Eye on the Past - Athy photographic society provides unique archive

Athy Photographic Society, founded in the early 1980s, is one of the most active and successful societies in the town. Over the years, its members have held annual photographic exhibitions, produced an annual calendar, while engaged in training to improve their photographic skills.

The society has grown through a number of rebirths in the 40 or so years since its foundation. The early photographic pioneers were George Robinson, Gerry Lynch, Mary Cunningham and Pat O’Rourke and it is the last named who remains a committed member of the society to this day.

Early meetings were held in Jim McEvoy’s pub and later in the Leinster Arms hotel. The first photographic exhibition was held in the same hotel in or about 1985. It’s now an annual event, which, over the years, has graced venues such as Smuggler’s pub on Duke Street, the Dominican hall, Athy Vocational School, the town library and the heritage centre. John Minihan, Athy’s most famous photographer, was the subject of an exhibition early in the society’s life. A few years ago, John returned to Athy to give a talk on his work to members of the society and supporters in the community college.

Over the years, the society was renewed and strengthened with the arrival of new members such as Tom Kirwan, Con Doyle, Denis O’Donovan, Jack Brogan, Brendan Hughes, Vincent O’Connor, PJ Ryan and Peadar Doogue. Unfortunately, I do not have the names of all those who joined the society during its various revival periods.

The success of the annual exhibition encouraged society members to produce an annual calendar, the first of which appeared in or about 2007. Sponsored and supported by local businesses, the calendar has proved to be a wonderful keepsake for locals and especially for Athy folk living overseas. Today, the society is flourishing and its members have rooms in the community hub in the former Mount St Mary’s secondary school building.

Several members of the society have won national and international awards over the years. The first major success was achieved by James Mahon, current chairman of the society, who was awarded an excellence in international artistic photography by the FIAB. That award was also won by Ned Mahon, another Athy club member.

The Jack Brogan cup, in honour of a former member of the society, is awarded to the photographer of the year. Last year, it went to Elena Doyle. Others who have achieved success at national events include Clodagh Doyle, Pat O’Rourke, Noel Kelly, Suzanne Behan and Brendan Hughes.

The society’s most recent exhibition was in the town library during last year’s culture night. The Prado on the Barrow exhibition featured works by society members. The members borrowed an idea from the Spanish Art Museum in Madrid by recreating and photographing some of the classic paintings in the Prado collection. The paintings recreated and photographed for the exhibition included works by El Greco, William Leech, Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh and several other great masters. It proved to be a fascinating exhibition, combining fine photography, exceptional costume arrangement and design.

The next exhibition by the society is scheduled for Wednesday 19 June, when again it will be held in the local community library. It will show the work of three international photographers with connections to Athy. These are award-winning John Minihan and John Maher, whose pictures of the Outer Hebrides featured on BBC 1 recently. John’s parents emigrated from Athy in the 1950s and John is, perhaps, better known as a founder member of the Manchester band The Buzzcocks. The third exhibitor is Kieran Tully, formerly of William Street and now based in New York, where he has gained fame for his imaginative, bold photographs of that city’s streetscapes.

Past members of Athy Photographic Society include PJ Ryan and Peadar Doogue. PJ is regarded as one of the foremost wildlife photographers and I am privileged to have in my collection a series of 12 wildlife photographs taken by him, which were exhibited in the heritage centre some years ago. PJ is a superb photographer, as is Peadar Doogue, whose photographic work features frequently on Facebook.

Athy Photographic Society is one of Athy’s most innovative and successful community organisations. It has achieved great success over the years and with an ever-increasing membership, the society’s work in recording the people and events of our time will provide a unique archive for future generations.