From crumbling cottages and silenced mills to imposing castles and deserted entertainment complexes – in her second collection, Rebecca Brownlie has uncovered more of Ireland’s forgotten buildings and social history through 200 new evocative photographs.
Brownlie grew up in Co Down and was 12 years old when she got her first camera – won through a phone-in competition on the Saturday morning TV show SUS, hosted by Patrick Kielty. From that day on, a camera has rarely been far from her side.
Her passion for documenting abandoned buildings started when she was invited to be part of a paranormal research team in the early 2000s.
“Beyond the paranormal I soon found myself intrigued by the history of the buildings themselves – why were they left empty, who were the previous occupants and what were their lives like?” explains Brownlie.
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She has travelled the length and breadth of the Ireland documenting our abandoned buildings, highlighting their social importance, and bringing the history and stories of the lives from the past back to life through the medium of photography.
In Abandoned Ireland 2, Brownlie explores deserted convents, hotels, mills and shopping centres, wandering through once-lively rooms that have now fallen silent, where only mementos of the past stand sentinel.
Amongst her finds are a castle where King James II stayed before the Battle of the Boyne and a Belfast church made from tin that was once a Church of Ireland before becoming reconsecrated as a Catholic church.
Brownlie’s genuine enthusiasm, as she uncovers first-hand the stories behind the buildings, is clear to be seen.
She is especially intrigued by the smaller homes she visited that illustrate how those who lead “a simple life” can hold a wealth of “history and character”.
“I always find hearing people’s first-hand memories heart-warming, and the nostalgia is truly infectious.”
One such home she chronicles in Abandoned Ireland 2 belongs to Andy, an electrical repair man.
“Upon entering his unassuming bungalow, I was greeted by a collection of vintage TV sets. These bulky, old-fashioned models are reminiscent of a time when TVs were a luxury item.
“Every surface in the house seemed to hold spare bulbs, batteries, screws and various tools for his everyday tasks. I noticed his coats still hung on the back of the kitchen door – a poignant sight.”
Another similar home was Bobby’s Place, where Brownlie was greeted with overgrown drainpipes, broken windows and a front door barely hanging on by one hinge.
However, indoors she finds the warmth of a home previously filled with love.
Amid the decay is a stove adorned with an old kettle, a small black-and-white portable TV with an aerial, wardrobes full of clothes, bookshelves covered in cobwebs and a picture saying ‘God Bless This Home’.
As I departed the house, I felt a sense of pride in documenting this piece of history.
— Rebecca Brownlie
“I marvelled at the time capsule that was Bobby’s home. According to the woman who reached out to me, he had passed away 20 years earlier, and it seemed like the house had been left untouched since then.
“As I departed the house, I felt a sense of pride in documenting this piece of history. Although I knew little about Bobby’s life, the house was able to tell at least some of his story.”
As well as personal stories of abandoned homes, Brownlie also showcases iconic buildings visited by past generations – such as Belfast’s North Street Arcade, the Royal Hotel in Bangor and Cascades leisure centre in Portadown.
“Venturing upstairs, I found the projectors still in place. Some of the old reels are still there, giving the visitor a sense of being in a time warp,” she says about The Scala in Keady, Co Armagh, which opened in 1953 with the screening of The Robe, starring Richard Burton.
Abandoned Ireland 2 by Rebecca Brownlie is published by Merrion Press and is out now