Photo exhibition on Carrolls for Birr's Masonic Hall

A photographic exhibition that’s the result of a 14 year investigation into the history of the Carrolls goes on show at Birr’s Masonic Hall on Friday.

‘The Carrolls of Offaly and Maryland, A Photographic Essay’ by Denny Lynch will show from 1.30pm to 6pm on Friday and every day until Friday, August 8.

The exhibition’s opening reception will take place next Tuesday, August 5 between 7.30pm and 9pm.

“This exploration gave me the opportunity to photograph beautiful landscapes, castles, towns and monuments associated with this family on both sides of the Atlantic,” Denny explained.

“As a teacher from the state which the Carrolls left an indelible mark upon, I felt compelled to document with my camera their elegant estates and mansions in Maryland as well as those in their ancestral homeland.

'They had an important presence in County Offaly and north Tipperary for several centuries, before coming to Maryland in 1688. In Maryland the Carrolls once again established a dynasty that had a great influence on the political, economic and religious realms of their new adopted nation.”

Denny said he is drawn to Ely O’Carroll country because of his own family connections and as a photographer.

“From the beginning I was struck by how unspoiled this region has remained,” he explained. “Furthermore, I discovered in the course of conversations with a lord, a shopkeeper and a farmer how generous the people are in sharing the history of the area,” he added.

The exhibition is part of Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival. It comes on the back of exhibitions by Denny in New York, Paris and many parts of Ireland since the 1990s.