Sunday 27 February 2011

ELECTION SPECIAL 2


I am sitting to write this entry tonight after the count on election 2011 has given us an indication of how things are going to be in the next Dail.

The ruling Fianna Fáil party have suffered huge losses after two and a half years of blatantly ignoring the people and arrogantly making decisions that could only be justified by their wish to remain in power until the corner was turned. Right now it would appear that the corner is further away than it ever was and whoever forms the next government has a long struggle to get us anywhere near to that corner before the next election.

One person who could not wait around for the election or the turning of that corner is Darren Crook.
I met with Darren and his father Terry on Howth Harbour County Dublin. For me it is a very special place and once more my past overlapped with the wishes of my subjects to locate their shot at a location special to them. Knowing the area I knew exactly where Darren was talking about when he mentioned fishing with his father and I was excited that he might like to set things up on the huge curved terraced wall at the end of the pier.

Talking with his farther Terry it was very obvious that he was very sad to see his son, the second in a week , leave and go to Australia. I suppose that life is going to be a lot different for Terry and what remains of his family and they will dearly miss Darren and his brother Brian. However there is another side to this process and Darren was in contact with me after his departure to fill me in. Its obvious from his words that he is filled with hope for the future and a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders, in Dublin he was a mechanic, in Australia he has started his working life picking fruit and has this to say.

"Me and my da used to fish Howth lots during the summer months, not as often as we used to in the last couple of years, we started doing more further afield, but we'd always get a least one session in Howth in the year. Definitely see myself fishing out in Howth again, don't ever see myself living in Ireland again especially after getting a taste for the lifestlye over here, but can't see myself going home to see my dad without throwing in the lines."

Thanks Darren hope it always sunny for you in Oz, and if Noreen Bowden and the good people at Global Irish have anything to do with it you might have a vote in the next general election without having to come home!!
Well done Mick Wallace and all the Independent voices who made it through the election process.
In another plus for this project the Belgian newspaper De Standaard Published 5 of this series today in their weekend magazine. I will put it up when I get a pdf next week!!
Or you can find a screen grab on my fb page

Hugh, Artur and Gemma where with me on this one and all work was completed with their usual efficiency. Big thanks as always to them.
Please share this post using the share buttons below, follow using the follow this blog button on the top right. Comment freely if you feel moved to. We feel its your vote of confidence !!!
Thanks again
David


7 comments:

  1. david, i just loved your photograph so much.. On a day when we are awaking to the fact that there are no election miracles you have captured with great poignancy the wistfulness of the look of someone trying to be brave for the sake of ones family yet so sadly aware that they are going alone to a strange country. This should be on the front page of every irish newspaper and a lot of people should bow their heads in shame.

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  2. thanks Jeanne,well we made it into a belgian news paper for saturday morning as one of their election stories!!
    Thats a start!
    there is an amazing interplay of emotions in the whole process of emmigration,on one hand the loss suffered by both parties(those leaving and their remaining famillies and friends)
    And the excitement of of wiping away the disappointment of the last few irish years and starting all over again somewhere new with no baggage
    Bittersweet!!

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  3. yes, thats why i loved holly`s `hello new york - goodbye baggage` photo!

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  4. So right Jeanne,goodbye baggage!!

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  5. semisolidradio1 March 2011 at 22:40

    Large steps ,big bag, lighthouse near i hope x

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  6. HI DAVID THIS IS TERRY DARREN'S DAD THE PHOTO IS GREAT DARREN IS DOING GREAT HE LOVES IT IN OZ YOUR COMMENTS BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE THEY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD

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  7. Hi David my name is Emma Crook Darren is my cousin i love your photo my brother Steven and his girlfriend Ciara have also gone to Oz this year they have settled in Darwin it makes me very sad he is my only brother and the baby of the family i have 2 kids and my son andrew who is 13 was very close to him we are all missing him like mad

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