Mayor Eamonn Maloney on behalf of the Members of South Dublin County Council will officially launch the Tallaght Photographic Societys 16^th International Exhibition 2006 in the County Library, County Hall, Town Centre, Tallaght, Dublin 24 at 8pm on Monday 25^th September.

Tallaght photographic society was founded in 1974 and now has 50 members. This year is the 16^th year of the prestigious Tallaght Photographic Society International Exhibition which has attracted 350 entries from 7 countries across Europe. An exhibition featuring 100 of the entries including entries by members of the club will be launched by Mayor Eamonn Maloney of South Dublin County at the County Library, Tallaght on Monday 25^th September at 7.30pm.

The exhibition runs at the County Library during library opening hours from 25^th September to 14^th October.

When Tallaght Photographic Society was founded in 1974, Tallaght was a small village on the edge of Dublin City, with a population of about 5,000 people. Today, Tallaght has grown to become one of Ireland's largest towns, with a population of 90,000 people.

Members of the society have exhibited work in international salons around the world. The club has won awards in Ireland in inter club competitions and has the proud distinction of having 11 former members become well established professional photographers winning numerous awards around the world which has brought great recognition to the club as club members who turned professional have credited the club with giving them the opportunity to develop their talent and skills. Of the photographers who turned professional, Vincent O'Brien went on to achieve international honours for his work. He is a past winner of the Hasselblad Award at the Austrian Super Circut. Podge Kelly has also won international honours and has hosted his own television show on Digital Photography.

Sean Burke had been teaching a beginners course in photography at the local school when in 1974 he was approached with the idea of starting a photography club. Sean's hard work and drive over the years established Tallaght as one of the top clubs in Ireland, with a great tradition in photography.

During those early years, the club met in a local school hall, and as more people heard about it, the membership started to grow. Then in the early eighties, the club obtained its own premises and later added a full studio and dark room. Over the years the club won some major titles in Ireland and has come to be a well-respected monochrome print club.

The club has been very successful in national events and has won national awards in Irish Photographic Federation events. With 50 active members at present, the club organises workshops and seminars on all aspects of photography and holds weekend outings to places of interest around Ireland.

Over the last few years, there has been a huge upsurge in digital photography and almost everyone now has a digital camera of some sort. Many members of Tallaght have happily adopted digital photography and have become proficient in the workings of Photoshop. However, others feel it is regrettable that many new photographers will never experience the pleasure of working in a darkroom and producing monochrome prints in the traditional way. The club now seems to have gone the way of the digital darkroom, producing excellent prints in both colour and monochrome with modern printers and inks. Digital photography has also opened up new opportunities for people to be more creative and to rediscover a sense of play.

Over the years, Tallaght Photographic Society has been involved in many competitions and national exhibitions in an effort to promote photography in the local area.

If you need further information please contact:

John Byrne, Tallaght Photographic Society, ph 01 4517431

or

Kieran Swords, Local Studies Librarian, County Library, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24 ph 01 4620073, e-mail localstudies@sdublincoco.ie