If you would like to find out more about the project or want to share some stories about the places featured please contact us.

hello@ourtype.ie

About Our Type

Our Type is an ongoing photographic project documenting the disappearing shopfronts, signage and typography of Ireland's towns and villages. Across Ireland, we have many towns and villages that retain their rich traditions of vernacular signage. Unfortunately, the fate of these shopfronts is being threatened by the uniformity of the corporate multi national stores, which ignores and subverts local history and tradition.

By highlighting their design and typographic traditions, which are unique to Ireland, the projects aim is for people to recognise the importance of the 'traditional shopfront' in our society and support these disappearing shops in our local communities.

Look around any Irish city, town or village and you will find something that makes it unique: the shopfronts. With the exception of chain stores, each Irish shopfront is different. The beauty of these pieces of art is that on closer inspection you will see beautifully hand crafted details which include carpentry, carved mouldings and corbels, hand-painted signage, painted carved block letters, gilded glass and tiling. 

Irish shopfronts often consist of classical design elements such as hand carved corbels, columns and cornicing. The shopfront is usually harmonious in style, proportion and scale to the building where it sits. Each one tells us a story, of a business still trading after generations or of one consigned to dusty history, alive only in the memories of the local families it served and the tradesmen and artists who worked together to create it. Seeing one of these old, disused shopfronts gives us a unique insight into previous generations.

Irish shopfronts by their very nature are colourful, charming and utterly unique, and many have interesting stories to tell. Through this project I hope to collate these pieces of old Ireland for future generations to appreciate.