George Edward MorrisonPaul Levy, ‘FitzGibbon, Theodora (1916–1991)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 201 /ref> (born 3 November 1922) is an Irish director of film documentaries, documentary films. His works include 1959 documentary ''
Mise Éire
''Mise Éire'' (, Irish for "I mIreland") is a 1912 Irish-language poem by the Irish poet and Republican revolutionary leader Patrick Pearse.
Background
''Mise Éire is'' a 1912 Irish-language poem by the Irish poet and Republican revolu ...
'' and ''Saoirse?''.
Early life
Morrison was born in
Tramore, County Waterford
Tramore (; ) is a seaside town in County Waterford, on the southeast coast of Ireland. It has a population of 11,277 as per the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, the second largest town in the county.
Overview
Originally a small fishing vil ...
on 3 November 1922.Irish Times'', "Reel hero of Irish history", 4 January 2008 /ref> His mother was an actress at
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
's
Gate Theatre
The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928.
History Beginnings
The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...
, while his father worked as a
neurological
Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the s ...
anaesthetist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, a ...
. Morrison studied medicine at
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Univ ...
but dropped out in order to pursue his ambition to work in films.
Career
Early in his career he assisted director
Hilton Edwards
Hilton Edwards (2 February 1903 – 18 November 1982) was an English-born Irish actor, lighting designer, and theatrical producer. He co-founded the Gate Theatre in Dublin with his partner Micheál Mac Liammóir and two others, and has been re ...
in two of the latter's films: ''From Time to Time'' and ''Hamlet of Elsinore''.
For ''Mise Éire'', Morrison painstakingly assembled historical footage of the events surrounding the
1916 Rising
The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an i ...
from archives across Europe. The result, released by
Gael Linn
Gael Linn () is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation focused on the promotion of the Irish language and the arts. The organisation's funding includes government and lottery sources.
History
Gael Linn was founded in May 1953, followin ...
to great acclaim at the 1959
Cork Film Festival
Cork International Film Festival (CIFF), also known the Cork Film Festival (), is a film festival held annually in Cork City, Ireland. It was established in 1956 as part of An Tóstal, and is Ireland's oldest and largest film festival. It is typ ...
, was the first feature-length
Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
film. Morrison later revealed that he was paid £375 for his work on ''Mise Éire'' and received no further royalties.''Irish Independent'', "Forgotten man of Irish cinema celebrated in film", 25 September 2008 /ref> The film was permitted to be screened only in the Irish language, which reduced its audience outside Ireland. The sequel, ''Saoirse?'', was not as popular with the Irish public, perhaps due to its focus on the
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...
, a subject that remained divisive for many years after peace was established.
In 2007, Morrison released ''Dublin Day'', his documentary on
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...
's ''Ulysses''. In September 2008, Morrison was the subject of a film documentary entitled ''Waiting for the Light'', which received its première in Dublin. In February 2009, he received the Industry Lifetime Contribution Award at the annual
Irish Film and Television Awards
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is an all-Ireland organisation focused on film and television. It has about 1000 members, and is based in Dublin, with branches in London and Los Angeles. The IFTA now holds separate ceremonies for the ...
ceremony held in Dublin.
Recognition
Morrison was elected to
Aosdána
Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association or academy of artists, each of whom must have produced a distinguished body of work of genuine originality. It was created in 1981 by the country's Arts Council on the initiati ...