Daniel Breen – författare

One hundred years ago in Ireland marked a time of change. The continuous rise of an Irish revival, debates over Home Rule and the idea of Irish identity were continuously negotiated by all classes of society. In Cork City Reflections, authors Kieran McCarthy and Daniel Breen focus on the visual changes that have taken place in the port city on Ireland’s south-west coast. Using a collection of historic postcards from Cork Public Museum and merging these with modern images they reveal how the town has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures featured combines a recent colour view with the matching sepia archive scene.The authors have grouped the images under thematic headings such as main streets, public buildings, transport, and industry. Readers will be able to appreciate how Cork City has evolved and grown over the last century but also how invaluable postcards can be in understanding the past. In an age where digital photography and the internet have made capturing and sharing images so effortless, it is easy to forget that in the decades before the camera became popular and affordable, postcards were the only photographic souvenirs available to ordinary people.This book, which vividly contrasts Cork past and present, will evoke many memories and appeal to residents and visitors alike.

Cork City, Ireland's southern capital, is a place of tradition, continuity, change and legacy. It is a place of direction and experiment by people, of ambition and determination, experiences and learning, of ingenuity and innovation and a place of nostalgia and memory. The pictures within this book provide insights into how such a place came into being and focuses on Cork one hundred years ago. Cork's urban landscape is filled with messages about the past. As a port town, Cork was and still is strongly connected to the outside world - this small international city is ambitious in its ventures and links to a world of adventure and exploration. The photographs within the book help to show the human experience and sense of place and pride in the city, one hundred years ago and today. Views of streets, public spaces, churches, the docks, and an international exhibition to name a few, capture the energy and drive of a city - the legacies of which still linger on in the southern capital of Ireland.