THE POWER OF POSITIVITY!

There is a lot to be said for having a positive mental outlook, and no doubt about that!
Time after time I have met people, who when faced with adversity have triumphed because of their wish to have a life fulfilling. On this shoot I met a very positive young man who was about to leave for Sydney Australia. Conor Savage is an online manager for an Irish bookies,  Paddy Power.
They have recently acquired an Australian arm and need to lever Conor's expertise to make it happen efficiently on line. So without having to look for employment on arrival, without having to reskill, without having to sit grueling interviews, or work bars, or fruit pick until the right job comes along, Conor is out of here!! EASY!!

Chatting with Conor on the night, he said it was only a matter of time before he would wander from Ireland as he was not so happy with the new circumstance we find ourselves in. So he was delighted when this opportunity presented itself to him!
Here is what he had to say  "Dublin = good, its just that recent history leaves it lacking in opportunity for an ambitious individual in their twenties. Simply, Dublin lost whatever magic the tiger delivered. We could be poor and happy, now we are just poor."
So no doubt about it Conor sees himself as lucky in this circumstance and no doubt he brings a lot of happiness and motivation to his new position in Austraalia.
On The Subject of Australia I have noticed a climb in the amount of visitors that I am getting from down under and this leads me to believe that I should start looking now for an exhibition partner there now.
A large cultural orgainisation or a university with a particular departmental interest in Irish Culture or photograpic culture, or an established Gallery would be an ideal partner for this proposition and judging by the reviews the work has got pre-exhibition,  I am sure it will be a rewarding experience for all parties concerned!
So here is an appeal to all my viewers in Australia and indeed New Zealand to be on the lookout for galleries and art spaces who would like this work for around this time in 2012. Indeed the same holds true for The U.S.A., Canada and the U.K, especially London, as these are the main centres Irish emigrants are now flocking too.
The work is currently 34 in number and printable to a metre to a metre and a half wide. All are viewable at davidmonahan.viewbook.com  but it is my intention to keep working this project for at least another 36 shots and that should take me up to Christmas this year. As we know March is the month of the Irish and a lot of cities in the countries mentioned, have Irish festivals at this time of the year.
For anybody interested in the work from that point of view here are some links to news items and newspaper articles so far written about the work. The first piece on France 24 is 3 minutes into a full program called The Week in Europe

http://www.france24.com/en/20110228-italy-silvio-berlusconi-libya-muammar-gaddafi-diplomacy-ireland-economic-crisis-germany

http://www.irishcentral.com/IrishAmerica/Portraits-of-the-Irish-Leaving-Home-117657918.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBWZc2eC7Dg 
http://nieuwsuur.nl/video/219233-ierse-jeugd-vertrekt-massaal.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/22/eveningnews/main7273066.shtml?tag=mncol;lst;2

A Chinese news piece is available on my blog, its the last post just click on the video box below the photograph

http://thelillipution.blogspot.com/2011/03/graduate-and-go-away.html

there was also pieces in the Irish examiner

http://www.irishexaminer.com/text/ireland/kfeyeycwgbgb/

          And finally apiece also in the last ever edition of the Sunday Tribune newspaper

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2011/jan/30/parting-shot-irelands-new-wave-of-economic-emigran/?q=leaving%20dublin

Yesterday I was asked to speak at a Summer school, The Mac Diarmada Summer School, a yearly event organised by history Professor Jennifer Kelly of N.U.I. Maynooth a prestigous Irish University.
This affirms my belief that this work is both historically and culturally significant and enables me to start the process of looking for exhibition partners. So if you have any contact or suggestions please use my email,  dmon@me.com or the comments tab below. As always Artur, Hugh and Brian were on hand to work this one out and it all went very smoothly.
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comments are also treated with the respect they deserve.
Thank you
David