Howya! Eibhlín Seoighthe

Did you know that Galway is home to a diverse array of fascinating characters? This vibrant city is full of unique personalities, and we’re giving you the chance to meet some of them. Join us as we say Howya! to some of Galway's most creative figures. This month, we had the pleasure of chatting with Galway's own Eibhlín Seoighthe about her love of street photography...

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Q. Tell us about yourself
I’m Eibhlín Seoighthe. I’m a mum, a wife, a citizen and a photographer. I found this question the most difficult, actually, because I don’t like defining myself as one thing.

Q. What first drew you to photography?
I always had a camera in my hand. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t. When I was small, my mum moved us back to where she was from, Achill, and my uncle used to give me film cameras. I’d have to post the film away and wait a couple of weeks for it to come back. It was so much fun because there was so much beauty around us. Being small, inquisitive and out and about, I wanted to capture what I saw.

Q. What do you love most about your work?
I like the slowness of it. I don’t like digital photography as much as I like analogue. During COVID, I got myself a Polaroid camera from the 1970s. You can only take eight pictures with it, so it really makes you slow down and think. It’s almost meditative. I like working at my own pace and rhythm, and I love the little imperfections analogue photography can give you.

Q. How did you get into street photography?
I’d actually put that down to my son. When he was young I would be out for a walk with him a lot, and I suppose my view, my perspective changed. We were living in the city and I’m obsessed with buildings and reflections, so I was trying to recapture nature through the streets. I really love photographing puddles. They can look almost otherworldly, especially if the puddles aren’t still because it’s raining and there are ripples. They look more like paintings.

Q. Who inspires you/whose work do you admire?
Can I say my son Leo? He’s amazing. He’s obviously picked up the eye for photography as well, and I’ve seen some of his work recently and I’m just like, “Wow, that’s actually really, really impressive!” To see the world through his eyes is stunning.

There are so many other people whose work I admire too. Rachel Webb, the ceramicist, is someone whose work I love because it’s inspired by nature and the natural landscape. And Peter Bradley, the abstract artist, Ciarán, your own photographer. There are so many!

Q. What might surprise people about you?
I have a paper co-authored with one of my university lecturers about walkability in Galway. I haven’t finished my undergraduate degree but I have published a paper!

Q. What's one thing you hope people remember you for?
I’d like people to remember me for showing them a different way of looking at things.

All photos by Ciarán MacChoncarraige.