Family. Life.

The House With No Roof

Gillian Mc Elroy

Belfast School of Art, Ulster University

My project is about my grandmother, who passed away in the summer of 2014, at the age of 97 and a house that she once lived in in Clogher, Co. Tyrone. The house is due to be demolished soon. I felt drawn to photograph objects that belonged to my grandmother in the house while it is still standing. Accordingly, I brought some of my grannyís possession back to the now empty house. The items I chose to photograph are all things she used on a daily basis throughout her life.I was very close to my only Granny and I began photographing soon after she passed away. But after photographing this project, I feel like I also have a stronger connection to this house that she once lived in. I will be very sad when it is demolished. However, this project will allow myself and my family to look back on the images and remember what the house used to look like.My granny lived in this house in Clogher until 10 years ago. During the intervening years she had been living in a nursing home. The house still stands, empty and lost, with no one having lived in it since my grandmother left it all those years ago.Having spent many hours in my Grandmotherís home I feel these objects represent my grandmotherís soul and spirit, which is still with me and my family at that house to this day. The house will eventually be replaced with a new home for a family member, which will incorporate family memories.This has been an opportunity to capture pictures that will help preserve my memories of my grandmother.

This portrait is of my grandmother Margaret Mc Elroy
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  • My project is about my grandmother, who passed away in the summer of 2014, at the age of 97 and a house that she once lived in in Clogher, Co. Tyrone. The house is due to be demolished soon. I felt drawn to photograph objects that belonged to my grandmother in the house while it is still standing. Accordingly, I brought some of my grannyís possession back to the now empty house. The items I chose to photograph are all things she used on a daily basis throughout her life.I was very close to my only Granny and I began photographing soon after she passed away. But after photographing this project, I feel like I also have a stronger connection to this house that she once lived in. I will be very sad when it is demolished. However, this project will allow myself and my family to look back on the images and remember what the house used to look like.My granny lived in this house in Clogher until 10 years ago. During the intervening years she had been living in a nursing home. The house still stands, empty and lost, with no one having lived in it since my grandmother left it all those years ago.Having spent many hours in my Grandmotherís home I feel these objects represent my grandmotherís soul and spirit, which is still with me and my family at that house to this day. The house will eventually be replaced with a new home for a family member, which will incorporate family memories.This has been an opportunity to capture pictures that will help preserve my memories of my grandmother. This portrait is of my grandmother Margaret Mc Elroy

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