A book of restored and colourised photos covering all 32 counties over a hundred year period features some incredible shots of Donegal during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Colour of Ireland by architect Rob Cross provides a social account of Ireland between 1860 to 1960 and brings people and places to life in vibrant detail.

The book includes a fascinating image taken in Gaoth Dobhair around 1887 of an early labourer’s turf hut, believed to be made by Daniel O’Donnell for his family after they were evicted from the Hill Estate. The book notes that it is possible the photograph is of Daniel and his family however, these mass evictions in the late 19th century meant many people were homeless, and temporary structures like this one pictured were not uncommon. The window on the gable wall of the turf hut was salvaged from the cottage from which the O’Donnell family were evicted.

Another image from Gaoth Dobhair around the 1890s depicts a cottage with a roof made using a rope thatching technique known locally as ‘Bachan’. The thatch is not secured directly to the roof, but held in place by a series of ropes that lie over the thatched surface and are tied to the tops of the walls or held down by large stones. This type of roof thatching was popular along the western coast, owing to the strong wings.

Local fishermen and boys of Loughros Point, Ardara are featured in two images, one of which was used for the front cover of the book. The individuals in the photo were also turf cutters, who harvested peat on the Slievetooey mountain on the southern side of Loughros Beag estuary. Turf cutting on Slievetooey mountain stopped around 1916, when the Irish Land Commission allocated plots at Tullycelave, just outside Ardara.

Harvest time in Donegal is brought to life in another image of workers harvesting oats in the townland of Ballygorman in Malin Head in the 1890s while another photograph of a fair day in Glenties around 1910 captures the hustle and bustle of the village. This photograph features sheep being herded down the main street, passing O’Donnell’s Hotel. In the background is the Glenties Workhouse built in 1844-45 which became Glenties District Hospital. The buildings were demolished in 1960 and the site is now occupied by Glenties comprehensive school.

Also included is an image of Rathmullan taken around 1890 that offers a unique look at the seaside village. All photographs in the book are shown in the original black and white and the colourised versions.

The Colour of Ireland includes over 120 photos many of which document Ireland’s most turbulent times from the War of Independence and the Civil War featuring some of the titans of Irish political life such as Michael Collins, Eamon de Velera, Arthur Griffith and James Connolly.

Speaking about the book Mr Cross said: “It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey to bring these photographs into the 21st Century, sharing my passion for Irish history and using careful historical research to determine the colours of every object in each photo.”

PReservation

Mr Cross is originally from Limerick City but currently lives in Dublin City where he works for an award-winning architectural practice.

He has a great passion for Irish history, especially the preservation of its architectural heritage and culture which has resulted in his ‘Bringing Ireland’s History to Life’ project in which he restores and colourises historical photos.

This project began as a hobby but has now become a viral hit with a world-wide following on Twitter which attracts people from all walks of life, including politicians, academics, historians, actors and film directors.