Projects

I really enjoyed walking the streets and taking pictures. All my dole money went on it. My father didn’t understand why I was spending so much money taking and developing all these pictures. He kept saying that they were going to be knocked down.

Back in the 80s everybody knew how to play snooker. There were snooker halls all over the place, all dark and full of smoke. There would always be fights about who would take on the winner. I used to hate that.

I wasn’t very good at using the flash back then—it was a hit and miss. I still don’t use it much today but I have improved. As you can see, they hadn’t got much in the flats but they did the best they could.

This shoot brought back so many memories from my time at O’Connell’s School, which was not too far from this place. There seemed to be shots everywhere. I think the kids felt safer here than on the streets. They could be themselves. Some days the light was amazing. Even now I feel a happiness come over me when I look at these photographs.

I don’t remember much from this shoot: I was there only briefly. I do remember it was a far calmer place than the boys’ school, however!

In Summer, Fairview Park was packed with families. In Winter it would be bitterly cold, and taken over almost entirely by crows and seagulls. No matter the time of year, though, you’d always see kids there playing football. When I heard that the school was having a big football practice I jumped at the opportunity to photograph it.

When I was a kid a gang of us from Ballybough Road would swim here. The staff would give you a coloured wristband and a siren would sound to announce that if your wristband was of a certain colour your time was up.

I’ve been living in Thanh Hoa for about three years now and I really enjoy its small town nature. Coming from Hanoi this place is bliss. The first time I visited this beach was on a cold and windy day. I was with my family and I promised to myself to come again. They are very early starts so the lighting can be tough.