A fledgling nation brought to life in stunning colour.

A Nation Is Born celebrates a formative period in the history of the Irish state: the fifteen years during which we emerged from the rubble of wars and violence and set up as a fledgling country while establishing a diplomatic presence on the world stage.

The photos presented here have been painstakingly hand-colourised by photographer John O’Byrne, infusing energy into this often-overlooked time: the election of the country’s first governments; the mammoth Shannon hydroelectric scheme; a stunning Eucharistic Congress; scenes of cottage industry and rural Irish life; and ending with the uncertain rumblings of war in Europe.

Michael B. Barry is a historian and author of critically acclaimed books, and John O’Byrne is a professional photographer and colouriser. Their first collaboration, The Irish Civil War in Colour, was a bestseller and nominated for Best Irish-Published Book of the Year at the 2022 An Post Irish Book Awards