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John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley’s third instalment in the incredibly popular book series was recently published by Merrion Press.

Both its predecessors were Christmas No 1s in Ireland while the first book won the Irish Book Awards overall prize.

And it is easy to see why.

A young girl looks towards St Columb’s, a Church of Ireland cathedral built in Derry City after the reformation. It was the first non-Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in Western Europe. The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned here by Carlisle Bridge, which was replaced in the 1930s by Craigavon Bridge. Derry was one of the main emigration ports from Ulster to the USA in the nineteenth century.
Photographer: Underwood & Underwood; Source: Library of Congress. Old Ireland In Colour 3 by John Breslin and Sarah Anne Buckley is published by Merrion Press — A young girl looks towards St Columb’s, a Church of Ireland cathedral built in Derry City after the reformation. It was the first non-Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in Western Europe. The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned here by Carlisle Bridge, which was replaced in the 1930s by Craigavon Bridge. Derry was one of the main emigration ports from Ulster to the USA in the nineteenth century. Photographer: Underwood & Underwood; Source: Library of Congress. Old Ireland In Colour 3 by John Breslin and Sarah Anne Buckley is published by Merrion Press

One of the incredible images newly unearthed by the authors and wonderfully colourised for this new edition features a young girl standing in the Top of the Hill area holding what appears to be a pail or milk container and looking across the River Foyle towards the city and the hill of Derry.

The photograph is dated to c1895 with the old Carlisle Bridge still in situ in the middle distance. St. Columb’s Cathedral is visible across the river but St. Eugene’s Cathedral is not.

That is because the bell tower and spire had not yet been constructed whenever the photograph was taken towards the end of the 19th century.

Breslin and Buckley have credited Underwood & Underwood for the image.

The photograph has been sourced from the United States (US) Library of Congress.

Another of the images is a photograph taken in the early 20th century of citizens and trades people in Strabane amidst severe flooding in the town.

The photograph was taken by Herbert F. Cooper. Dated to 1912 it was obtained from the Deputy Keeper of the Records, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).

"Beloved by Irish readers at home and abroad, for this new volume the authors have uncovered yet more photographic gems and breathed new life into them in glorious colour.

Old Ireland In Colour 3 by John Breslin and Sarah Anne Buckley is published by Merrion Press

"All of Irish life is here – from an eviction in Clare in 1888 to devastating floods in Strabane and a snapshot of working life in Dublin. Famous faces from politics and the arts appear alongside hard-working labourers and farmers, and mischievous children from all corners of the island light up this book’s glorious pages.

Derry in the rare oul times: Amazing colourised photographs from the early 1900s

“With endless surprising details to pore over in every picture, along with illuminating captions, Old Ireland in Colour 3 is a stunning addition to this wonderful series of unique books,” the publisher states.

Prof. John Breslin is a Personal Professor in Electronic Engineering at the University of Galway, where he is co-PI at the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics. He is co-founder of boards.ie, adverts.ie, and the PorterShed (Galway City Innovation District). From Fanore in the Burren, he lives between Moycullen and Oughterard in Connemara.

Sarah-Anne Buckley is an Associate Professor in History at at the University of Galway. Chair of the Irish History Students’ Association, co-PI of the Tuam Oral History Project and past President of the Women’s History Association of Ireland, she has authored/edited ten books. From Cobh, she lives in Galway.

The book is available from all good bookshops and can be ordered online at https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/old-ireland-in-colour-3/

Stunning photographs of Derry, Strabane and Donegal appear in glorious ‘Old Ireland in Colour 3’

‘Lisahally is just a stone’s throw away and the history and heritage of the place fascinates me’