Hometown is Jason McCarthy’s powerful photographic ode to Drogheda — the town that shaped him and the people who continue to shape it.
The series captures everyday spaces of urban life: housing estates, busy streets, forgotten corners, dereliction, and post-industrial sites. It also traces the edge lands where the built environment gives way to the rural, all set against the ebb and flow of the majestic River Boyne.
At its heart are McCarthy’s striking portraits of Drogheda people. Each subject looks directly at the camera — and at the viewer — with confidence and individuality, their body language revealing both rootedness and resilience.
Hometown speaks of belonging, memory, and connection. It reflects the two-way relationship of being shaped by a place and in turn shaping it. McCarthy’s work is imbued with insight and stillness, offering a perspective that encourages us to look more deeply at Drogheda — and at our own hometowns.
Curated by Droichead’s Visual Curator in Residence, Dorothy Smith, the exhibition opens on Culture Night, Friday 19th September, at 7.30pm in Droichead Arts Centre.