ABSTRACT
Central to the approach by Catholic intellectuals was the notion of 'Catholic protectionism' from 'alien' influences. The National Film Institute of Ireland (NFI), which attempted to pursue an anti-commercial cinema agenda while simultaneously seeking to present a positive Catholic film policy, undoubtedly served a negative and retarding function in terms of the development of an internationally informed film culture in Ireland. John Charles McQuaid took a particularly hostile view of the Irish Film Society and squashed any attempts to allow them to participate in the new Catholic film body. Five years later, the NFI became a member of the International Catholic Cinema Office (OCIC) with the support of the Catholic bishops, by which time McQuaid himself was the NFI's sole patron. The NFI also acted as distributor for other government-sponsored films and served as an intermediary between government and the film trade, notwithstanding the NFI's persistent criticism of film censorship.
