One William Ford, storekeeper in the village of Drumcollogher, County Limerick, welcomed to the musty loft of his barn last week a crowd of eager Irish peasants who climbed up the single rickety ladder, sat down in rapt expectance of Drumcollogher's first cinema show, a drama called The Decoy.
The operator, one Patrick Downing, planted his projector on a table in front of the barn-theatre's only door, ground off one reel of film, another. Then suddenly he screamedtoo lateas a spark from a nearby candle fell on a roll of film lying on the table. . . .
While hot, hissing celluloid flames...
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