A rarely seen version of Beloved Enemy, the 1936 film based on the alleged love affair between Michael Collins and Lady Lavery, has been restored by the Irish Film Archive, and will have a special screening at the Cork Film Festival, which runs from October 9th-16th.

Produced by the legendary Samuel Goldwyn, and marking the directing debut of HC Potter, who made Hellzapoppin, it stars Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne as well as David Niven.

The storyline involves Helen Drummond, a British diplomat's daughter, who falls in love with IRA leader Denis Riordan and persuades him that signing a peace treaty is preferable to war. It all ends in tragedy, when he dies in her arms after he is shot while passionately delivering a pro-treaty speech.

Even though other copies of the film exist, this is the only known version to feature the unhappy ending where the hero dies. It was considered too downbeat and was released with a more uplifting ending. Beloved Enemy will be screened at the IFI in Dublin in November.