Dennis Dinneen
, Irish, 1927-1985
Title
Untitled, 1950s-1970sDate2019
MediumGelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image: 25.4 x 25.4 cm
Credit LinePresented, 2019
Object numberNGI.2019.163
DescriptionIrish photographer Dennis Dinneen (1927-1985) was a publican, taxi driver and photographer in his hometown of Macroom, County Cork. His studio was, in fact, a cluttered backroom in his pub. Only a few thousand people lived in Macroom, and everyone knew Dinneen’s bar. You’d go for a pint, and get a portrait — or vice versa.Taken between the 1950s and the 1970s, the photographs would be cropped for official documents, kept as souvenirs or sent to loved ones overseas. They weren’t intended for much - and this gives them a rare authenticity. The contemporary enlargement and detailed printing from the original negatives reveals many traces of a relatively recent but unreachable past. Emigration and the strong influence of the Church loomed large over the lives of many people, and the modernisation of the country's infrastructure brought an awareness of the possibilities outside of small town life.
There are 12 photographs by Dennis Dinneen in the NGI collection (NGI.2019.152-163). Evidence of these pressures and opportunities are an underlying refrain throughout many of Dinneen's individual portraits, while the boisterous group shots resonate strongly with community spirit.
ProvenancePurchased, Dennis Dinneen Archive, 2019