Award-winning Cork photographer Brendan Ó Sé has just brought the shutter down on an incredible photographic journey discovering what the GAA and hurling mean to the Irish nation.
Starting out as the first ball was thrown in to start the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship back in May, passionate Cork man Ó Sé’s `To The Heart Of Hurling' project, documented this year’s dramatic championship in pictures and words.
Over 16 weekends, Ó Sé travelled to see all the counties play and photograph the fans, documenting their stories as he went and learning what makes their relationship with each other, with their county and with the game of hurling so special.
The stories of the fans were showcased in a visual form and supported with anecdotes from the supporters captured through the prism of the Cork man's lens.
The RTE Photo Essay project explored how going to the games, be it with families or friends, is what makes the GAA so special, so unique and so Irish.
``Over the course of the past three months and 16 games I’ve gotten to see familiar faces at the games,'' said Ó Sé.
Commenting on one picture taken just before Limerick shattered Galway dreams in last Sunday's All-Ireland Senior hurling final, he reflected: ``Always been a pleasure to meet Galwayman John Ward at the games. Always up for a chat and to display the colours. Until next year, John.''
Ó Sé, an multi-award winning fine art photographer/mobile photographer, was iPhone Photographer of the Year in 2017.
He offers regular mobile photography workshops in association with Cork’s Glucksman Gallery and The Gallery of Photography in Dublin.
These workshops are supported by Olloclip, for whom Ó Sé is a brand ambassador.
He has also given workshops around the globe, in places such as Iceland, Cyprus, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Penang, Hong Kong, and Bali.
To view his work online visit www.brendanose.com/tag/heart-of-hurling/ and see a gallery of his pictures at www.irishnews.com
