RIP Andy Farren Lensmen CoFounder
The Lensmen team are sad to hear of the passing of Andy Farren, one of the two founders of Lensmen. From 1952 onwards Andy Farren took millions of stunning, one of a kind photographs, which have great historical value. Beginning as press photographers, Andy Farren and Co-Founder Padraig MacBrian photographed Ireland developing from the 1950s- to the mid 1990s. Their photographs included the Beatles and The Rolling Stones visiting Ireland, The Dáil Cabinets, Hurling and Football finals, and presidential inaugurations. These photographs, not only beautifully com-positioned are fantastic visual records of Irish history.
The Lensmen Founders met and photographed famous faces for over 65 years of the state’s history. Andy Farren photographed the changing times of Ireland, from Eamonn DeValera’s cabinet’s and to Mary Robinson’s inauguration in 1990. Andy Farren and Padraig MacBrian, who passed away almost 4 years ago, have left a beautiful legacy of over 3 million negatives of their work. Several thousand can be seen on our archive site, Irish Photo Archive.
Below is a video of Andy talking about meeting President Kennedy on his trip to Ireland in 1963. Our deepest sympathies to Andy Farren’s family.
In 1995, Andy Farren and Paarig decided it was time to retire and Susan Kennedy took over as Managing Director of Lensmen. Susan kept in touch with the founders of Lensmen over the years and below is some photographs Susan took of Andy during his retirement.
Left Photo: Photograph of Andy Farren and Padriag MacBrian on the Book Launch of the Lensmen Book The 1950’s Ireland in Pictrues
Right Photo: Andy Farren, Susan Kennedy ( Lensmen’s current MD ) and Padraig Mac Brian
A “Nationwide” special on the Irish photo Archive, a unique collection of almost 3.5 million old Irish photos and historical images which offer a fascinating insight into Irish life over the last six decades.
Over six decades Lensmen has captured the essense of Irish life with stunning and thought-provoking photography.
