Not sure if Jill Freedman is Irish but she published a magical book named "A Time That Was" If you find this out of print book I'm sure you'll enjoy it. URL is...
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Thanks for this link, this lady has done a lot of work on Ireland. I had not heard about her work, from what I have found on the net she sounds very interesting . I have found the book you recommend and ordered it.
Michael mentioned
"Alan MacWeeney (who I blieve is Dublin-born) is one of my faves, especially his work on Travellers/"Tinkers". This project resulted in one of his better-known books."
This book is called "Irish Travellers" and has some of the best Irish Photography I have seen. Book is a real quality production. I have seen it in Hodges Dawson St
Donovan Wylie is another favourite, he should be on the Magnum site. Watchtowers and The Maze are his most recent books.
Bill Doyle was mentioned earlier, a lot of his work was for the Irish Tourist Board and a lot of the images look staged aand commercial in the tourist sense. Veritas did produce a book of colour photographs called Island Funeral which I would recommend.
Chris Killip will have a new book out next year about Ireland. I dont know whats going to be in it but he has done a lot of work on Croagh Patrick in recent years.
And finally Under the "granny rule" we could claim Michael Kenna as his parents were Irish.