Perry Ogden

"The next day I left with the steamer"

10 Jun 13
"The next day I left with the steamer"

Well, the steamers are long gone but there are boats - and a plane - to the mainland. Sad to be leaving. Re-reading this Colm Toibin piece: http://tinyurl.com/qxnowbc

Teach Synge

09 Jun 13
Teach Synge

"I am settled at last on Inishmaan in a small cottage with a continual drone of Gaelic coming from the kitchen that opens into my room." I have always been fascinated by the work of John Millington Synge who first came to Aran in 1898 and soon moved from Inishmore - the largest of the islands, which he felt had become much like any other western seaboard town - to this house on the more primitive island of Inishmaan where he stayed with the MacDonagh family. The house is still owned by the family and now includes a Synge museum. Sadly, it's not open today but I'm sure it will be open in July and August. This quote is from Synge's book 'The Aran Islands' first published in 1907. Try to get a copy of the Penguin paperback edition with cover photo by Synge and wonderful preface by Tim Robinson who has written extensively about Aran as well as mapping the islands.

Inis Meain Suites

09 Jun 13
Inis Meain Suites

Inishmaan

08 Jun 13
Inishmaan

Woke up this morning on Inishmaan, the middle of the three Aran islands and one of my favourite places to be - particularly when the weather is like this! This is the view across Inishmore towards Connemara.

Thread magazine

07 Jun 13
Thread magazine

Arrived back in Dublin to find a copy of the latest issue of Thread magazine which includes a feature on yours truly. Great to see such a beautiful magazine coming out of Dublin.

BDImages

06 Jun 13
BDImages

In London for the day working with the maestro: Brian Dowling at BDIMages.

Don McCullin

03 Jun 13
Don McCullin

I missed this in the cinema but finally screened it last night and it's excellent. Well worth seeing. McCullin has taken many extraordinary photograhs and speaks so eloquently about his work and his experiences. Much as I admire his war photography I was really impressed by his recent book 'Southern Frontiers - a journey across the Roman Empire' in which he documents the Roman ruins in the Middle East and North Africa - the remnants of the most southern outposts of the Empire. Looking at the pictures makes me want to go there myself. Sadly, it's probably not the time to be visiting Palmyra in Syria nor Leptus Magna in Libya.

The Gatekeepers

01 Jun 13
The Gatekeepers

I managed to catch the last cinema screening in Dublin of 'The Gatekeepers', a film about the Israel/Palestine situation - post 1967 - as seen through the eyes of six former leaders of Shin Bet - Israel's internal security service. Given the secrecy that surrounds Israel's security, I don't know how the director, Dror Moreh, talked them into taking part, but anyone at all interested in the Israel/Palestine situation should see this. Fascinating to hear these men talk so candidly about their experiences. And their assesments of the situation are quite surprising. A great piece of work.

Belfast

23 May 13
Belfast

I was in Belfast today and went to the exhibition 'Northern Ireland: 30 Years of Photography' at Belfast Exposed and The MAC (it's spread across the two venues which are walking distance from each other). It's a mixed bag but all the usual suspects are there including Paul Graham (picture above, from his seminal 'Troubled Land' series). It's running till July 7th.

http://www.belfastexposed.org/exhibitions/?exhibition=132&year=2013&show=

The Modernisation of Irish Society 1848 - 1918

18 May 13
The Modernisation of Irish Society 1848 - 1918

I'm working on a script based on a real life story which took place towards the end of the Irish War of Independence in 1921. As a result, I jump at the opportunity to read any Irish history books that relate to this period or the years leading up to it. I picked up this one in a tourist shop in Kinvara, Co. Clare last weekend and read it over the past few days. Jo Lee is a highly respected Irish historian. He 's also a great writer - which can't be said of all historians - with fascinating insights. This was a joy to read and I was very taken by his definition of modernisation as the growth of equality of opportunity.