In 2001 Turtle Bunbury and photographer James Fennell began travelling around Ireland, their mission to interview and photograph people born in the first
decades of the 20th century. Vanishing Ireland, the resulting publication is a unique collection of portrait interviews looking at the dying ways and traditions
of Irish life and taking us back to an Ireland virtually unrecognisable to today’s post-boom generation. Through their own words and memories, sixty-four men
and women transport us back to a time when people lived off the land and the sea, when music and storytelling were essential parts of life, when a person
was defined by their trade. In 2021, Vanishing Ireland was relaunched for a new generation as a podcast series in which Turtle interviews members of the
older generation about their memories of time’s gone by.

Turtle Bunbury is an award-winning Irish author, historian, broadcaster and podcaster known for documenting and preserving Irish history and heritage.
Described as ‘one of the most versatile authors of his generation,’ his writing focuses on bringing lesser-known stories and characters from history to light, and he is recognized for his engaging storytelling style, wry humour and meticulous research. Turtle has also contributed to numerous media outlets and has undertaken projects to promote awareness and appreciation of Ireland’s rich cultural heritage.