‘We are all the rocks and ruins and tides of this place’ is an exploration of the seaside town of Balbriggan in north county Dublin. Once a site of ruins dating from the War of Independence, the town transmits the memory of destruction, dereliction and reconstruction through both its old and new sites. It is now one of Ireland’s fastest-growing and youngest places. Due to significant rejuvenation efforts, the town is being rebuilt in order to accommodate its rapid growth. Soon what appeared to be eternally unused buildings will be no more, the construction will be finished, a charming new seaside town will have been created and we will all have moved on.
The generation to which I belong has experienced their own growing pains in tandem with those of the this place. Through a series of intimate portrait-making sessions and semi structured interviews, I worked with my photographed persons to explore their relationship, history and personal connections here. Some had not been back recently and so chose meaningful or memorable places for their portraits and worked collaboratively in the creation of texts. These texts will be available in an upcoming zine of the work and present at any future exhibitions alongside the images.
5 of 16 images featured at the PhotoGenesis debut group exhibition in the spring of 2025.
A zine of the project was published by Cailleach books, and featured in Dublin Art Book Fair 2025 at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios.
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Adam Tucker 