POLISH AND other international photographers, who fell in love with Ireland after moving here, have put images of their adopted country on display in a unique multicultural exhibition in Dublin.
The "As I see it" gallery of works features 90 images from 20 photographers, who have created a collection of photographs that chronicle Irish cultural, sporting, social and scenic landscapes.
The colour and black and white collection was launched last night and will be on view in Dublin's Central Library in the Ilac Centre, until April 30th. It has already been hosted in Cork city.
It has been organised by Beata Molendowska, a Cork-based librarian from Poland who is also a camera enthusiast. She said the aim was to promote positive integration and to allow immigrants to come forward "to introduce" themselves to the Irish public.
"This is an expression of how Polish and other nationalities are integrating successfully in Irish society and photography is one of the best ways of demonstrating this."
Photographer Marcin Jarecki, who came to Ireland with his wife in 2003, said he was led to this "green island" with its "ocean cliffs and lovely cottages" and was not disappointed. He subsequently designed the Polish photography web-portal fotoirlandia.com, from which some images are borrowed.