Welcome to Shop Our Shelves, a new series spotlighting artists and photographers through the photobooks that inspire their work.
For our first edition, we spoke with Photo Museum Ireland exhibiting artist and photographer Shane Hynan, whose exhibition Beneath / Beofhód is currently running until July 5 2026. Through photography, Hynan's work explores landscape, rural communities, memory, and our evolving relationship with place. We asked Shane to select a few photobooks from our bookshop that have inspired his practice, or simply resonate with themes explored in Beneath / Beofhód.
Discover Shane's recommendations below.
1. Walls of Aran, Sean Scully
"The first book I chose is Walls of Aran by Sean Scully, with an introduction by Colm Tóibín. I really like this book because Scully photographs the dry-stone walls of the Aran Islands. He talks about these anonymous structures as "culture made vertical", an idea that has always intrigued me.
It connects with some of the turf stacks that appear in my own work, which are rooted in a distinctly Irish landscape and tradition. Like the walls, the turf stacks speak of generations of labour and the passing of time. Nobody knows who originally built a particular wall, but countless people have repaired and rebuilt it over the years. It makes you wonder: how old is that wall, and how many hands have shaped the materials within it?
This was quite a formative book for me. It contains a little bit of everything, including abstract paintings alongside the photographs. Scully is primarily known as a painter, so seeing this project felt like a fascinating detour from his usual practice. I found it incredibly informative-and just look at the structure on the cover. It's a beautiful image in itself."
2. The Second Shift, Clare Gallagher
"The second book is The Second Shift by Clare Gallagher. I first came across Clare's work while I was studying in Belfast, and it made a lasting impression on me.
What I find so compelling is the idea behind the title-the "second shift" of unpaid domestic labour that so often goes unrecognised as work. The photographs depict completely ordinary moments in a domestic setting, scenes that are easily overlooked but are deeply meaningful.
Clare made work from what she had around her, documenting family life and the everyday experiences of raising children. The book also traces the journey of her children growing up, capturing the fleeting moments, the things they made, and the passage of time. Those small details become incredibly significant because childhood passes so quickly.
It's a really important body of work, and it's also a beautifully designed book. I think it's one that everyone should look at."
3. Project Cleansweep, Dara McGrath
"The final book I've picked is Project Cleansweep by Dara McGrath. This project deals with past military sites in the UK, and it’s quite similar to my work in terms of shooting in different locations and how do you deal with shooting in different locations. He uses maps and various different things, a lot of found objects and text. There’s a lot of information for each image, where it was taken and what happened there
I think it's very interesting how he pulled it all together. I think it’s one of those projects that is ideally suited to a book and you can look at this a hundred times and still find something different in it. It's a massive project. I think it’s one of my favourites as well."
Shop Shane's Picks
All three titles are available from the Photo Museum Ireland Bookshop while stocks last. Visit us in-store to browse the selection or shop online.
You can also purchase the Beneath | Beofhód Exhibition Catalogue, which offers further insight into Shane Hynan's practice and the themes explored throughout the exhibition.
Beneath | Beofhód continues at Photo Museum Ireland until 5 July. We look forward to seeing you there!
