John Foley

Biddy Boy, 2025

Photograph | Unframed: 85 x 56.5 cm

‘Each year, in mid-Kerry around St Brigid’s Day, groups known as Biddies travel to homes in the local area carrying a Brídeog, performing songs and dances, and bringing good fortune and prosperity to those they visit. This tradition is being actively carried forward by the local schools in the area. My portrait of Evan O’Connor from Kilgobnet National School was captured as the pupils were preparing for the annual parade through Killorglin which marks the culmination of the festival.’ - John Foley.

John Foley is a Dublin-based documentary photographer, originally from Waterford City. He has a longstanding interest in rituals, traditions, and shared experiences that create a sense of belonging. His photography focuses on capturing these moments — traditional and contemporary, pagan and religious — and on highlighting how these foster connections and communal celebration. This curiosity has led him to document what it means to belong among many different communities.

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