‘The Light of Other Days’ is Jim Maginn’s personal photographic archive of Irish Traditional Musicians, it is a touring exhibition and book.
Tommy Keenan
In the mid 1970s I began exploring the world through photography. I was keen to make it relate to my other great passion, Irish traditional music. Through the following few years, I regularly photographed people and performances at sessions and concerts.
Hugh McGoldrick
My time as a student on the Documentary Photography course in Newport, Gwent, Wales in the mid 80s would add structure to the idea.
Sheila Gillespie
Starting in 1988 Ciaran Carson, (the Traditional Arts Officer at the Arts Council of NI), commissioned several projects. The portraits of Archie McKeegan, Tommy Keenan, Peter Welsh, Josie McDermott, The McGoldricks and Paddy Harpur among others came out of that period. The documentary portrait and ‘decisive moment’ approach was, and remains, at the heart of my practice. The best portraits arrive naturally when a relationship of trust exists.
Geordie Hanna
The Exhibiton
The Light of Other Days, exhibition, ran from 5th Oct to 28th Nov 2012 In the Red Barn Gallery, Belfast. The Exhibition was subsequently shown at the Void Gallery, Derry, The Gallery of Photography Dublin, The Irish festival in Oulu (Finland) and at The Ulster University Gallery in conjunction with the 2017 Belfast Traditional Music Summer School (Belfast TradFest).
Ewan MacColl
The project continues, some of the portraits on this site have been made since the book was published. New work will be added intermittently.
Margaret Barry
For book details and shipping costs, email: drumnagoon+lood@gmail.com