Award-winning documentary filmed at Griffith College Dublin examines the tragic life and death of Fenian Joseph Poole.
A new short documentary, The Legacy of Joseph Poole, turns its attention to the life of a young man connected to the Irish struggle for independence and the enduring memory of his role within the Fenian movement of the 1880s. Filmed on the campus of Griffith College Dublin, the project brings together family testimony, contemporary records and newspaper reports to examine Poole’s tragic story.
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Through interviews with relatives from collateral branches of the Poole family, alongside archival material, the film traces Poole’s involvement from the age of 18 in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), or Fenians as they were commonly known. This organization sought Irish independence from Britain through revolutionary action and the use of arms. The documentary places Poole within this wider movement during a turbulent period in Irish history, while also focusing on the personal consequences that followed his participation.
Poole’s short life was marred by tragedy and betrayal. After a period of imprisonment and a series of trials, he was convicted of murder in circumstances the documentary suggests were contrived. The conviction relied heavily on the testimony of his French brother-in-law and the case was heard before a packed jury. Poole was ultimately sentenced to death and executed by hanging in 1883 at Richmond Prison in Dublin.
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Griffith College – the location of the documentary’s filming – stands on the site of the former Richmond Bridewell. Even after his death, the circumstances surrounding Poole’s burial were marked by further sorrow.
The documentary was directed by Charline Fernandez, a French filmmaker who has lived in Ireland for eight years. Her work focuses on the rehabilitation of microhistories and the transmission of memory across generations. By concentrating on a single life and the memories preserved by the wider Poole family, The Legacy of Joseph Poole offers a focused perspective on a complex period in Irish history.
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Since its release, The Legacy of Joseph Poole has received recognition at several international film festivals. The film won Best Documentary Short at the Golden Nugget International Film Festival 2025 and Best Documentary Short at the Golden Lion International Film Festival 2025. It also received two awards at the Top Indie Film Awards 2025: Best Editing and Best Message.
The documentary is now available to watch in full on YouTube here.
The documentary’s director, Charline Fernandez and assistant director, Oisín Finegan, delivered a lecture to the Irish American Cultural Institute that expands on the historical context of Joseph Poole’s involvement with the IRB. The presentation includes selected clips from the documentary and behind-the-scenes insights into the production process, and can be viewed in full here.
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