Photographic exhibition celebrates local heroes

TEENAGERS, OLDER people and the search for heroes are the themes of a photo exhibition that has just opened at the National Museum…

TEENAGERS, OLDER people and the search for heroes are the themes of a photo exhibition that has just opened at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.

The Local Heroes exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the museum at Collins Barracks, local secondary school Larkin Community College and older people attending the Lourdes Day Care Centre.

Thirty first-year pupils interviewed and photographed 30 “local heroes” at the centre.

The idea for the collaboration grew from contacts between the museum and the school, and was based on the Heroes and Chiefs exhibition at the museum. “It was about bringing the community into the museum,” said its director Dr Pat Wallace.

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The young people were mentored by photographers Barry McCall, Kevin Cummins and Doug Baxter. Describing the portraits, Mr McCall said the personalities and human qualities of the subjects were “shining through”.

The clients of the centre “really enjoyed it,” said Bernie Pierce, centre manager. “The kids were so respectful and brought a great buzz to the place. The older people are still talking about it.”

The exhibition runs until the end of January.

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times