The economic boom in Ireland was world famous, and in the midlands you could see big changes. Through the explosion in building projects employment became readily available, despite the closure of traditional employment such as Bord na Mona. Now, the language is very different. Phrases such as job loss, economic crisis, recession and even depression are used daily in the press and amongst many families.



This project sought to explore the changes now directly effecting midland communities as a result of the economic downturn. Through a combination of photography and written interviews I wanted to document people’s attitudes to the changed economic situation, detailing their concerns towards what the future holds and also their views on the rapid deterioration in the public finances. A key theme was the exploration of attitudes towards what values are still untouched by economic crises and the perception of how this affects community.



I hope that by reading about their everyday lives and seeing their portraits, we can gain a direct and practical insight into our own times. This will act as an antidote to a media so dominated by advertising and ever-changing but always sensational news that it is hard not to get carried away.



The interviews where made between December 2009 and September 2010.