The changing face of an Irish community

CHANGING Faces, an exhibition of photography by Charlie McGeever which captures the essence of life in the Ballina/Killaloe area, continues at the gallery in Scariff Library until Friday, July 2.
This exhibition is an artist-led project funded by the Arts Office of North Tipperary County Council that explores through the lens, the visual fabric of a small town on the border of Tipperary and Clare. The project captures a place in time through its people; the men and women who are part of the fabric of this community.
The exhibition gives a fleeting glimpse of the richness, colour and depth of Irish society which has witnessed such change in the past decade both socially, economically and physically.
Charlie, born in Glasgow to Irish parents, settled in Derrycastle, Ballina in 1998 having been introduced to the area by his wife Róisín’s mother, Patsy Healy, from Nenagh.
When he left school, Charlie became a professional musician and spent several years touring the UK, Channel Islands, Europe and the Middle East, as well as owning and managing a nightclub whilst in Dubai. However, he always had an interest in photography and qualified with a BA Honours degree in photography from the Glasgow School of Art.
Since coming to live in Ballina, he has catalogued and documented the everyday events of the area, such as the first day at school, carol singing at Christmas, the Brian Boru Festival, as well as the ordinary moments that many people take for granted.
“I became fascinated with the multi-layered make up of the town that I observed on a daily basis, the mixture of old and new, physically represented by an ever-changing landscape, buildings and vehicles, and the eclectic mix of outlooks and values held by the people who live here. Whilst the area has been constantly evolving, it has also held steadfastly to its old ways and values and, mainly for this reason, we choose to call it ‘home’,” he said.