Under A Grey Sky
Simon Burch
The Gallery of Photography, Ireland
English
Text by Justin Carville.
Hardcover
40 pages
210 x 270 mm
2009
ISBN 9780955238871
As early as 1807 it was considered that peat could be used as a commercial fuel, before that any discussion about the boglands was concerned with reclamation for agricultural use. All through the 1800s, unsuccessful attempts were made to win turf commercially, and in 1872, when a miners’ strike in England increased the price of coal in Dublin by 100% , renewed efforts were made to exploit this natural resource. It was finally achieved by Sir John Purser Griffith at Turraun, Co. Offaly when in 1924 he built a power house, and with fully automatic machines he produced turf of a first class quality. His principles of bog drainage and operating of machines formed the basis on which the Turf Development Board and subsequently Bord na Móna worked, although both made many mechanical improvements. The culmination of these commercial efforts is now represented in the black landscapes of developed bogs, but this natural resource is finite and production is estimated to cease within 15 -20 years. Once this happens these exposed landscapes will disappear as the land will be put to agricultural and recreational use, and the visual evidence of such a significant national industry will be hidden.
About the Artist
Simon Burch is a professional photographer based in Dublin, Ireland. He divides his time between commissioned and fine art photography, and was awarded an MFA with distinction from the University of Ulster in 2014.
simonburch.com
About the Publisher
Gallery of Photography have featured contemporary photography. They were established in 1978 by John Osman. In 1996 they moved to a purpose-designed new gallery, designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey.
galleryofphotography.ie
