The Colleen Bawn (1911 Australian film)

The Colleen Bawn (1911 Australian film) was an Australian silent film adaptation of Dion Boucicault's popular 1860 play, The Colleen Bawn, also known as The Brides of Garryowen. The film was directed by Gaston Mervale and produced by Australian Life Biograph Company.

The film tells the story of a young Irish woman, Eily O'Connor (the "Colleen Bawn," meaning "fair girl"), who secretly marries Hardress Cregan, a man above her station. Hardress, burdened by debt and family pressure to marry Anne Chute, a wealthy heiress, finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue and murder. The villain, Danny Mann, Hardress's loyal but morally compromised servant, attempts to drown Eily to remove her as an obstacle, but she is rescued by Myles-na-Coppaleen, a local poacher and loyal friend. Hardress is ultimately reconciled with Eily after his misdeeds are revealed and repented.

The 1911 Australian version of The Colleen Bawn is considered a lost film, with no known surviving prints. Details regarding the cast and specific plot points beyond the general narrative adapted from Boucicault's play are scarce. Its significance lies primarily in its contribution to early Australian cinema and its representation of a popular theatrical work on film.