Today Show on RTÉ to feature memories of Mayo photographer this afternoon

THE Today Show on RTÉ with Dáithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane will this afternoon, Wednesday, October 23, feature movie clips and a selection of cinema and photographic memorabilia to mark the 30th anniversary of the passing of Joe Gilmore from Brickens, Claremorris.

In 1954, Joe purchased his first film camera. And for the next three decades, he captured an integral part of the social history of the West of Ireland more than anyone else in the province.

His son James will go down memory lane and relate some of the many stories of the times that Joe chronicled the local history of the region in short movie clips with his cameras, and then in the process made local movie stars in his cinemas in Kilmaine, Milltown, Ballindine, Cong, Swinford, Ballaghaderreen, Achill, Enniscrone and many other locations across Connacht.

His brother Michael was also involved in the business for a number of years. While Joe made a commercial success of his work as a projectionist and promoter, it was his great love of cinema and the movie business that always came to the fore.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic documentary 'Flight from the Snipe Grass' using Joe’s movie clips and produced by Peter Feeney, first shown on RTE in March 1984. The documentary recorded a history of the west of Ireland over the 30 year period from the 1950’s up the 1980’s. It was narrated by Breandán Ó hEithir, the renowned journalist and broadcaster who was from Inis Mor, Galway, and who died in 1990 at the age of 60.

The Today Show on RTÉ One starts this afternoon at 3.30pm.