Killarney exhibition set to examine Ireland’s architectural landscape

AN exhibition with a difference will make its way to Killarney next week in a bid to raise awareness of the changing architectural landscape of Ireland.

The “Large Ruined Houses of Ireland” is a photographic exhibition by Robert Smith, a photographer with a strong enthusiasm for this particular topic.

The exhibition, which showcases monochrome images curated by Smith, will get underway on Monday (August 21) and will run for over a month until September 30 during the library’s opening hours.

“The object of the exhibition is to raise awareness of the disappearing architectural masterpieces of Ireland,” Mr Smith said ahead of the unique exhibition.

“I hope at least one person sees them and takes up their cause.”

Robert also said that he hopes the exhibition’s photos will inspire young people to take notice of the issue and research the demise of the buildings around the county and indeed the rest of the country.

Whilst working in England in the 1980s, Robert met Mark Bence Jones, a writer noted for his books on Irish architecture, and he described to Robert the plight of some of the large ruined houses in Ireland, many of which had gone past the point of redemption.

His enthusiasm was described as infectious by Robert, who became interested in the topic as a result, an interest that hasn’t dimmed since. The exhibition set for Killarney has been a long term project for Robert and was only finalised earlier this year.

The exhibition is free to all during its run from next week. If you would like to obtain more information on this and other exhibitions, you can visit either www.kerrylibrary.ie or call 064 6632655.