Turner Classic Movies played this on St. Patrick's Day 2018. It was shown actually with a Droopy cartoon called "Droopy Leprechaun" which has Droopy's nemesis chasing him around a Irish castle thinking Droopy is a leprechaun. It's a typical low end animation of the late 1950s made by Hanna/ Barbera. Then this travel-talks was shown, immediately followed by one they did in Northern Ireland 15 years later called Roaming Through Northern Ireland (1949). I am of Irish blood so was interested in watching something authentic from Ireland in the 1930s. The contrast between the two shorts is interesting. Perhaps the 1930s audience was less demanding of seeing the places and were entertained more by the pretty color photography as we don't see a whole lot of Ireland in the 1934 episode but do see a lot of Northern Ireland in the 1949 episode. This one we see mostly closeups of the residents faces and that is about it. They have a young woman on in a close up with a face full of freckles on the order of the Our Gang actor Mickey Daniels, so I'm going to guess there was a casting call for that look. There is an old white bearded man who resembles a Barry Fitzgerald in The Quiet Man, again with a close up to get some "real" Ireland in you, but not a whole lot of scenery compared to the 1949 episode. Overall I was happy to watch this but the one on Northern Ireland is much more interesting so I'm only giving this one a 6. Erin go bragh (Ireland Forever).
FYI, TCM when you record their shorts often do not set the correct start time up for DVRs, and though I had only intended to record this I got a cartoon, another travel-talks episode on Northern Ireland AND a real early John Wayne western called The Big Stampede (1932) where Wayne has a white horse named "Duke". Who knew? Not me and I like John Wayne! So you may be in for a surprise next time you record a short off of TCM!
Review of Ireland: 'the Emerald Isle'
