Press Release - Visual Poetry: The Photography of John Minihan

This spring, the National Gallery of Ireland presents Visual Poetry: The Photography of John Minihan. A new exhibition that will give visitors an insight into the extensive career of the Irish photographer John Minihan, which spans over sixty years. The works on display will explore Minihan’s experience of working as press photographer for the Daily Mail from the age of 16, leading to his introduction to Samuel Beckett, a relationship that blossomed in the mid-1980s, to his eventual relinquishment of media assignments in favour of more personal projects.

Early success came to Minihan during his time as an apprentice photographer with the Daily Mail in the early 1960s. Within just a few months of being appointed to the newspaper’s darkroom, he was awarded best photograph in the Evening Standard’s photography competition for his photograph of the Whispering Gallery in St. Paul’s Cathedral. This was the first of his pictures to be published, instilling in the young artist an ambition to create images worthy of distribution. He began his press career by photographing major bands and musicians of the time including The Rolling Stones, The Who and Rory Gallagher, and would eventually seek out significant personalities in the public eye throughout the 1970s and 1980s such as Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, and perhaps most importantly for Minihan, Samuel Beckett.

When possible, Minihan would persuade his managers to let him travel to Ireland to document momentous events, such as the visits of Pope John Paul II in 1979 and President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Whether in Ireland on assignment or voluntarily, Minihan made a point to return to his hometown of Athy to photograph the people and places he remembered so well. As a result, he has created a broad and unrivalled visual record of Athy that he continues to develop today.

Visual Poetry: The Photography of John Minihan features works from key moments in Minihan’s career combined with work the artist has made in recent years, such as his depictions of Skellig Michael and the environs of West Cork, where he has lived for nearly three decades. This balance between Minihan’s early, perhaps best-known work, and more recent personal projects, will work to trace the evolution of his diverse career.

A thread that unites each of the works, and indeed the artist’s varied practice, is Minihan’s commitment to analogue photography, which he believes conveys the unique impression of the artist. Through the inclusion of contact sheets and test prints, viewers will see Minihan’s process and distinct vision. Minihan’s ambition to capture seemingly unremarkable moments in the lives of the people of his hometown or the luminaries he encounters is constant throughout his practice.

Visual Poetry: The Photography of John Minihan will have two rotations during the exhibition run, with each rotation made up of approximately 30 wall-based works and about 5 – 10 objects presented in display cases.

Sarah McAuliffe, Curator of Irish Art Post 1900 at the National Gallery of Ireland said: “It has been an honour to work with John Minihan, one of Ireland’s most significant photographers, and to curate this snapshot of his prolific career. For me, what is perhaps most striking about Minihan’s work is his ability to put his sitter at ease and to capture something of their soul on film. Minihan’s photographs are simultaneously poignant and joyous, prompting viewers to consider the world around them and reflect on their own lives in new ways. I am excited to be able to give visitors the opportunity to discover the lesser-known aspects of Minihan’s career, as well as his iconic representations of luminaries like Samuel Beckett and Francis Bacon.”

Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: “’Visual Poetry: The Photography of John Minihan’ is a thoughtful and intimate exhibition that reveals the enduring power of one of Ireland’s strongest photographic voices. Through two rotations of his work, visitors will trace Minihan’s varied career, a career that has helped to shape a vision of society in Ireland and abroad over the last sixty years and that continues to impact those working with the medium of photography today. We are delighted to share this first retrospective of the artist’s work ever held in Dublin to all who visit the National Gallery of Ireland.”

The Gallery would like to thank the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport for its ongoing support.

ENDS

Media contacts:

• Sam Hardiman, Communications Coordinator: Press & Advertising, National Gallery of Ireland, [email protected] 
   

Notes to Editor:

• Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland is available for interview
• Exhibition curator Sarah McAuliffe, Curator of Irish Art Post 1900 at the National Gallery of Ireland, is available for interview

Exhibition listing:

Visual Poetry: The Photography of John Minihan
Sir Hugh Lane Room (Room 31), National Gallery of Ireland
14 March – 11 October 2026
Free admission
Curated by Sarah McAuliffe, Curator of Irish Art Post 1900

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Filíocht Fhísiúil: Grianghrafadóireacht John Minihan 
Á oscailt ar an 14 Márta 2026 ag Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann

Beidh an taispeántas Filíocht Fhísiúil: Grianghrafadóireacht John Minihan á chur i láthair ag Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann san earrach. Taispeántas nua is ea é seo ina dtabharfar léargas do chuairteoirí ar ghairmréim fhairsing an ghrianghrafadóra Éireannaigh John Minihan, fear a gclúdaíonn a shaol oibre breis is trí scór bliain. Leis na saothair a bheidh ar taispeáint, déanfar iniúchadh ar an tréimhse a chaith Minihan ina ghrianghrafadóir preasa don nuachtán The Daily Mail ó bhí sé 16 bliana d’aois. Ba de thoradh na hoibre sin a casadh Samuel Beckett air agus chuaigh an cairdeas eatarthu i dtreise i mblianta láir na 1980idí. D’eascair as sin gur stop sé ag gabháil don obair leis na nuachtáin chun díriú ar thionscadail ní ba phearsanta.

Tháinig iomrá ar Minihan go luath sa saol, agus é ina phrintíseach ag plé leis an ngrianghrafadóireacht le The Daily Mail ag tús na 1960idí. Ní raibh sé ach cúpla mí ina ghrianghrafadóir leis an nuachtán sin nuair a rug sé leis gradam i gcomórtas grianghrafadóireachta a chuir The Evening Standard ar bun, as ucht pictiúr a thóg sé den Whispering Gallery in Ardeaglais Naomh Pól (St. Paul’s Cathedral) sa Ríocht Aontaithe. Ba é sin an chéad ghrianghraf dá chuid a foilsíodh, rud a ghríosaigh an t-ealaíontóir óg chun pictiúir a thógáil arbh fhiú iad a dháileadh. Ag tús a ghairmréime leis na meáin, thógadh sé grianghraif de bhannaí agus ceoltóirí móra na linne – leithéidí The Rolling Stones, The Who agus Rory Gallagher. Le himeacht ama, thosaigh sé ag díriú sna 1970í agus na 1980í ar dhaoine a raibh clú agus cáil orthu – Francis Bacon agus Andy Warhol, mar shampla, agus Samuel Beckett, fear a raibh an-tionchar aige ar shaol Minihan.

Nuair a d'fhéad sé é, d'áitíodh Minihan ar a bhainisteoirí é a scaoileadh go hÉirinn chun grianghraif a thógáil ag ócáidí móra ar nós chuairt an Phápa Eoin Pól II in 1979 agus chuairt an Uachtaráin Ronald Reagan in 1984. Cibé acu ab í an obair nó cúinsí pearsanta a thug go hÉirinn é, bhíodh sé de nós ag Minihan filleadh ar Bhaile Átha Í, a bhaile dúchais, chun grianghraif a thógáil de na daoine agus na háiteanna a bhí buan go fóill ina chuimhne. Ba é a thoradh sin gur thiomsaigh sé bailiúchán fairsing pictiúr de Bhaile Átha Í, ceann nach bhfuil a shárú ann, agus is obair é sin atá fós ar bun aige anois.

Tá mórshaothair leis an ealaíontóir le feiceáil in Filíocht Fhísiúil: Grianghrafadóireacht John Minihan, chomh maith le saothair a rinne sé le blianta beaga anuas, amhail a chuid ghrianghraf de Sceilg Mhichíl agus den taobh tíre thart ar Iarthar Chorcaí, áit a bhfuil cónaí air le beagnach tríocha bliain anuas. Leis an gcothromaíocht sin idir luathshaothar Minihan – na grianghraif is mó iomrá dá chuid, seans – agus tionscadail phearsanta a rinne sé le tamall anuas, féadfar tréimhsí éagsúla a ghairmréime a rianú.

Snáithe a cheanglaíonn le chéile gach ceann de na saothair agus, go deimhin, cineálacha cleachtais éagsúla an ealaíontóra, is ea dúthracht Minihan i leith na grianghrafadóireachta analógaí, rud a chuireann tuiscint ar leith an ealaíontóra in iúl, dar leis. Tá priontaí tadhaill agus priontaí tástála le feiceáil sa taispeántas, ionas go mbeidh léargas ag an lucht féachana ar phróiseas agus fís shainiúil Minihan. Rud atá le sonrú tríd síos is ea an fonn mór atá ar Minihan taifeadadh a dhéanamh ar bhlúiríní de ghnáthshaol na ndaoine ina bhaile dúchais nó na ndaoine mór le rá a gcastar air iad.

Dhá bhabhta éagsúla a bheidh i gceist le Filíocht Fhísiúil: Grianghrafadóireacht John Minihan, agus beidh thart ar 30 saothar ar crochadh agus 5–10 réad á gcur i láthair i gcásanna taispeántais i ngach aon cheann.

Dúirt Sarah McAuliffe, Coimeádaí Ealaín na hÉireann i ndiaidh 1900 ag Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann: “Ba mhór an onóir dom a bheith ag obair le John Minihan, duine de mhór-ghrianghrafadóirí na hÉireann, agus an léargas seo á chur i láthair ar an lear oibre atá déanta aige. Díol suntais i dtaobh shaothar Minihan is ea an cumas atá aige iad siúd a bhfuil a bpictiúr á dtógáil a chur ar a suaimhneas agus gné éigin dá n-anam a ghabháil ar an scannán. Baineann grianghraif Minihan corraí asainn, cuireann siad lúcháir orainn, agus spreagann siad muid chun machnamh a dhéanamh ar an domhan thart timpeall orainn agus smaoineamh as an nua ar ár saol féin. Tá ríméad orm go mbeidh an deis ag cuairteoirí féachaint ar na grianghraif íocónacha a thóg sé de dhaoine mór le rá ar nós Samuel Beckett agus Francis Bacon agus cur leis an eolas atá acu ar ghnéithe eile dá shaothar.”

Dúirt an Dr Caroline Campbell, Stiúrthóir Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann: “Is taispeántas pearsanta, domhain é ‘Filíocht Fhísiúil: Grianghrafadóireacht John Minihan’ a léiríonn an chumhacht atá fós ag na saothair seo le duine de mhór-ghrianghrafadóirí na hÉireann. Dhá bhabhta éagsúla a bheidh i gceist sa taispeántas, agus beidh an lucht féachana in ann iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar na tréimhsí éagsúla i saol oibre Minihan, tráth a d’éirigh leis cruth a chur ar fhís den tsochaí in Éirinn agus thar lear le trí scór bliain anuas agus saothair á gcruthú aige atá fós ag dul i bhfeidhm ar ghrianghrafadóirí an lae inniu. Tá an-áthas orainn taispeántas iardhearcach de shaothar an ealaíontóra a chur i láthair i mBaile Átha Cliath den chéad uair, i nGailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann.”

Ba mhaith leis an nGailearaí buíochas a ghabháil leis an Roinn Cultúir, Cumarsáide agus Spóirt as an tacaíocht a thugann sí dúinn.

CRÍOCH

Teagmhálaí na meán:

• Sam Hardiman, Comhordaitheoir Cumarsáide: Preas ⁊ Fógraíocht, Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, [email protected] 
   

Nótaí don Eagarthóir:

• Féadfar an Dr Caroline Campbell, Stiúrthóir Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, a chur faoi agallamh
• Tá Sarah McAuliffe, coimeádaí na taispeántais agus Coimeádaí Ealaín na hÉireann i ndiaidh 1900 ag Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, ar fáil le haghaidh agallaimh.

Sonraí an taispeántais:

• Filíocht Fhísiúil: Grianghrafadóireacht John Minihan
• Seomra Sir Hugh Lane (Seomra 31), Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann
• 14 Márta – 11 Deireadh Fómhair 2026
• Cead isteach saor in aisce
• Coimeádaí: Sarah McAuliffe, Coimeádaí Ealaín na hÉireann i ndiaidh 1900

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