Ireland since the 1950s, from little bare feet at the Puck Fair to the rather raucous Celtic Tiger hen-nights, is depicted in a major new photographic exhibition by Magnum Ireland.
The description of the exhibits was given by co-curator Brigitte Lardinois at the official opening last night at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, Dublin.
The 120 photographs cover Ireland from 1952 to 2005 and an accompanying book contains 250 photographs and essays by Irish writers. The pictures were taken by Magnum Photos, the international co-operative of independent photographers whose members are elected from all over the world.
The photographs on the walls and in the book were selected from thousands of Magnum photographs; "little slides, dusty drawers, they came from everywhere", Ms Lardinois said.
"A large proportion of the work would never have been seen before, either in print and certainly not in an exhibition."
It was hoped to bring it to Northern Ireland after the show closed in Dublin.
"The exhibition has been selected on the basis that it was a good picture," Ms Lardinois, who is the cultural director of Magnus Photos, London, said. "It wasn't telling a certain history of your wonderful country."
Opening the exhibition, author John Banville said: "In a way I think Magnum have been the unofficial humane historians of a very barbaric time." Despite the risks, the photos created a record of their time and all maintained their artistic integrity.
The exhibition continues at the IMMA until June 18th.