A PHOTOGRAPHY student has documented the Irish community in Scotland for her degree project.
Molly Fisher has explored the Irish diaspora in her hometown of Coatbridge in Lanarkshire for her BA Photography course at Edinburgh Napier University.
The 23-year-old’s work, which is titled The 33rd County, is now on display as part of the university’s degree exhibition.
“My style is documentary photography, working with people to tell their stories,” Ms Fisher said of the project.
“I really enjoy getting to see into their world,” she added.
“In second year, I did a study on football fans, then last year I did a project about an Irish dancer,” Ms Fisher explained.
“When I came to do my final project, I realised that a lot of my themes overlap – that I had been reflecting experiences of growing up in my hometown.
“There were so many things that I only realised since I've been in Edinburgh aren't as normal as I assumed.
“I thought maybe there's something interesting here that I could dive into further.”
Student Molly Fisher pictured at the exhibition of her work (Pic: ENU)The student says completing her final project made her “see Coatbridge in a different light, realising that it isn't the norm”.
She explained: “I found myself looking for the strange little things that you maybe didn't notice before. I had to take a step back.
“I think it’s given me an admiration for people in the town, that people feel so strongly about their heritage.”
The project also includes a book to accompany the exhibition, which features a foreword by local writer Des Dillon, who was raised among the Irish community in Coatbridge.
In it, Mr Dillon refers to the town as a “cultural time capsule” where members of the diaspora preserve “a version of Ireland that no longer exists”.
Ms Fisher’s work will be on display at the University’s Merchiston campus until June 5 after which she hopes to have is displayed in Coatbridge.
“I'm hoping that I can put on an exhibition in Coatbridge so that people can see it," she said.
"I wouldn't have been able to make it work unless people had let me in, so I would like them to be able to come and have a look.”
Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today.
See More: Coatbridge, Irish, Scotland
