In 1938 Irish Republican Ernie O’Malley returned home to Mayo with his American wife, artist Helen Hooker, wanting to give their children a life close to the land and the sea. They made their home at Burishoole Lodge on the northern shore of Clew Bay and began to farm the land as well as researching and photographing life in the county. In Western Ways this unique photographic record has been drawn together, along with Ernie’s writings, to provide a fascinating picture of the people of Mayo, their daily existence and the rugged but beautiful landscape that shaped their lives. These extraordinary images open the door to a time long gone, but one that is hauntingly captured in the photographs of Helen Hooker and Ernie O’Malley.

Mayo Books Press are delighted and honoured to reprint this timeless collection.