Finally, July 2024 and a tour of Ireland with my trusted partner in dereliction Becci.......after years searching the 4 corners of France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy - amongst others - for what treasures they have in store, it was time to hop on a ferry and make the short trip over the Irish sea. Why it had taken so long, heaven knows. 

After arriving in Dublin, we grabbed our hire car and drove to our pinned destinations for the rest of the day. On the way as we drove through small villages and endless countryside, it was clear that finding new abandoned houses wasn't going to be too difficult. They seemed to be everywhere. Some we checked, some we didn't due to time constraints or just being to fatigued. 

This house - House Emmanuelle - was the first location we did on day one as we traveled towards a pinned church we did later. It had all the hallmarks of a forgotten house, the usual signs of decay; no path leading up to it, torn & dirty curtains at the windows as well as none of the usual signs of being lived in. 

The house itself was a bungalow, surrounded by overgrown gardens and looking tired and somewhat derelict. Inside was a mess. Belongings strewn everywhere yet all the last occupant's possessions still inside. The walls were adorned with Catholic artefacts, mainly pictures of Jesus and the Pope as well as other religious items. A crucifix stood in situ on a back room mantelpiece. 

This was to be the theme of most of the houses we visited on this tour; houses filled with Catholic artefacts making them even more photogenic than they already were. 

A calendar - above the fireplace - remains on February 2008. It's not necessarily the time when the last occupant passed but often can be an indicator which may suggest this house has been abandoned for 16 years. 

Photographing was very tricky due to the house being pitch black in every room due to the windows being covered by foliage on the outsides. Add to that, the floors were full of possessions making placing a tripod down on a level footing no easy task especially in a cramped house. 

The images are ok considering these challenges and it was a great start to 3 full days of exploring Ireland's abandoned buildings. The next tour is already being planned!

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