Dark Ireland: Images of a Lost World
by Richard Fitzgerald

Influenced by a short poem of the same title; by Ireland's famous poet Patrick Kavanagh, Waterford-born photographer Richard Fitzgerald has brought together a remarkable book of moody monochrome photographs, which he fondly describes as "revealing the dark underbelly of Irish rural life".

"His striking images form a narrative thread with the not-so-distant past. His camera focuses on the back roads of the countryside, and records intimate moments of people in their cottages and farms. Nuns, rosary-nights; confessions, coffins, and currachs are captured along with horse-fairs and peat harvesting."

"In his enchanting book, the dimly-lit rooms of Ireland prior to the arrival of electricity are eloquently remembered in his first-hand account of his childhood years; his early experiences observing light and shadow in a world illuminated by candle-light and oil-lamps are poignantly recalled in exquisite detail. The result is a unique album that is both compelling and graceful; a fond tribute of an earthier time and place."

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