{"id":278406,"date":"2026-02-03T11:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T11:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/278406\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T11:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T11:15:11","slug":"from-the-archives-the-fascinating-story-of-michael-scully-a-renowned-photographer-who-has-been-practising-his-craft-in-laois-for-more-than-half-a-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/278406\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Archives – The fascinating story of Michael Scully, a renowned photographer who has been practising his craft in Laois for more than half a century"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Michael<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in April 2023, Michael Scully joined us for an interview on our LoveLaois Podcast and explained how photography was a hobby of his from an early age.\n<\/p>\n

For more than half a century, photographer Michael Scully has been capturing special moments in Laois.\n<\/p>\n

From Stradbally, but living most of his life in Portarlington, he has covered everything from communions to weddings, county finals to funerals.\n<\/p>\n

This week he sat down with LaoisToday\u00a0Love Laois podcast<\/a> and explained how photography was a hobby of his from an early age.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen I was still in school in the Vocational School in Portlaoise, I went to the library and got a book on \u2018how to process your own films.\u2019 I went to Jim Gannon\u2019s chemists; they had a kit and that\u2019s how I learned,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a make-shift dark-room at home in an old stable; it was easy to black it out because there were no windows.\u201d<\/p>\n

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One of the earliest events Michael remembers photographing was the very first Steam Rally in 1965. But it was not much longer until he got the opportunity to turn his hobby into his profession.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI replied to an ad for a photographer\u2019s assistant and two days later, my brother Tom \u2013 who lives at home in Stradbally \u2013 told me there was a telegram at home for me. Telegrams were as rare as hen\u2019s teeth then.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt turned out to be a man called John Keaney who had a studio in Carrick-on-Shannon and a second studio in Sligo.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI went up that Saturday and he wined and dined me. My brother, John brought me up, but he insisted I stay overnight at least. So, I did and in fact, he drove me home from Carrick-on-Shannon to Stradbally \u2013 with no motorways.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Michael lived and worked in Carrick for a year before moving to the Sligo studio for another year. Weddings were his bread and butter, but he remembers one of the strangest things he has ever photographed \u2013 a burial for family who had emigrated to America.\n<\/p>\n

But he began to get itchy feet and a longing for home as well as seeing how well his boss was doing, led to him striking out on his own.\n<\/p>\n

Michael started returning to Stradbally once a month or so, and began searching for a premises. By 1969 he had set up his own business back in his home town.\n<\/p>\n

He began working for the Nationalist, covering sports and dinner dances while making a name for himself around the county.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cA typical Sunday: go to O\u2019Moore Park, do a couple of matches, if it was final day I might have three matches; come home and develop the films and hang them up to dry; have my tea; then go back into the dark room and do the captions. That was the part I didn\u2019t like,\u201d Michael said.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI was living in Portarlington at this stage and had an arrangement with the men in the railway station. I would slide the pictures under the door on Sunday night and they would be put on the first train to Kildare on Monday, taken off in Kildare and sent on the Waterford train to Carlow.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Speaking of what photography is like as a profession, Michael said: \u201cI think it\u2019s a privileged occupation, because you get to see so many events and meet so many people. It\u2019s wonderful.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

A privilege it may be, but it is no easy number.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember one particular month, the month of March, I had 27 different weddings. One week in particular I had three days in succession of two weddings each day.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Michael also worked alongside his wife, Mae, for many years. \u201cShe was my great companion,\u201d Michael said, of Mae, who played a big part in the transition from black and white to colour.\n<\/p>\n

The scope of photographs in Michael\u2019s possession cannot be overstated. There is an incredible archive into the county\u2019s history in these photographs.\n<\/p>\n

Michael says to digitalise all his files would be far too laboursome, but bodies such as Laois County Council may need to be encouraged to undertake such a project.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI have negatives from as far back as the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI still have some coloured slides from that first ever Steam Rally in Stradbally, and an event called \u2018Aonach na Laoise.\u2019 That was a festival held at the Rock of Dunamaise, right up on the rock. They had traditional music and pageants and so on.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

And as he heads for 60 years in his career, he may have slowed down somewhat but he\u2019s still working away, as professional and courteous as ever.\n<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO \u2013\u00a0Liam Hyland at 90: From Ballacolla to Brussells \u2013 former Laois TD and MEP reflects on incredible political career<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO \u2013 Check out more from the LaoisToday Archive series here<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

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