I lived in Ireland for two years, during which time I traveled as much as I could, from Galway to Donegal and Dublin to Cork.
While there, I fell in love with every part of Ireland. There is something about Ireland that gets into your bones, something many Irish people have spoken about.
The cities are lively with culture, and the countryside is as magical as the stories I grew up with. The people deeply value their connection to the land, the sea, and their history of perseverance and rebellion.
I have always been drawn to Ireland. As cliché as it sounds, I was an American looking for her roots. I was obsessed with Ireland growing up. I had always known that most of my family, on both my mother’s and father’s sides, had moved to America in the early 1900s to escape poverty and the persecution they faced under British rule. I also knew that one of my great-grandfathers had been sent back to Ireland to live with relatives as a young child after nearly his entire family died of whooping cough, leaving only him, his sister, and his father alive.
My grandfather had visited the house where his mother grew up and told stories about how his grandfather had cut a hole in the roof to avoid paying a tax. My other grandfather told me ghost stories and joked that the púca would come at night if I did not behave. Yet none of this prepared me for the connection I felt to Ireland when I lived there.
I first visited Ireland on a study-abroad trip through my university to the Burren, where I was captivated by the folklore of fairy trees, ring forts, and the history of the region. After returning home, I could not stop thinking about Ireland. I felt a need to go back and see more.
My second visit lasted six months and was part of an internship program through my university. During that time, I fell in love with Dublin: its architecture, with its blend of old and new buildings, vibrant colors, and street art. The city parks and hiking trails accessible by public transportation provided a wonderful way to leave the city behind and reconnect with the beauty of the Irish Sea and the wild nature of the mountains.
My third stay, during which most of these photographs were taken, was when I connected most deeply with the cultural side of Ireland. I was there while pursuing my Master’s degree, which focused specifically on arts and cultural practices in Ireland. I began to develop a deeper understanding of the country’s history and the intangible connections Irish people have with their culture.
There is a profound empathy in Ireland toward other countries that have experienced colonization, and the Irish are acutely aware of how close their own culture came to being extinguished.
There is also a deep appreciation for folklore, which, once understood, can be seen reflected throughout the Irish landscape and woven into countless Irish plays and stories. Equally strong is the determination not to let the Irish language disappear. Whether the weather is warm or cold, many people swim in the sea, and some even begin every morning with a ritual dip in the water.
I lived in Ireland during the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, a significant moment in the history of Irish resistance. In every corner of the country, the strength and resilience of its people are evident. Although they love to complain about the weather and ask, “Why would you want to live here?”, they are deeply proud of their history and their country.
Over the past century of independence, Ireland has become a thriving nation that continues to blend, incorporate, and honor its traditional values while embracing a modern outlook and maintaining a strong sense of community and human connection.
About Kylie Harrigan
Kylie Harrigan is a photographer based in Massachusetts, USA. She works commercially as a real estate, architecture, and construction photographer. Her personal practice examines the everyday wonders of the human condition through documentary photography.
She holds a BFA in Digital Art with a concentration in Photography from Northeastern University and an MA in Arts Policy and Practice from the National University of Ireland, Galway. After beginning her career in product photography in Ireland, Harrigan returned to the United States in 2018, where she worked as a real estate photographer before shifting her focus to architecture and construction photography in 2024, while continuing to pursue her passion for long-term documentary projects.
In 2026, Harrigan was featured in two exhibitions at the Gripin Museum of Photography, as well as at the COOP Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee. She also published a photo essay on WBUR’s Cognoscenti platform. In 2025, she was a semifinalist for the Urban Photography Awards and was selected for exhibition at the Triste Photo Festival. That same year, she was also recognized as a selected photographer in the International Photography Awards.
Since 2019, Harrigan has exhibited her work in numerous group exhibitions at institutions across the United States, including the Praxis Gallery, the Photographic Resource Center in Boston, and the Atlanta Photography Group.
