Beneath | Beofhód by Shane Hynan at Photo Museum Ireland

Beneath | Beofhód is Shane Hynan's decade-long project exploring the social, cultural, and historical significance of the peatlands in the Irish Midlands.

Overview

"Beofhód", an Irish word meaning "life under the sod," evokes the primordial, totemic significance of the bogs in Celtic lore. This metaphorical exploration of pre-Christian reverence for elemental energies grounds Hynan’s commitment to exploring the evolving conversations surrounding environmental justice and our shifting relationship to these unique landscapes.

Drawing from Hynan’s authentic connection to his local community and region, the work traces the remnants of industrial peat extraction, which brought substantial economic benefits and helped forge a strong sense of cultural identity and purpose in the area. Since the de-industrialisation of the bogs, large-scale commercial peat harvesting has ceased. Tensions have emerged between the tradition of small-scale extraction for domestic use and the necessity of protecting the remaining peatlands.

Through these immediate concerns, Hynan reflects on the endangered status of bog habitats and the shifting perception and value of peatlands in contemporary Ireland through post-colonial and late-capitalist lenses. The Midland bogs have experienced significant alteration and a shift towards ecologically aware practices, with new renewable wind and solar energy infrastructure being built, bringing questions and challenges of its own.

Beneath | Beofhód is a timely, deep engagement with pressing questions of landscape, tradition, and community. In a time of ongoing ecological and sustainability challenges, restoring our ancient connections to the earth seems more vital than ever. Hynan’s long-term focus on Ireland’s peatlands builds a profound sense of respect for the complexity of these landscapes, continuously shifting and layered with history.

About The Artist

Shane Hynan (b. 1976) is a visual artist whose practice focuses on photography, incorporating experimental elements in audio, video, collage, and sculpture. He holds an MFA in Photography from Ulster University (2019). His work explores place, land, and architecture, drawing from conceptual, performative, and subjective documentary approaches.

Hynan has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally and is the recipient of multiple awards from the Arts Council of Ireland, Creative Ireland, and Kildare Arts. In 2025, he was shortlisted for the AIB Portrait Prize at the National Gallery of Ireland and selected for the FUTURES Photography platform. He was also a winner of the Sidney Nolan Trust Residency and PhotoWorks Digital Residency Awards at Earth Photo 2025, hosted by the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Selections of work from his Beneath | Beofhód project were shown in the exhibition BogSkin at the RHA, Dublin, and the full body of work will debut at Photo Museum Ireland in 2026. Hynan was awarded the Photo Museum Ireland Artist Development Residency, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin City Council. He is also a founding member of the Tóch | Dig collective, which grew from his experiences with the overlooked and unheard voices encountered during the making of Beneath | Beofhód. He was recently selected as a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards 2026.