SFIF DocFest-2026 "Éire agus Na Chéad Náisiúin"

Filmed as a road journey across the United States, the film traces connections ranging from trade and alliance to conflict and displacement.

It draws on contributions from Irish historians and Indigenous voices and was produced by Ronin Films with support from the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Coimisiún na Meáin.

Among the figures explored is Sir William Johnson, an 18th-century Irish trader and landowner in New York who developed close ties with the Mohawk Nation.

Mohawk elders Kay Olan and Tom Porter reflect on his influence and its legacy. The documentary also examines the role of Irish Americans in the displacement of Indigenous communities. Stories include the Baker Massacre, and the actions of generals such as Philip Sheridan and Thomas Francis Meagher.

Many Irish emigrants, arriving in the aftermath of the Great Famine, found work in the US Army and took part in campaigns including the Battle of Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee. Captain Myles Keogh, who died at Little Bighorn, and Hugh McGinnis, who later spoke of the horrors of Wounded Knee are among those highlighted.

At the same time, the film explores examples of solidarity. The documentary concludes with Lakota historian Dakota Wind Goodhouse drawing parallels between Irish and Lakota traditions, calling for reflection and reconciliation.

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Host or Publisher San Francisco Irish Film Festival