Today ICC Digital is so very proud to present photographs by one of Ireland’s greatest photographers, David Creedon.
This collection of photographs are from Creedon’s internationally acclaimed exhibition ‘Ghosts of the Faithful Departed’, in which, over a two year period, (from 2005 – 2007), he captured images of old Irish homes which were abandoned, throughout Ireland from the 1950s and beyond.
Brought to viewers in an evocative new short film (especially made for ICC Digital), are the images of one abandoned home, belonging to Mary Sullivan from County Cork. Through the combination of Creedon’s haunting photographs and his own powerful script and narration, the viewer see and hear the sad and poignant tale of Mary Sullivan’ personal journey of emigration.
The Background to ‘Ghosts of the Faithful Departed’
Between 1949 and 1989 over 800,000 people were forced to leave Ireland. By 1956 the population had fallen to 2.8 million the lowest ever recorded. The rural communities were decimated by the impact of emigration and those who stayed had to suffer hardship, isolation and were very dependent on money and clothes that were sent home by siblings or relatives living abroad.
Many of those who stayed in this decade did so in silence as they watched family members and friend’s leave. Then in the new millennium these people passed on and their homes stood as a monument to a bygone age. Title of ownership was passed to far-flung relatives, and these houses soon began to lie deserted, awaiting the return of owners whose dreams of coming home were for so many, never to be.
David Creedon’s ‘Ghosts of the Faithful Departed’ was first exhibited in 2009. Since then the exhibition has been presented throughout Ireland, in London and in the USA. It received a huge amount of critical acclaim from both Irish, British and International press, with reviews in ‘The Irish Times’, ‘The Irish Independent’, ‘Irish Arts Review’ and ‘Georgia Today’.
Kieran Keohane, ‘Head Lecturer of Sociology’ at the University of Cork, describes Creedon’s work as..
“One of the most significant collections of photography in contemporary Ireland and will be amongst the most important works of Irish art in years to come“.
To Buy Prints and Book
Limited Edition Prints from ‘Ghosts of the Faithful Departed’ are available to buy from www.davidcreedon.com; .
Owing to the huge success of the exhibition, in 2011 Collins Press Published The Photographic Book and Text ‘Ghosts of the Faithful Departed’, which is available to buy in both hardback and paperback on Amazon and on Blurb.co.uk
About David Creedon
David Creedon, from County Cork, is an Irish Photographer whose work of editorial portrait and storytelling is told against a background of historical narrative. The Irish Independent has described him as “Cork’s Vermeer” while the Irish Times declared his images to be “meticulously made”.
His work is regularly published and his photographs have featured in a range of international magazine and press publications including Elle, The Times, Observer, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Sunday Times and the BBC.
His work has also featured on numerous books and music album covers and he has completed work for Nobel Literature prize-winner Gabriel García Márquez and Booker Prize winner John Banville. Specialising as a portrait photographer he is also known for his documentary and music photography.
He has previously exhibited at national galleries and museums including; the National Portrait Gallery London, The National Gallery of Ireland as well as exhibitions throughout Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.
