Background

The late Pat Luskin bought one of the earlier Digital Cameras in the late 1990’s and discovered a new world. On the snapz website we have included two of his major projects, the Royal Canal and the Botanic Gardens.

Although by modern standards the photos do not have a very high resolution, at the time they were taken (circa 1998/1999) they were the best available to the amateur.

We hope you will enjoy Pat’s journey!

The Royal Canal

He started taking photographs of the Royal Canal which passed close to where he lived. Over a whole season he covered the entire length of the canal which was largely disused at that time. His photographs are an interesting contrast to how the Canal looks now, and shows the major achievement of the people who have been working to restore the canal as an amenity.

His process was simple. He would make his way to a bridge on the canal and set off along the tow path (where they were available) walking westward taking photos as he went. On arriving at the next bridge he would walk back to his starting point, recording the view from the opposite direction.

The early sections record Dublin in the throes of major construction – one of the most dramatic structures to tower over the Canal was the extensive development of the stands at Croke Park. Later on we see the viaduct constructed at that most complex junction on the M50 at Blanchardstown. Pat’s journey recorded these changes and is a snapshot of where we were at that time. He explored the canal right back to its origins wading through totally abandoned sections to ensure his record was a complete record of his beloved canal.

The Botanic Gardens

This is a pictorial record of how he saw the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin. This has been a favourite haunt of north-side Dubliners for generations - although south-siders have been known to find their way there too!