Born in 1932 in Dublin Coleman Doyle began working as a trainee with photographer Norman Ashe. In 1950 be became a staff photographer for the Irish Press and was also Ireland photographer for ‘Paris Match’ for 40 Years. During his time in the Irish Press he photographed everyone from Grace Kelly to JFK and Pope John Paul 11, politicians and sports stars of the day but he had a passion for the West of Ireland, the Blasket Islands in particular, and the people living there, spending much of his free time recording a way of life now long gone.

His personal archive of photographs from the 50’s to the current day is an invaluable record of an Ireland that has changed beyond recognition. This archive is now held by the National Library of Ireland.

Colman Doyle has published a number of books including: ‘The people Of Ireland’ (1971), ‘People At War (1975), ‘Man Of The people - A Portrait of Charles Haughey’ (1986)’, ‘Ireland: 40 Years of Photographs’ (1994) and ‘All Changed - Fifty Years of Photographing Ireland’ (2004).