IRELAND AT THE END OF THE MILLENIUM

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Inishmore, Aran Islands. 1980s

RELIGION

Assumption. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1980s

The Priest. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Dancing in the graveyard. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1980s

Prayers at the public meeting. Connemara. 1980s

Selling religious souvenirs. Craugh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Pilgrims. Craugh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Croagh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Ascending Croagh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Mass at the summit. Croagh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Waiting to receive Communion. Croagh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Descending Croagh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Assumption. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1980s

Church and State. Connemara. 1980s

Girl running from the church. 1980s

Mary, the gnome and the bucket and spade. 1980s

CHILDREN

Girl. Kenmare. Co. Kerry. 1980s

The outsider. Connemara. 1990s

Sunday Mass. Schull. Co. Cork. 1980s

Connemara. Co. Galway. 1990s

Boy in the fairground. Co. Galway. 1980s

Boy and the pram, Connemara. 1990s

Kids hanging around. Lisdoonvarna. Co. Clare. 1990s

Drummer and boy. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Children coming out of school, Connemara. 1990s

The public meeting, Connemara. 1990s

VILLAGE LIFE

Paddy Whelan. Knockgarra, Galway. 1980s

Clifden. Co. Galway. 1980s

Shopkeeper. Near Tulla, Co. Clare. 1990s

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The General Store. Near Tulla, Co. Clare. 1990s

The Public House. Kilfenora, Co. Clare. 1990s

The fair. Connemara. 1990s

Horseshoes. Co. Galway. 1990s

Leaving School. Roundstone, Connemara. 1990s

School Sports Day. Kenmare. Co. Kerry. 1980s

End of school. Connemara. 1990s

Travellers. Near Tulla, Co. Clare. 1980s

Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Barefooted pilgrims. Croagh Patrick, Connemara. 1990s

Men outside during the sermon. Skibbereen, Co. Cork. 1980s

Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Authority figure. Connemara. 1980s

"Good 'ole boys". Kinvarra, Co.Galway. 1990s

Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Summer holidays. Kilkee, Co. Clare. 1990s

Garda. Connemara. 1990s

An Gort, Co. Galway. 1980s

Twinning celebration. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Girl and boy at the Twinning celebration. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Twinning celebration. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

FAMILIES

Mother and child. Connemara. 1980s

Three generations. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

The abandoned pram. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1980s

Aunt Sheila and Tom, Michael, Angela, the goat and dog, farmers.

Near Knock, Co. Mayo. 1990s

An Irish family at Assumption. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1980s

TRANSPORT

The bike. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Inishmore. Aran Islands. 1980s

Uncle Paddy, Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Horse and trap. The Burren, Co. Clare. 1990s

Father and son driving a horse and cart. Inishmore, Aran Islands. 1980s

Bowtops. Near Tulla, Co. Clare. 1980s

The hearse. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

The school bus driver. Connemara. 1990s

TOWNS AND CITIES

The fountain. Galway. 1980s

Fountain. Galway. 1990s

Galway Town. 1990s

The circus. Galway. 1980s

Passing the time of day. Near Ennis. 1980s

A day at the races. Co. Galway. 1980s

The races. Co. Galway. 1980s

A day at the races. Co. Galway. 1980s

Placing bets, Galway Races. Co. Galway. 1980s

The 'Bookie', Galway Races. Co. Galway. 1980s

Race officials. Co. Galway. 1980s

HOME

Paddy in the kitchen of the 'new farmhouse'. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Fire irons and Rosary beads. Co.Clare. 1990s

Afternoon in the 'new house', Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

THE PEOPLE

Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Woman. Co. Clare. 1990s

Discussion. Co. Cork. 1980s

Grandad Paddy at the old schoolhouse, Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1990s

Cousin Michelle in the kitchen of the 'new house'. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1990s

Brian at the 'new house'. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

The 'best' suit. Skibbereen, Co. Cork. 1980s

Paddy Whelan, Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1990s

Paddy the farmer. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

FARMING

Haystacks. Knockgarra, Galway. 1980s

Jerry taking Paddy's cows out to the field. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Bridie. Linnahan milking the cow. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1990s

Peter the farmer. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1990s

Lizzie, the farmer's wife at the new house'. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

The shepherd, Connemara. 1980s

Unpacking the feed. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1990s

Old woman and her dog. Co. Clare. 1990s

Sheltering. Connemara. 1980s

Farmers at the livestock market. An Gort, Co. Galway. 1980s

Farmer at the livestock market. An Gort, Co. Galway. 1980s

Boy and the livestock truck. An Gort, Co. Galway. 1980s

SHOPS AND COMMERCE

The ham. Tulla, Co. Clare. 1980s

Nagle's Bar and Undertaker. Ennistymon, Co. Clare. 1990s

Bar and shop. 1980s

Clifden. Connemara. 1980s

Off-licence. 1980s

Carter for hire. Inishmore. Aran Islands. 1980s

Street hawker. Galway. 1990s

Skibbereen. Co. Cork 1980s

The Smithy. Dingle, Co. Kerry. 1990s

HORSES

Horse trading. Connemara. 1980s

Horses and goats. Near Tulla, Co. Clare. 1980s

MUSIC

Children busking. Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare. 1980s

The blind man playing accordion. Galway town, Co. Galway. 1990s

The busker, Galway. 1980s

Drummers. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Paddy singing. Knockgarra, Co. Galway. 1990s

Death

The village mourners. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

The funeral. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

The Funeral. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Men in the churchyard. Scull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Man walking through the churchyard. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

The burial. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

After the burial. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Filling in. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

OLD AGE

The ruined church. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Old man from the Island. Schull, Co. Cork. 1980s

Old woman. Kinvarra, Co.Galway. 1980s

Near Traught beach. Co. Galway. 1980s

Old woman with a family photograph. 1990s

LAND

Traught Beach looking southwards to Clare. 1990s

Near Kylemore Abbey. Co. Galway. 1990s

Between Kinvarra and an Gort, Co. Galway. 1990s

Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare. 1990s

HUMAN INFLUENCE ON THE LANDSCAPE

dun aengus. Inishmore. 1980s

Poulnabrone - portal tomb. The Burren, Co. Clare. 1980s

Ruined thatched cottage, Co. Clare. 1990s

The ruined church where the great grandparents are buried.

Doorus, Co. Galway. 1990s

The ruined 'big house'. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Ruined homestead, Co. Clare. 1990s

Cottage. Kinvarra, Co. Galway. 1980s

Ruined farmstead. Co. Galway. 1980s

Ruined cottages.

Co. Clare. 1990s

The causeway towards Traught, Co. Galway. 1980s

Cottages near Kinvarra. Co. Galway. 1990s

Ruined mansion. Near Kinvarra. 1980s

Statue of St Ceiran. Near Traught, Co. Galway. 1980s

Roadside statue. Co. Mayo. 1990s

The broken cross. Near Kilbeggan, West Meath. 1980s

The west coast of Ireland seemed to be caught in a time trap in the last decades of the 20th Century. Its started to show signs of catching up with the rest of the world as tourism opened up the sleepy villages. The naming of the coastline as the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ was one lever, the other were the European grants in the infrastructure that made it a more attractive proposition for private investors. Suddenly, new building was taking place everywhere. The long tradition of emigration away from Ireland reversed and the population started to grow. Then the bubble burst with a huge worldwide economic crash. These photographs were taken in the decades just before that crash. They speak of communities intertwined with the landscape. Of farming families that made a living from the land, often in ways that had not changed for hundreds of years.

IRELAND AT THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM

RURAL LIFE OF THE WEST COAST OF IRELAND IN THE 1980s AND 1990s