My Father’s Troubles

I was only two when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, a treaty which promised peace through ceasefire. I was not present for most of the Troubles, yet I cannot escape it. Northern Ireland is riddled with remnants of a civil war, from barracks to border crossings. Sectarian graffiti, flags and markings remind me of who I am and where I am welcome.

My Fathers Troubles explores the current landscape of Northern Ireland, which is still littered with reminders of a civil war. I travelled along the border for a week and photographed over 20 police and British army barracks, both disused and functional, which are yet to be dismantled. Structures which seem to promise unrest and serve as a constant warning for surrounding communities.

This investigation was done side by side with my father, someone who had experienced the Troubles first hand, and with whom I have had a turbulent relationship. His absence through parts of my childhood had resulted in us both using the trip to mend our relationship, whilst interrogating and navigating the landscape together. Addressing the past through my father’s narrative while photographing the present, I aim to speak upon undiagnosed trauma and its manifestation into the fabric of everyday life.