My Kildare Life interview with photographer Tom Lawler

Tom is the eldest son of Pat and Betty. He has one brother, John. He went to school in Caragh National School and Naas CBS.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST KILDARE MEMORY?

For some reason, my memories are of the summers growing up being really warm and pleasant! Maybe we just remember sunny days more vividly. I remember birthday parties with all the kids from my class in our house and my mam catering for the lot of us — there were no kids play centres back in the 80s!

Kicking football with John and my cousins in the garden until it got dark, and sometimes even after dark! I’m kind of glad that I grew up before Playstations and smartphones took over. I suppose it’s all about finding the right balance between technology and exercise for kids growing up now.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT KILDARE?

I have to say, because I’m terribly partisan, I get a great buzz from going to watch Kildare GAA matches! My mam and dad and John and myself are all big Lilywhite supporters. I think we still look back at ‘98 and at what might have been, and just how close we were to glory that summer.

I’m confident that this current batch of Kildare players, that now boasts a sizable contingent of last year’s under 20s, can give a good account of themselves over the next few years. The 2018 highlight was definitely the win against Mayo — if we can match that sort of intensity in championship football in 2019, we can hopefully reach the Super 8 series again!

Tourism is on the up with places like Lullymore Heritage Park, Burtown House and Gardens, the National Stud & Japanese Gardens and Newbridge Silverware museum all attracting large numbers. Other activities like barge trips on the Grand Canal or on the Barrow navigation coupled with our proximity to Dublin really make Kildare an attractive destination for Irish and foreign visitors alike.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL DAY SPENT IN KILDARE?

As a photographer, an ideal day for me would be spent with my camera in hand, at my own pace, chasing good light! Gently rolling Kildare countryside can be beautiful in the right light. The Bog of Allen is also a great location to photograph. It’s in essence an area of wilderness, an ecosystem — these areas of intact raised bog have been forming for over 10,000 years.

Away from photography, I’ve been introduced to horse riding in the past year by another Caragh parish man, Fergal O’Neill, and I must say I really enjoy it! I go for lessons once a week at Blackberry Stables near Maynooth, owned by Vinny Dempsey.

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT?

This is another great thing about Kildare — the food culture. I live in Naas, so great food and drink options are everywhere. Trax Brasserie, Las Radas Tapas and Wine Bar, Bouchon and Butt Mullins are all fantastic. My brother and his wife swear by the pizza from the Food Junkie @ Grace’s. In Caragh village, the landmark that is Cooke’s Pub now have a really great bar food menu and a restaurant called The Fox and Hare — I’d highly recommend visiting!

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY?

I could spend hours taking photos, or even just driving to locations, and then many more hours editing, but time just flies when it’s spent doing something that I enjoy!

I use Instagram quite a bit, you can find me @tomlawlerofficial if you like! It is actually a really great networking tool. I often chat with other Irish photographers on it. It’s good to hear feedback on my photos, to discuss locations, to get inspiration, to share ideas and even to pass on what settings/techniques I may have used on a certain photo, and vice versa.

It’s a community of sorts. It’s definitely a lot more educational than some of the other social media platforms!