A traveling screening and lecture program featuring rarely seen silent films digitally restored and presented for the first time in over a century.

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Coming Into Clover traces the evolution of the image of Ireland and the Irish in early American cinema. From the birth of the medium in 1895 until the full emergence of the Hollywood system in 1917, these images underwent a fascinating evolution with the crude “stage Irish” stereotypes of Paddy and Bridget steadily giving way to a more positive and diverse set of representations beginning in the early- to mid-teens.

These films tell the story of the Irish in America: of their lonely exile from famine and persecution; of their struggle to gain acceptance in a hostile New World; and of their eventual success, becoming the first outsider ethnic group to realize the American promise of success and prosperity regardless of race, color or creed. In short, they tell the story of Irish-America’s “coming into clover” – a story that speaks not only to all those who entered the U.S. though the gates at Ellis Island in years past, but also to today’s immigrants who continue the struggle to win their share of the American dream.

Coming Into Clover was launched on Feb. 9th at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA. Additional events and screenings will be held in the near future. Please check back for regular updates.

Special Thanks to Elizabeth Shannon, the Reaching Common Ground, the Irish Cultural Center New England, WGBH, and Matt Murphy's Pub for their help in making this special event possible.

Films provided in part by the Irish Film Archive of the Irish Film Institute.

Nora's Fourth of July (1901)