe. Caomhnóidh an chartlann na scéalta sin ionas go bhfeicfidh na glúnta atá le teacht an íomhá díobh féin a bhí ag na glúnta a chuaigh rompu. Seo é an náisiún ag labhairt leis féin thar na blianta! Tá ríméad orm go raibh sé d’acmhainn ag mo Roinn tacaíocht a thabhairt d’Institiúid Scannán na hÉireann an tsaoráid nua seo a chur ar fáil in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad.”
Chuir Ross Keane, Stiúrthóir/POF Institiúid Scannán na hÉireann leis an méid sin: “Gné lárnach de Straitéis 2017 – 2022 de chuid an IFI ná an acmhainn stórála a mhéadú le haghaidh aimsiú agus caomhnú íomhánna gluaisteacha trí spás breise atá insocraithe de réir aeráide a fhorbairt lasmuigh de láthair na hinstitiúide, agus dá bhrí sin, tá ríméad orainn Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI @ Ollscoil Mhá Nuad a oscailt go hoifigiúil. Tugann an méadú suntasach seo aghaidh ar cheisteanna ríthábhachtacha maidir le spás. Forbairt mhór don IFI atá ann a chinnteoidh gur féidir linn leanúint orainn le hábhar íomhánna gluaisteacha a aimsiú agus a chaomhnú do ghlúin na linne seo agus do na glúnta atá le teacht.”
Tá tús curtha ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad agus ag an IFI le comhpháirtíocht nua acadúil a bhaineann úsáid as an gcartlann mar acmhainn teagaisc agus taighde. Bíonn an deis ag mic léinn ón Máistreacht sna Meáin Chriticiúla agus Chruthaitheacha (an Roinn Staidéar ar na Meáin) tabhairt faoi mhodúl a dhíríonn ar Chartlann na Meán, modúl a mhúintear i gcomhpháirtíocht le Kasandra O’Connell ón IFI, agus leis an Dr Denis Condon agus an tOllamh Maria Pramaggiore (atá ina comhalta de chomhairle an IFI) ó Ollscoil Mhá Nuad.
Dúirt Uachtarán Ollscoil Mhá Nuad, an tOllamh Pilib Ó Nualláin: “Tá ríméad ar Ollscoil Mhá Nuad fáilte a chur roimh Chartlann Scannán na hÉireann chuig an gcampas. Cuireann an chartlann go mór leis an taighde fadbhunaithe agus leis na buanna acadúla sna healaíona agus sna daonnachtaí go ginearálta agus i Staidéar ar na Meáin go sonrach. Mar aon leis an stair atá ag an íomhá ghluaisteach in Éirinn a chaomhnú, tacaíonn Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann, IFI @ Ollscoil Mhá Nuad le páirtíocht nua acadúil idir an dá institiúid agus tugann sé an deis do mhic léinn agus do thaighdeoirí Ollscoil Mhá Nuad a bheith chun tosaigh i gcúrsaí oideachais agus taighde i gcartlann na meán.’
Le cinntiú go bhfuil na scannáin á gcoinneáil ag an staid is fearr sna taiscí, laghdófar an teocht sa taisce go 4°C agus coinneofar an Bogthaise Choibhneasta ag 35%. Sa spás taighde agus caomhnaithe beidh saoráidí féachana agus líonta do gach formáid scannáin - 8mm, Super8mm, 16mm, scannáin 35mm, agus beidh boird eagarthóireachta plánacha 16mm agus 35mm de chuid Steenbeck ann.