Photo exhibition offers glimpse at a very different country
An intriguing study of life in Clonmel and Ireland in the middle of the last century will be offered in Faith of Our Fathers and Mothers, the photo exhibition that's opening at Ss Peter and Paul's Church in the coming weeks.
"It's a social history and looks back at how things were in what was a very different Ireland", says former Nationalist staff photographer and RTE lighting cameraman Donal Wylde, who is staging the exhibition in conjunction with Ss Peter and Paul's Bicentenary celebrations.
35 pictures with a religious theme will be on display, dating from 1961-74 and ranging from First Holy Communions, Corpus Christi processions and Ss Peter and Paul's Choral Society to the activities of the Social Services in Morton Street and the annual Mass at the Holy Year Cross on August Bank Holiday Monday.
Also included is the visit of Grangemockler man Cardinal Michael Browne to Clonmel in 1962, shortly after his installation as Cardinal.
The visit was a major event at the time and the Cardinal was welcomed to the town by the Mayor, Alderman Denis E. Burke, a former chairman of The Nationalist.
The exhibition will be officially launched after 11am Mass at Ss Peter and Paul's Church on Sunday, March 14th.
As an introduction to the launch, an audio/visual presentation of the exhibition will be held at the County Museum in Mick Delahunty Square at 7.30pm on Thursday, 11th March, to acknowledge the Museum's involvement in mounting the display.
Donal Wylde, who's originally from Ennis, joined The Nationalist as staff photographer in 1961 when he succeeded Justin Nelson, who had left for RTE.
Donal eventually followed in Justin's footsteps, leaving The Nationalist on the day of the official opening of its new offices in Queen Street in the mid 1970s, following the move from Market Street.
He continued to live in Clonmel as he worked for RTE, through its Waterford office, until his retirement over a year ago. He worked mostly in news, including the Sunday evening Newsround programme, the predecessor of the current Nationwide programme.
The exhibition is open to the public and may be viewed in an area accessible through the side door of Ss Peter and Paul's Church.
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