Photographer Damien Eagers from Rathcoole recently won first prize in the Nature and Environment category of the annual Press Photographers Association of Ireland (PPAI) with a picture of a deer with electrical cable around his antlers in the Phoenix Park.
The annual Press Photographer of the Year awards ran by the PPAI is now in it’s forty-third year. This year had an added poignancy and resonance, reflecting and recording a truly momentous year in the history of the State. Nobody could have predicted, at the start of 2020, the cataclysmic impact that the Covid-19 pandemic would have on Irish lives and society but, as ever, the members of the PPAI have fulfilled their role, producing an indelible record which will form part of the national visual archive.
Over the years this showcase of the finest Irish press photography has travelled across the globe and been displayed in Irish festivals in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Paris, Brussels and Warsaw, enjoyed by millions of viewers over four decades of touring. It is also a regular visitor to festivals, libraries and locations around Ireland. Spanning nine categories, including News, Daily Life, Nature and Environment, Sport, Portrait, Politics, Arts and Entertainment and Reportage, this collection of winning and short-listed photographs provides a fascinating window into Ireland through 2020.
Pictured are Damien with sons Dan, aged 4 on the left and Tom aged 5 on the right.
