Paul Lanigan FRPS - Pairc Life - DPOTY 2019 Finalist

Paul Lanigan FRPS - 'Pairc Life' - DPOTY 2019 Finalist

RPS Documentary Photographer of the Year 2019

Hurling is an Irish field game that is older than the recorded history of Ireland. It is thought to predate Christianity, having come to Ireland with the Celts. It is also widely regarded to be the fastest most skilful field game in the world. The Celtic legal system, the Brehon Laws, provided for compensation for hurling accidents and provisions were also made for cases of deliberate injury, or even death, as a result of Hurling. The game was outlawed in the 12th century after the occupation by the Normans. It survives today as a 100% amateur sport where traditional values of honesty of effort and sportsmanship form a symbiotic connection with fans. Players only line out for the ‘County’ they were raised in. Playing for your ‘County’ is regarded as the pinnacle of sporting achievement.

Paul Lanigan FRPS

Paul Lanigan FRPS

Paul Lanigan FRPS

Paul Lanigan FRPS

Paul Lanigan FRPS

Paul Lanigan FRPS

My project, Pairc Life, started out as a Fellowship panel. I wanted to capture the essence of Hurling, a uniquely Irish sport. Even after the success of my panel in 2018 I still wasn’t satisfied that I was telling the story that I wanted to tell. In my Fellowship panel, you get a sense of what the game is about, but the game for me is far more significant than what happens during 70 minutes of action.

The game of hurling is deeply embedded in (especially rural) Irish culture. It’s part of our identity. So I wanted to explore the game and associated rituals from the fans’ perspective. There is a natural symbiotic relationship between players and fans. As an amateur sport, players are all ordinary members of the community (teachers, soldiers, salesmen, bank clerks, etc.). When their playing days are over, they blend back into the crowd, so taking a fan’s perspective seemed like a natural place to start. That’s the larger project and will comprise of 40 images.

My DPOTY submission is an extract from this project. I wanted to maintain a tight narrative, so I choose 6 images designed to pique the interest of those unfamiliar with the game, or fans used to only seeing a series of peak action shots in their newspaper or sports feed. By doing so I hope they will want to explore and engage with the larger project.

The hardest part of telling any story is putting your own ego to one side and walking in the shoes of the viewers in order to see the story from their perspective. We shoot for our pleasure, but we must tell the story for the pleasure of the audience.

Deciding what to exclude is a challenge. The temptation is to include the ‘best’ shots or those shots that, as a fan and photographer, you are emotionally attached to. The story must trump the ego.

I started shooting for the project in the summer of 2014, but only from the stands, having no sideline pass. In addition, the Hurling season is short. Perhaps eight games in total. It wasn’t until 2016 that I had any sense of what I was looking for. In 2019 I decided to change the scope of the project and I plan to have a book ready for publishing in mid-2020.

My usual way of working is to have a ‘that would make a great project’ thought triggered by some experience. For example, I was in London recently, making my way from my hotel to where I was working, and I noticed how zombie like everyone was. Nobody was paying any attention to what was going on around them. I remember thinking that the ‘commuter experience’ is a rather interesting one. So I am now working on a project that tells the story of the commuter experience from my own, rather biased, perspective.

My journey into photography is very familiar. I was interested in photography as a teenager. I did a bit of everything (including my brother’s wedding) but completely lacked direction. Then college, career and family took over and before I knew it 25 years had passed. In 2009, I was heading to the US for an extended holiday and the time seemed right to invest in a DSLR. I was hooked. I currently have a backlog of documentary projects that will keep me busy for the foreseeable future.

Mark Phillips (Chair, RPS Documentary Group) presents Paul Lanigan with his DPOTY 2019 finalist's certificate and prize

Dave Thorp