ISBN Magnum Ireland book Paperback 304 pages

Available for the first time in an updated, compact paperback format, this book offers a stunning photographic survey of Ireland over the last seven decades, from the 1950s to the present day. Organized decade by decade, the images show the lingering influence of rural life in the 1950s; the hidden story of ordinary Irish men and women, living in a divided society during the troubled years of the sectarian conflict; the South’s huge economic growth at the end of 1990s, baptised the ‘Celtic Tiger’, and Ireland’s perpetual quest for identity, from the 1950s to the present day. Each decade is commented on by a notable contemporary Irish literary figure: Anthony Cronin, Nuala O’Faolain, Eamonn McCann, Fintan O’Toole, Colm Tóibín and Anne Enright invite the reader to dive into the social and political context of each period, providing a textual backdrop to the photographers’ work.

About the Author
Brigitte Lardinois was Special Projects and Cultural Director at Magnum Photos for over ten years, and is now Deputy Director of the Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at University of the Arts in London. Val Williams is Professor of the History and Culture of Photography at the University of the Arts, London. John Banville is the author of fifteen novels, including The Book of Evidence, The Untouchable and The Sea, which won the Man Booker Prize in 2005.