Faces of Galway, 1988-89 by Suzanne Ahearne
an outdoor Exhibition at Galway City Museum
July 13 to September 29, 2026
Gaillimhigh as Éadan, 1988-89 le Suzanne Ahearne
Faces of Galway, 1988-89 by Suzanne Ahearne
I samhradh na bliana 1988, tháinig Suzanne Ahearne go Gaillimh as Ceanada le ceadúnas oibre mic léinn, mála ar a droim agus ceamara den déanamh Pentax K1000. Bhí sí 23 bliana d’aois agus chuaigh an chathair, an pobal dlúth, saol bríomhar na n-ealaíon agus an meon boithéimeach, go mór i gcion uirthi. Chaith sí bliain ag obair i dtithe caifé agus ag tógáil pictiúr de dhaoine ar an tsráid le linn a cuid fánaíochta féin.
Seanchuimhne a spreagann an t-ábhar dubh agus bán anois agus arís; braitear gurb é an gnáthrud i gcónaí é anseo agus ansiúd: fuadar an mhargaidh, féilte, comhrá ar thaobh na sráide, agus an tamall suaimhnis i rith ghnáthchúrsaí réidh an tsaoil.
Le greann agus dea-mhéin, agus leis an tsúil ghrinn maidir le mionghnéithe den saol, tugann Ahearne léi dreach na ndaoine a d’fhág réithe faoi leith le Gaillimh i rith na 1980idí ionas go gcaomhnaítear léargas ar shaol sóisialta na cathrach díreach agus athrú mór eacnamaíochta agus cultúir i ndán.
Arna chur i láthair ag Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe i gcomhar le Féile Idirnáisiúnta Ealaíon na Gaillimhe.
In the summer of 1988, Suzanne Ahearne arrived in Galway from Canada with a student work permit, a backpack, and a Pentax K1000 camera. 23 years old, she fell in love with the city and its close-knit community, vibrant arts scene and bohemian charm. She spent the next year working in local cafes and taking pictures of people on the street in the course of her daily wanderings.
The Galway she captured on black-and-white film feels both familiar and distant: bustling markets, festivals, street-corner conversations, and moments of quiet amid the unhurried rhythms of ordinary life.
With warmth, humour and a sharp eye for human detail, Ahearne captures the faces and personalities that gave the Galway of the 1980s its distinctive character, preserving a moment in the social life of a city on the precipice of dramatic economic and cultural transformation.
Presented by Galway City Museum in association with Galway International Arts Festival.
Photographer Suzanne Ahearne, second from left, in Galway in 1988.
BIO:
Suzanne Ahearne’s year in Galway was the beginning of a lifelong career in storytelling. She has a Masters degree in journalism from the University of British Columbia and has worked as a photojournalist, writer, and radio and podcast producer. She lives on Vancouver Island.
A collection of hundreds of Suzanne Ahearne’s images of Galway was recently acquired by the University of Galway Archives.
Would you like a print or poster of one of these exhibition photos?
A selection of photos will soon be available via print-on-demand service!
Get in touch via the form below if you’d like me to let you know when the gallery is live. Or just get in touch and say hi!