I lived in Dublin for four months while in college studying abroad – my first experience doing so – and it was a city that I grew to know very well, and a country that I absolutely fell in love with. The view of St. Mary is from my house. Every night, when the sun would set, St. Mary’s’ dome could be seen silhouetted against the orange sky.
The River Liffey, winding its way through the city of Dublin, in one of these photos has left behind a trail of green residue indicating how much the river’s level has fallen. I found this shot to be especially interesting with Four Courts in the background and the different greens present with the patina of the dome and the progression from light green to dark green in the bridge’s support pillar.
There were times I felt like the young man in Joyce’s Portrait of an Artist – winding up and down and through the streets of Dublin. The construction and architecture were my primary subjects here – the juxtaposition of old and new, city and nature. You can see how Dublin is developing with the cranes and building in the background, but also because it’s fascinating to be juxtaposed with this other side of Dublin.
This other side is older — not ancient — but older nonetheless, and rooted in this sense of rebellion and decay. Ireland, for so many decades, was a country in decay. Only recently have they become prosperous.