This England, Barry Delaney

“With a Barry Delaney photograph, we are part of a vivid present tense. They are never static. Something is always happening. This has never been more true than in This England, Barry’s best book so far, in my opinion. The jeopardy here is more palpable than ever. Often we are looking at intense moments of celebration. The bursting forth of some innate and narcotic sense of tribal identity. From within the tribe, these pictures are joyful. However, it is impossible to forget that Barry is an Irish photographer and that, demonstrably, these are not Irish scenes.”

From the introduction by Rónán Hession

“On the 11am tube to Waterloo the anxiety kicked in, an Irishman surrounded by mobs of Union Jack clad lads. The rally was way bigger than I had anticipated. Something came over me, the fear turned to adrenaline and I began to photograph. I perched myself alone on Westminster Bridge for three hours and snapped, I was challenged aggressively, but didn’t back down. I was here to document. So here it is, This England, a ten year study of our neighbours, with a nod to the Specials and Sleaford Mods. Peace.”

From the preface by Barry Delaney

BARRY DELANEY

Inspired by the colour, energy and DIY attitude of punk, Barry fled the grey Dublin of the early 1980s, to travel the world and fell in love with documentary photography. Twenty years ago he began documenting life in inner city Dublin. This became Stars and Souls of the Liffey which he exhibited at the GPO in 2019 along with the now sold out Hi Tone book. He returned to America for the 2016 election and produced his second Hi Tone book on life in Modern America – Americans Anonymous, with poems by John O’Donnell. 

In 2022 his picture ‘Forty Footer’ was shortlisted for the Zurich portrait prize at the National Gallery. 

Published by Hi Tone Books
60 pages
Hardcover
263 mm x 246 mm
ISBN  978-1-917445-06-1