Description
A Nation Is Born celebrates a formative period in the history of the Irish state: the fifteen years during which we emerged from the rubble of wars and violence and set up as a fledgling country while establishing a diplomatic presence on the world stage. The photos presented here have been painstakingly hand-colourised by photographer John O’Byrne, infusing energy into this often-overlooked time: the election of the country’s first governments; the mammoth Shannon hydroelectric scheme; a stunning Eucharistic Congress; scenes of cottage industry and rural Irish life; and ending with the uncertain rumblings of war in Europe. With over 150 photographs gathered from archives around the country, accompanied by insightful and accessible commentary by historian Michael B.
