The Ballymun towers were constructed on the north side of Dublin in the 1960’s. At the time they were seen as a progressive solution to Dublin’s housing crisis. That is, many people were living in tenement slums at this point in history, and building high rise apartments as urban slum clearance was thought to be a creative and efficient solution to the problem. However, Ballymun would quickly become what some call a ‘sinkhole for the poor’ – poor people flocked to the new flats, and with no infrastructure in the immediate area, social problems began quickly arising. Ballymun became notorious for drug abuse, underage drinking, and unemployment and synonymous with bad planning. This reputation caused discrimination… Ballymun is still viewed as a dodgey area, and featured negatively in the media; with stories focusing mainly on drugs and crime.
While there are undoubtedly problems with drugs and crime in the area, Ballymun in reality is far from the media’s typical depictions of it. Locals often credit its residents with quick wit and a strong sense of community: the people in Ballymun look out for each other. They have more value than outsiders often give them credit for. Ron Cooney, a music teacher who’d worked in the district for 15 years, saw this value and harnessed it in an incredible project entitled Ballymun Lullaby.
My Global Cities class watched a documentary this past week that detailed the story of Ron Cooney’s project, and to say that I was inspired by it would be an understatement. Ron Cooney worked with children in Ballymun schools to create a choir and orchestra – they composed lyrics to and performed a world class collection of music. Their songs were recorded and their CD sold to the public.
Ron believed that the true story of Ballymun needed to be heard, but he didn’t simply take the task on himself. Instead he put the pen, so to speak, in the hands of the children of Ballymun. He gave them a means to set the record straight – to express their own experience through art and share it with the world. This concept stirred my heart and sparked some ideas for me: specifically in relation to my senior honors project.
Every student in the honors college at JMU is required to complete a 3 semester long project that relates to their major. I’m due to start mine next semester when I return to JMU, and the Ballymun Lullaby gave me an idea for it. Throughout my research and experience I’m beginning to see that it’s incredibly difficult to depict the lives of others truthfully and completely. For this reason, it’s my hope to begin a project that puts cameras in the hands of people whose stories need to be heard.
The group of people that immediately popped into my mind were middle school girls in Harrisonburg. I have a Little Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters Harrisonburg who’s 12. The amount of things she deals with, feelings she experiences, and thoughts she has would absolutely blow your mind. So – my idea-in-progress is to apply for a grant to get equipment and inquire about starting a photography program for the young ladies of BBBS. Ballymun Lullaby was inspirational evidence that the arts give voices to those whose voices aren’t always heard, and I think photography has the power to do just that.