While living in Rathgar he often cycled at weekends with his brothers Jim and Frank and their friends into the Wicklow Hills where many of the photographs were taken. One of the photos shows the open boats in the Upper Lake in Glendalough which used to bring visitors over to St. Kevin's Bed on the far side of the lake.

During the war years he and his neighbours cycled up to Featherbed Mountain in Wicklow to cut turf which was brought by lorry back to Rathgar. Several of the photos are taken in the vicinity of this mountain.

Jack had a great love of outdoor pursuits and rural living and many of the photos portray ordinary people fishing, hay making, thatching, preparing land for sowing, forging. His brother Jim in particular, was a keen fisherman and hunter and is pictured in various settings armed with rod or gun. Jack was also very fond of Donegal in the northwest of the country, where he had gone to learn Irish as a schoolboy and he has captured the splendid isolation of the Errigal mountain region in his pictures. He also cycled quite a bit in Kerry in the south west and enjoyed swimming off that fabulous coastline.

This collection will bring back memories of a time long past for anyone who was around in the 40s and 50s and will stir the imagination of a younger generation.

The Ireland it shows of the thatcher, pony and car, and turf boats in Dublin, is long gone but is captured beautifully here through the eye of a gifted amateur photographer who won many prizes for his artistry.

John McCauley
18 July 2002