PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO CELEBRATE BEAUTY OF TOWN
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO OVER 5,000 FOLLOWERS, ALISON COMYN MEETS THE KEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS BEHIND THE FACEBOOK PAGE CELEBRATING THE TOWN
AS the ad used to say, it does what it says on the tin... The Beauty of Drogheda facebook group has one aim, and that is to showcase and celebrate what is great about the town – its wonderful views, rich heritage and stunning scenery, through the medium of photography. Set up by amateur photographer James Kelly in 2016, his sole goal was to show the town at its best, and not to focus on anything bad.
“I’m Drogheda born and bred for four or five generations,” says James proudly, ‘and I was tired of people putting the town down all the time.
“So, I created a place where we could highlight the positives, and I make it very clear that it is not the place for giving out about any problems that we might have.”
James is the son of Teresa McKenna and Thomas Kelly, originally from Trinity Gardens, and his photography started out as a hobby, but is now taking up a lot of his spare time!
“I am a restaurant manager in the Trinity Quarter, and I’ve never studied photography or been a member of a club,” he says with a laugh. “But I really enjoy taking photographs, especially around the town, and it’s all trial and error, but I like to use my imagination, like my very first photos posted on the site, of a few plastic dinosaurs at the Viaduct and plastic soldiers at the Old Abbey!”
And since those first few pictures on the site four years ago, it has grown to have over 5,000 members, not all photographers, but fans of the local sights too.
“It is an encouraging place for people, and when it got more popular, I asked a few more local photographers Anthony Murphy, Andy Murray and Vaidotas Maneikis to help him out as admins.
“I fell in love with the town some 15 years ago when I moved from Lithuania,” says Vaidotas, who used to work in the d Hotel, but is a professional photographer now with his own company Pause Time Photography. “My passion is to go out and visit the local areas, as well as around Ireland, and during this lockdown, when my mainstay would have been weddings or communions, I’ve had more time to really look what is right under my nose and appreciate it more.”
He says the site is a great platform to show photographs, whether you are a keen amateur or make a living from it.
“There is so much talent in the town, and I never tire of looking at the different ways people see their home,” he adds. “We have had amazing sunrises and sunsets this past few months, and I love photographing them, particularly along the coast, as no two are the same. It means a 3am start to catch it, as you might only have a 15- or 20-minute window, and there are times when I
I’M DROGHEDA BORN AND BRED FOR FOUR OR FIVE GENERATIONS AND I WAS TIRED OF PEOPLE PUTTING THE TOWN DOWN ALL THE TIME
just put the phone down and enjoy it.”
Well-known local photographer Anthony Murphy is another admin who looks after the popular site, as well as posting stunning images of the town.
He became world-renowned when he accidently stumbled upon a new henge whilst taking photos with his drone in 2018, and loves to showcase the town and Boyne Valley from the air.
“Drones definitely bring a new dimension to photography and it is interesting technology for me, which has been very successful but there are regulations and anyone thinking of using one for hobby photography should make themselves aware of the regulations,” says Anthony, has been one of the admins from the start. “The cameras are generally not as good quality as the ones you’d use on the ground, but once you get into the air, the different perspective is incredible.”
In keeping with the aim of the group to stay positive, Anthony says it has really raised the profile of the town amongst photography clubs in the country.
“Some try to start rants and post photos of rubbish on the streets but we remove them immediately, as there are plenty of other places on Facebook for that,” he says with a laugh. “I was giving a talk to a club in Meath, and they said they would love to come to Drogheda, as we seem to have many more landmarks, and beautiful riverside locations to shoot.”
There is also no snobbery about the people who can share their work.
“Most members are ordinary folks with
phones, who have captured moments that are sublimely beautiful, like a commuter being up at 6am to see the sky turn red at St Mary’s bridge,” he says. “We try to provide a platform for up and coming photographers and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
There has been an extra incentive to post your snaps of late, with a regular reward for the best local shot.
James says he is really grateful to the many local businesses who come on board every month and sponsor a prize.
“All they get is a mention, so a big thank you to all those who take part,” he says. “The site was quite slow to start, but in recent months, it has gotten really popular, as I think people had some more time on their hands, and because they couldn’t travel, appreciate what’s on their doorstep more, plus it’s a real escape from the bad news.”
For anyone not on Facebook, the group had just started to discuss a charity exhibition before lockdown intervened.
“After the first Fleadh, we discussed an exhibition, but it was hard to secure a location, and then we thought about a calendar, but everything stopped because of Covid,” explains Vaidotas. “As soon as we can, we’ll look at it again, and give the proceeds to local charities.”
Alongside the admins of course. are the talented members - some even called ‘Rising Stars’ - many of whom only started taking photos recently, and are enjoying having a platform to showcase their work.
“I have only very recently become a member of the ‘Beauty Of Drogheda’ page after a friend prompted me to join. I am fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of Ireland and I love to try and capture the scenes and people around me,” says new member Dave Stanley.
“I have had a very positive experience since joining. Fellow photographers and those who follow the page are very encouraging and share their love of the area. There are many places I wouldn’t be familiar with and it’s nice to see them displayed in images. I also love to see how other photographers capture a scene that I would know very well.”
The River Boyne and all its various tributaries, are featured heavily; not surprising given it divides the town in two!
Sid McArdle has been making waves with his aquatic snaps since he joined.
“I take pictures as a hobby and came across the beauty of Drogheda page on Facebook and it’s great to get the feedback from the public when you capture a moment be it early mornings or late evenings,” he adds. “it’s also a great platform to share what a lovely town we have and meet other people with the same passion”.
Janice Mulligan is one of the many women who have found their voice through photography on the page.
“I really like the Beauty of Drogheda site as it has such great variety of photos of our beautiful area,” she says. “I particularly love taking photos of the fabulous wildlife and migratory birds on the Boyne Estuary and sharing them, and is a great platform for inspiring me and others to go out and appreciate the fabulous beaches and historical sites we have in our area and the photos people put up show it in a wonderful light.”
Brian Connolly is owner of Bang Bang Visual and regularly posts his spectacular aerial photographs on the site.
“I believe that the best way to make people shop local, stop littering and promote their own town is by positive reinforcement,” he says.
“If I can make one person say “wow, our town is really beautiful” with each photo posted, that positivity spreads quickly. This town stuffers hugely with self image and people from the town taking it down.”
“If you would like to join in the local photo revolution, visit The Beauty of Drogheda open group on Facebook. https://www. facebook.com/groups/1706761476243484