PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER DONAL Moloney has allowed TheJournal.ie to follow him around as he looks for perfect locations.

As part of one of his personal projects, he seeks out abandoned buildings in rural Ireland.

Known in the industry as rurex, it is the rural counterpart to urban exploration. It usually involves exploring the structures which have been left to go to ruin.

This find, in the south of the country, is probably our favourite so far.

“I stood up on a ledge at the back of the building to try get a good gawk through a window but couldn’t see much other than a room full of timber,” he recalls. “It was impossible to gauge what the other rooms might unearth and if it was worthy of further investigation.

The place seemed impenetrable.

“I had resigned myself to the fact that there was no way in and was walking back to the car when I found a side door. Amazingly, it was unlocked and I just strolled in.”

And we’re glad he did. Here’s some of what he found.

Hallways

Classroom

Music classroom

Up close

Staff room, perhaps?

Roll Call

Attendance

Homework

All photos by Donal Moloney. See more of his work on his website and his Facebook page. 

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