John Hall has travelled to traditional horse fairs, steam rallies, religious ceremonies, fleadhs and festivals around Ireland over the last few years and has captured these wonderful, candid, black-and-white photographs of people engaged in traditional activities and pastimes in a manner little changed since the 1950s,1960s and 1970s. He shows that the traditional ways have not yet vanished. It is a valuable photographic record of a uniquely Irish way of life that is rapidly being swallowed up by the trappings of modern living, and will soon be lost to future generations. This book awakens nostalgia, records what it means to be uniquely Irish and captures our cultures and traditions.

Author Biography

John Hall grew up on the north side of Cork city during the 1960s and 1970s. He bought his first camera in the 1980s and began a lifelong passion for photography. After 20 years of focusing on Irish landscapes and seascapes a trip to Innishannon Steam Rally prompted him to start taking the photographs that became this book. A trip to Puck Fair in Killorglin followed, and he was soon scouring the local press for notices of festivals, fetes and fairs to add to the portfolio he was building. He has exhibited his photographs at many local exhibitions and was featured in a major exhibition at Cork Airport in 2015.