Coming of age in the Irish Traveller community

Paddy and Liam — In a new book, photographer Perry Ogden captures the teenage years of Liam and Paddy Doran – two Traveller brothers who grew up on the fringes of Dublin.

British photographer Perry Ogden has spent much of his career documenting the forgotten faces of Ireland’s Traveller communities. In 1999, he released the critically acclaimed Pony Kids – a book of black and white portraits examining poverty-stricken teenagers and their pet horses in Dublin. This was followed by an award-winning documentary called Pavee Lackeen (The Traveller Girl) – directed by Ogden – which told the story of Irish Traveller Winnie Maughn.

Now, Ogden has returned with Paddy & Liam. The photo book, published by IDEA, documents two Irish Traveller brothers –Paddy and Liam Doran – as they come of age in a council house just outside of Dublin.

“I have always been interested in Traveller culture and started photographing them a number of years ago,” Ogden remembers. “Later, I thought these images would make a very interesting book documenting that period of time from age 10 – 16, which is such a transformative period in your life, a time when you are making discoveries and developing passions. I also wanted to reflect on the Ireland they were born into and the Ireland in which they are becoming adults.”

Both Paddy and Liam have managed to carve out successful modelling careers in the last few months – partly down to Ogden, who returned with stylist Tara St Hill to shoot both of them for Fred Perry and Kent and Curwen. The shots are included, alongside written commentary from the brothers themselves, in Paddy & Liam.