An image of a moment from a family occasion made by the light which fostered photography in its cradle days. ©Photograph: John Reidy 21-9-2014
Leading with the right: Maureen Sugrue lining up a shot on the pool table at The Half Barrel during a family celebration with from left: Karen Perfect, ??? ??? Eileen Bartlett and Deborah Casey. ©Photograph: John Reidy 26-4-2014
At the Castleisland Christmas Party night at the River Island Hotel were, from left: Maire McEllistrim, Cathleen Reidy, Breda Buckley and Kathleen Walsh. ©Photograph: John Reidy 13-12-2014
World famous traditional musicians Frankie Gavin and Carl Hession relaxing in the spring sunshine outside the well-known music pub, Tig Cólí on Galway’s Latin Quarter. ©Photograph: John Reidy 16-4-2014
Ross O’Leary, Gneeveguilla (left) pictured with: Mikey McCarthy, Tralee; Garry Lynch, Ballymaceligott and Seán Pollman-Daamon, Tralee pictured at the sixth annual Good Friday KDYS / Garda Basketball Blitz at Castleisland Community Centre. ©Photograph: john Reidy 18-4-2014
Womans’ World on a Sunday afternoon: Maureen Walsh, Mary Courtney, Marge Healy, Margaret McSweeney, Kathleen Myers and winger, David Dauber Prendiville. ©Photograph: John Reidy 31-8-2014
Baby Connie Ahern pictured at his Christening party at the Half Barrel Bar with his parents, Breda O’Connor and Con Ahern. Included are: Catheriona O’Connor (left) with Siobhán McCrohan and Ellen Barrett. ©Photograph: John Reidy 6-12-2014
Brosna natives, Anne Finnegan and her sister, Julie Rowan with Ann Howard pictured at the Castleisland Christmas Party Night at the River Island Hotel. ©Photograph: John Reidy 13-12-2014
Desmonds Avenue neighbours: Mary O’Connor with Dermot Daly and Seánie Broderick having a chat on a fine morning in April. ©Photograph: John Reidy 24-4-2014
Bridget Broderick (left) pictured with: Robert and Phil Templeman and Ellen Barry-Lynch, Castleisland; Maura Reidy, Newcastle West and Mary Flaherty, Tralee at the Castleisland Christmas Party Night at the River Island Hotel. ©Photograph: John Reidy 13-12-2014
Spike Players Group members: Gerard Joy (left) pictured with Marian Leahy and Fred Browne during a break in rehearsals for Moll at Knocknagoshel Community Centre in February. ©Photograph: John Reidy 8-2-2014
Peter and Mary Howarth pictured before Christmas on the occasion of the renewal of their wedding vows after 40 years of marriage. The couple are pictured with their daughters: Petra (centre) and Tara, son-in-law Peter Collins and Fr. Dan O’Riordan.
James Coffey, St. John’s Park (left) and Nathan Simmons, An Caisleán Mór sharpening their social skills at St. John’s Park on a fine Saturday evening in June. ©Photograph: John Reidy 14-6-2014
Sonny Keane pictured with his parents, Maggie and Denis on the occasion of his Bapstim by Canon Denis O’Mahony at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Cordal. Included are his God-parents, Seán Keane and Delia O’Donoghue. ©Photograph: John Reidy 6-12-2014
Homeward Bound: David Dauber Prendiville, Zoe Nolan, Aisling O’Connell and Tony Mitchell chatting at the entrance to O’Connell Demense early one morning in April. ©Photograph: john Reidy 13/14-4-2014
Baby Connie Ahern pictured at his Christening party at the Half Barrel Bar with his parents, Breda O’Connor and Con Ahern. ©Photograph: John Reidy 6-12-2014
Anne and David Prendiville pictured with family members Julie (left) Maggie with Baby Sonny and Shay. The photograph was taken on the occasion of Sonny’s christening. ©Photograph: John Reidy 6-12-2014
Christmas Party night at the River Island Hotel, Castleisland. Crystal Swing band members, Derek, Mary and Dervla Burke pictured with West Cork visitors: Ciara Doherty and her brother Keith Buckley and his wife Áine. ©Photograph: John Reidy 13-12-2014
Willie Reidy (left) with: Con Wren, Billy O’Brien and danny O’Sullivan and their cannine friends paws-ing for a chat and a photograph at Castleisland Desmonds GAA Club grounds in April. ©Photograph: John Reidy 23-4-2014
Litter Control: Kieran McGaley (left) and Pa O’Shea out on litter control in front of The Market House before Christmas. ©Photograph: John Reidy 22-12-2014
In this game, every once-in-a-while, photographs slip through the cracks and don’t get published at or around the time they’re taken. This was more often than not the case in years gone by.
It was a regular occurance that a photograph or photographs would lie in the darkness of a box or in a drawer and never see the light of day in the life-time of the people featured. Not so much these days. However, these days of instant results and selfies and the huge leap in the quality of camera-phones means that photographs can be taken, viewed and consigned to another form of darkness by not being kept or recorded for the imposing and always outstretched hand of posterity consigned to me and my equals.
The selfie craze is great fun and its dedicated practitioners are improving by the week and there are ‘long arms’ available now to mount your phone on. It would be good though if the selfie people did one or two pure ordinary pics in the course of their events – just for that damned posterity or keepsake – if you like.
Anyway, this is a collection, in no particular order, of photographs I took in the course of the year and many of them on my camera phone. Most of them are only seeing the light of day now and I hope those of you who like looking through this kind of stuff will knock some enjoyment out of it all. Spot the selfie with a difference !
I must thank the people who stood there – including my-selfie – and let me do what I do so that we can all help in passing on an idea of what life is like in our time. Please do Like & Share as your encouragement is good for the soul of the operation. – John Reidy 2015
