BNU film exploring experiences of Irish nurses who helped form NHS gets special screening in Dublin
A BNU produced documentary film exploring the experiences of Irish nurses who helped found and form Britain鈥檚 NHS got a special screening last weekend in Dublin.
The film was created by Dr Tom McGorrian, Associate Professor in Film Production within BNU's School of Creative and Digital Industries.
鈥業rish Nurses in the NHS鈥 was a one-day event devoted to telling the stories of the men and women who left Ireland and became instrumental in forming one of the UK鈥檚 most emblematic institutions.
The screening took place at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and has been organised in conjunction with the landmark exhibition, Look Back to Look Forward: 50 years of the Irish in Britain, which at the Dublin venue.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS in 2023, researchers Louise Ryan and Neha Doshi, director Mohamed Ali Elota, former nurse-turned-radio producer Gr谩inne McPolin, and myself, created a podcast series, photographic exhibition and the BNU documentary film, which were all inspired and informed by in-depth interviews with former Irish nurses in the NHS.
鈥淎ttendees had a great evening exploring and celebrating the contributions of Irish people to the National Health Service and hear, from their own words, their experiences of hope, labour, and prejudice as they worked to create a new home and hone a new profession,鈥 a spokesperson for the EPIC museum said.
The screening at the renowned EPIC museum is just the latest in a planned roadshow for the film, with the intended impact to raise awareness about the enormous contribution of Irish Nurses to the NHS. To date, the full scale and significance of this contribution has gone under the radar. This film will help to raise awareness and inform public opinion and so enhance understanding of this untold story.