PETER HARBISON would be the first to agree that this beautiful book is primarily concerned with the presentation of a superb range of sumptuous colour photographs by Jacqueline O'Brien of about two hundred ancient monuments around Ireland. This is not to say that Harbison's lucid, jargon free and reader friendly text is not an summary full of up to date information, chronologically marshalled by one of Irish archaeology's finest scholars and greatest popularisers.
Medieval monuments are the main focus of the collection. Although it would be impossible for Mrs O'Brien's camera to eschew altogether the picturesque, she has successfully concentrated on the meanings and layouts of monuments. Her photographs seek to understand rather than to glorify. I doubt if Cahercommaun, Caherballykinvarraga, Carrigogunnell, Askeaton banqueting hall, Carrigfergus or Cahir castle, Charles or Duncannon forts Dun Ailinne or the Grianan of Aileach, have ever been better or more informatively photographed. She even manages to photograph the Turoe stone without any of the clutter that now surrounds it.
The use of older photographs from her collection has allowed Ms O'Brien to avoid the scaffolding which temporarily clothes Cormac's chapel and to include a view of Limerick castle with corporation houses still within the walls, rather than the interpretative centre which has replaced them. She lapses into the photogenic by succumbing to the lure of the sea/cliff/visitor centre/ maze of pathways views of Ceide, rather than the prehistoric fieldwalls which are the raison d'etre of the centre. The seriousness and consistency of her approach is accentuated by the one exception (Gallarus oratory) where she allows children to clamber over her subject in a manner typical of the more average book of photographs.
The photographs also show the extremes of both neglect and restoration: the former at Cong and Baltinglass with weeds in the medieval(?) mortar, and the latter at the recently finished walls of Fethard and Ross castle. The restoration at Newgrange is an even further extreme which Ms O'Brien's aerial photograph shows up for what it is unbelievable.
The choice and display of sites is undoubtedly personal, by which token I would like to have had more of Ahenny, the reticulated window view of Kilmallock and dare I say it, somewhat less of the overstaged interiors at Bunratty - and why the wide view of the latter site, anyway?
The quality of Ms O'Brien's indoor photography is the equal of her marvellous outdoor (often aerial) work. The views of the restored frescoes at Cormack's chapel, the wonderfully lit North Cross at Clonmacnois against a black background, the detail on the Glankeen shrine, the photos of manuscripts and the treasures at the National Museum stand out in this area. You can almost sense the temperature and atmosphere which accompanied her creations as she pointed her camera at rainswept Tara and the sprinkling of fresh snow around Hore Abbey.
The photographs are so good, so full of meaty detail and so well and on such good paper, that you feel you are there along side the photographer at the various sites or looking down from a helicopter or plane overhead. Apart from her own undoubted genius and flair, this is a good advertisement for the photography course in Kevin Street where she perfected some of her techniques.
Dr Harbison's introduction to the sites is a delightful accompaniment to Ms O'Brien's photography. His descriptions of the character and significance of the various monuments succeeds in getting away from an abbreviated, repetitious gazeteer format. However, by doing this he indulges in literary allusions, foreign parallels (Easter Island, the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower, Venetian colouring) as well as more folksy references (such as to races of giants, capstones taking off for outer space, and coffin bearers at Legananny) and repetitions of traditions unconnected with monuments, such as the "piper's stones", which could be misleading to some.
The photographs convey the variety and dignity of the monuments and artefacts of ancient Ireland as well as their fragility, vulnerability and the results of different approaches to their care. I cannot commend it sufficiently nor laud enough the complementary talents of its creators, particularly Jacqueline O'Brien, whose labour of love this is. Her husband Vincent O'Brien's financial support for the venture makes the book very affordable. This is not the first thoroughbred to have come from his wife's stable. It is her third winner and one hopes there is a follow up in training be fore her generous, wise and, by now, very distinguished camera eye.