The stunning exhibition of photographs of Inis Oirr during the first lockdown by Cormac Coyne is featured on ‘Nationwide’ on RTEOne television this Friday (7pm).

The photos were hosted online by Aras Eanna Ionad Ealaíone when arts centres across the country were closed and attracted interest from all across the globe.

One lady even contacted him by letter from Tennessee to thank Cormac for the beauty of his photos at a time when people could not travel far from home.

Reporter Anne Cassin and a cameraman came to Inis Oirr to interview Cormac at his home and the local school, where Cormac is a popular teacher.

“The weather was so nice during the first lockdown,” says Cormac. “I wanted to make the most of the lockdown, when there were no visitors to the island and people could not travel more than 2km from home.

“I would go off for a long walk with my camera every day and I was conscious that people were enjoying them, people who couldn’t visit a place as beautiful as Inis Oirr in lockdown. People sent me lovely messages to say how much the photos meant to them when I shared them on social media.”

Cormac was encouraged by Dara McGee, Artistic Director of Aras Eanna, to put a selection of his photos into an online exhibition on this site.

And now they’ve gone ‘Nationwide’!

* Go raibh maith agat Cormac, tá siad go hiontach!

You can browse through the online exhibition here: https://aras-eanna.ie/en/project/cormac-coyne-inis-oirr-in-lockdown/