Talk about the Exhibition: Ballybough Portraits and The Republic of Play

On 16 April at 3 pm photographer Colm Pierce will present a talk about his photographic work Ballybough Portraits alongside images from The Republic of Play, a series documenting children at play on the streets of Dublin’s north inner city.

Created over time and shot on film, the Ballybough Portraits series captures artists, neighbours and local figures in moments of direct encounter. The photographs focus on everyday life in working-class Dublin, showing neighbours at their doors, children claiming the street and ordinary moments unfolding naturally.

During the talk, Colm Pierce will discuss his approach to photographing working-class Dublin, the ethics of portraiture and the changing landscape of the inner city. His work reflects on memory, belonging and the social life of the street, documenting community, presence and dignity without staging or nostalgia.