Sundaylife Features Section
A few weeks ago I had an interview with Louise Finn of the Belfast Telegraph for their Sundaylife section, this is what I spoke about and what appeared in the edition on 27th October and online a few days later :
‘I find dereliction so peaceful’: The NI photographer capturing places frozen in time
Ballycastle snapper Pete, aka Irishmanlost, finds beauty in chaos and disorder of the things we leave behind
Inside Carndhu House
“Capturing the lives we’ve left behind before they disappear,” is the motto of photographer Pete Irvine.
Known online as Irishmanlost, his images capture dereliction, depicting houses frozen in time, abandoned hospitals, cars that will never see the road again, and grand buildings preserved under a layer of dust.
“When I first started doing it, it was more of a historical record,” Pete tells Sunday Life, “I knew these buildings won’t last for long.”
However, as time passed, he became increasingly conscious of the human stories that once played out in these long-forgotten spaces.
Order in the Court - Crumlin Road Courthouse in north Belfast before it was burnt out
“When you go, you can’t take it with you,” he remarks.
Pete says he’s always had an interest in old buildings. He recalls taking images on film of a Victorian house in Belfast, possibly one of his first examples of this kind of work.
Stairway To The Stars
“I’ve always had a camera and done other subjects but the (theme of) dereliction has dipped in and out of my life throughout that time,” he says.
“I always found dereliction peaceful. When I’m in buildings, you know, when you stop and listen, all you hear is the outside world, birds, water droplets. I find it very peaceful.”
No More Mini Adventures
Largely self-taught, Pete traces his interest in the abandoned to a visit he made to an iconic Belfast building.
“I went on one of those heritage weekends, to what is now the Titanic Hotel in Belfast, and I was frustrated by the restricted access,” he recalls.
“There were only two rooms and a hallway open (but) I wanted to go all over the building. After that, I got on the internet and started to look at places to go and met up with a few others along the way and I’ve photographed quite a few iconic buildings across Belfast.”
Heart Of The Home
These include Crumlin Road Courthouse and the old Belvoir Park and Forster Green hospitals. And Pete, based in Ballycastle, says he’s happy to travel the length and breadth of the island to indulge his passion.
“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it,” he admits. “I’d drive 1,000 miles to go to a grotty cottage.”
He’s often asked how he finds his subjects and reveals it comes down to receiving tips and doing research.
“It’s surprising what can be found in every village and town, even with the housing crisis and everything now, there’s always an abandoned something,” he says.
So how come these places remain untouched and unloved for so long?
All We Got Inside Is Vacancy - An abandoned hotel in Ireland
“I’ve been doing this 17 years now,” he reasons, “(and) there’s normally no next of kin. If there’s next of kin they’re not interested in the cottage, they are only interested in the land. Or there are no deeds. If it gets sold, the farmer will take the land, they don’t care about the property. There’s many reasons.”
Since It’s Your Birthday Make It A Double
When it comes to setting up shots, he says that he does very little manipulation.
“That’s a thin line (but) things are moved to better light,” he says.
“Some things are moved for better composition and some things you can’t touch because the floors are so dangerous to walk on.”
He continues to be surprised by the kinds of items that people leave behind.
Irishmanlost - aka Pete on the top floor of the Barbours Mill in Hilden after one of the many fires
“I’ve seen lots of things, and lots of valuable things but obviously they’re not mine to take so they are left as is,” he explains.
Learning To Fly
One of his most memorable visits was to a house in Co Clare that belonged to a Second World War pilot.
“Inside the house were his flying manuals, all his notes, he learned to fly up in Eglinton, up in Derry. His tunic, his hat, binoculars, even down to his dinner jacket were in the house,” Pete recalls.
“He was based in Sydenham during the war, and then after the war, he became a test pilot and he died testing planes.”
Pete was keen to close the circle so later travelled to photograph the pilot’s grave. “It was the end of the story,” he reflects.
Irishmanlost (Pete) at one of his many markets which he trades at throughout the year
