MARY’S ‘THE WAY WEE
THE POPULAR long-running The Way We Were exhibition returns to Arklow this week after a two-year hiatus.
Curated by local woman Mary Whelan, the exhibition features many old photographs collected over decades by her late mother Mary Myler, and is a labour of love.
When Mary (senior) passed away, her daughter willingly continued the tradition of the pop-up exhibition, growing it year on year thanks to submissions of photographs from the wider Arklow community. Old scenes of Arklow feature, as do many familiar faces, sports clubs, community events and historical highlights.
The exhibition premises at 1 Lower Main Street, kindly made available by Siún Phelan will be covered in old photos, and those that cannot fit on the walls, will be displayed in albums for visitors to peruse. This year, however, The Way We Were is also incorporating a new section entitled The Way We Are, and Mary’s aim with this, is to continues to document daily life in Arklow for future generations s to come.
‘ The old photos get such great attention and people really love looking at them. I hope that more will be submitted from the present day, so o that a stock can gradually build up, leaving more old photos for future generations to enjoy. There are so many different cultures in our town and they should be celebrated and recorded,’ Mary says. Admission to the exhibition is free but donations will be accepted in aid of the Arklow w Community First Responders. Mary wishes to acknowledge the support of the community for this project t including Blue Print, Kenny’s of the Harbour, Siún Phelan and private sponsors.
The Way We Were (and Are!) ) 2018 runs from Thursday, July 12 2 to Monday 30 and opens from 10 0 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday. .