Easter lilies, Holy Mary figures, and Palestinian flags are but a few of the tokens that characterise Clodagh O’Leary’s photography. Working under the handle “1eurofiddy”, O’Leary has captured hundreds of moments of contemporary Ireland at its most self-assured and candid in publications and exhibitions. The most recent instalment of her work, titled Who Fears to Speak, documents “republican events and traditions across Derry during a transformative period in Irish history”. Centring on young people and their active and passive perspectives on Irish republicanism, Who Fears to Speak confronts such a salient and sensitive subject matter with equal parts care and confidence.
The origin of O’Leary’s interest in youth republicanism cannot be pinned to any one moment. Growing up, music and history would have perhaps been her first association with youth republican sentiment. She reflects that “getting older and developing my own political opinions got me more interested in it. Traditionally it would have been a socialist movement and I suppose I align myself more that way.”
In recent times, O’Leary has realised that the definition of republicanism has become increasingly diffuse. “Some people are using it in a very far-right context now, and others in a very far-left way. It means different things to different people now.” It’s this equivocation that inspired O’Leary to “follow some kind of narrative or storyline”.
Who Fears to Speak is the outcome of these strands of interest. On her chosen location of Derry, O’Leary elaborates that “because it is a republican stronghold and I like documentary photography, I thought Derry would be a good area to photograph”. She continues that “Derry itself is very rich in history,” saying “it can be a very politically progressive place” and naming Palestinian solidarity and pro-choice causes as emblematic of this political activity. Specifically, O’Leary was drawn to the Bogside and Creggan areas of Derry because of their historical and contemporary political significance.
After photographing republican marches proved to be aesthetically monotonous, O’Leary looked towards Easter Rising commemoration events and the Internment Bonfires as potential candidates for her work. While attending an Easter Sunday celebration, it struck O’Leary that children in Creggan appeared beyond their years, sometimes even acting as bodyguards to the paramilitary. “They seemed very grown up,” she observes. “That was the start of the project. Asking what is the environment that shapes them and what are their opinions.”
“The media’s dominant representation of her subjects as troublesome and disorderly”
O’Leary acknowledges the media’s dominant representation of her subjects as troublesome and disorderly. “Where I’m from in Kerry, people wouldn’t really give a thought to what’s going on up in Derry. They’d maybe shrug it off as just antisocial behaviour.”
Noticing her tendency to focus on subjects with chequered reputations, I asked if O’Leary gravitates towards and consciously works to dismantle these biased representations. “I suppose I wasn’t actively interested,” she reveals. “It wasn’t an active, thought-out thing, but I just landed on it.” She explains that she is “interested in the storytelling part of photography” and “why people feel the way they do”. Naturally, this stripped back documentary-style of photography lends itself to honest portrayals.
Challenging disparaging stereotypes of young people in Derry, O’Leary insisted that she felt “generally welcomed” during the project. O’Leary recalls that during one Easter Monday parade she was approached by a child in a balaclava, who asked whether she was with the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland). “I obviously understand there’s a huge distrust between that community and the PSNI,” she says. However, an artistic approach that values boundaries and trust has allowed O’Leary to navigate sensitive environments. She explains that “a lot of the kids will follow me on Instagram and see that I respect their privacy and blur their faces out. Through Instagram they ask when I’ll next be up. I’ll also send them the photos back.”
“We’re not trying to push any political agenda. We’re just trying to tell the stories of young people”
Who Fears to Speak has been exhibited both in Dublin and Derry, the latter as part of the annual Bloody Sunday memorials. When asked how these locations shaped her work, O’Leary comments that “there was a lot more conversation with Derry”. She had to justify her “narrative” and “aims” for the exhibition. She continues to say that “we explained that we’re not trying to push any political agenda. We’re just trying to tell the stories of young people.” In contrast, the atmosphere in Dublin was “fun and happy and we just got going”. Curatorially, certain photographs had to be excluded from the Derry iteration of the exhibition over fears of framing young people in an unflattering light.
When asked about any commonalities and contrasts that she’s encountered when shooting around the country, O’Leary notes that the “cost of living often comes up across horse fairs” and observes how “a sense of being pushed out or forgotten about is across all of the locations”. “A lot of people have complaints about the current state of Ireland,” she continues. “Although they might blame X, Y or Z, it ultimately comes down to distrust of the government, housing etc.” With this being said, O’Leary reaffirms that her prerogative isn’t to push a political agenda. “I’m not here to tell anyone they’re right or wrong,” she remarks.
Beyond her portraits of youth Republicanism, O’Leary is looking to refine and curate her work on horse fairs, having already photographed at Banagher, Spancilhill and Ballinasloe. The project’s working title, In the Blood, reflects the familial tradition at the heart of horse fairs. O’Leary recalls how formative horse fairs were in her own childhood, having grown up around jaunting cars in Kerry. “They’re normal for me, but they could be interesting for other people to watch,” she says. Smithfield Horse Fair’s repurposing as a protest and Harry Crosbie’s recent approval to build a hotel behind Vicar Street, which will disturb the two horse yards that share an alleyway with the hotel, have stirred debate around urban horse culture. Often maligned in the press, O’Leary wants to spotlight the contributions made by the inner city stables to their local communities. A series on chippers is also on the cards. O’Leary names Fusco’s and Vincenzo’s as linchpins of the Liberties, and she’s worried by how rapidly these local institutions are shutting up shop.
Who Fears to Speak amplifies the all-too-often overlooked voices and experiences of young people from the Republican strongholds of the Bogside and Creggan, insisting on their polyphony and individuality. This project and others by Clodagh O’Leary can be found on Instagram @1eurofiddy.
