The Pope's visit to Dublin - 26th August 2018

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I participated in the ‘Stand for Truth’ parade on the day the Pope visited Dublin and celebrated mass in the Phoenix Park. This parade became the focus for diverse groups and individuals protesting hypocrisies and unresolved crimes committed by the Catholic Church. The parade extended from the General Post Office (G.P.O), to the garden of Remembrance and then to Our Lady of Charity of Refuge convent and Magdalene Laundry on Sean McDermott Street.

I photographed the placards and the people who carried them. I really liked the individually made placards, they expressed values, identity, political commentary, feelings of hurt, solidarity, sadness, courage, empathy, anger, compassion in an open direct and often humorous public way that was at odds with the culture of deference, conformity, fear and shame that was so pervasive on our island.

I wanted to photograph this parade as the day seemed important in so much as the visit got considerably less support from the Irish public than the visit in 1979. It was passively boycotted with attendances at the event in the Phoenix park considerably lower than expectations. The ‘Stand for Truth’ parade offered a more direct way to protest at the presence of the Pope and crimes against humanity committed by the Catholic Church.

The photographs follow the movement of the parade as it moved from location to location through the city

 

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