Mc Ginn’s, Bar & Restaurant are moving away from what was the small ‘early house’ pub on the Docks in Galway, and are adapting to an ever changing market. Tomorrow (Friday ) sees the launch of Mc Ginn’s as a ‘Photo Pub’; a marriage of the traditional pub with photography. The launch on Friday night is entitled ‘Six of the Best’, an exhibition by six Galway-based photographers; Joe Geoghegan, Sean Tomkins, Sean Mc Cormack, Pat O Connor, Conor Ledwith, and John Smyth who have each created six landscape studies for the opening of Mc Ginn’s as the first dedicated Photo Pub in the world !
Mc Ginn’s will become a centre for photographers and photography, and will have on-going displays, exhibitions, conferences and dinner presentations. David Mc Ginn, proprietor of Mc Ginn’s said “the concept of marrying the pub with photography seems so right given that there has been an explosion of interest in photography due to the internet and social networking sites, which has brought photography to a level the world has never seen before, and also due to the digitalisation of the photography process.
“Making the space available for photographers to show their work, meet and network, will be of mutual benefit and also provide a platform for companies to launch new equipment and products in an environment geared to photography.
“Galway’s many tourists, all of whom carry cameras, and obviously with an interest in photographs, will have a new ‘gallery’ if you like, to visit. The plans are endless in the Photo Pub concept, and I would hope and encourage photographers to support it,” he said.
“Our first exhibition is ‘Six of the Best’, a fantastic collection of landscapes by six local photographers, with part of the proceeds going to Croi.” Croi will also be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the auction of a signed book of the 36 photographs on display. This one-off publication will be auctioned on Ebay, and it’s expected to raise much needed funds for this worthwhile local charity,” said Mr McGinn.
“I would welcome portfolios from photographers worldwide, amateur or professional, who would have an interest in exhibiting here in Galway, and we have a panel of professional photographers set up to coordinate upcoming exhibitions.” Also, Mc Ginn’s would welcome old cameras, equipment and memorabilia that would enhance and add to the authenticity of the Photo Pub,” he concluded.
