All in a Name

Dublin Airport invited Image Now to design a creative installation to help embed more of Ireland’s rich culture and heritage into a newly built pre-boarding zone.

All in a Name, is an installation that tells the story behind the most powerful and prominent surnames in Irish history. It showcases real Irish people that bear these surnames today and it also celebrates the breathtaking locations where these family names originated. Our team worked closely with genealogists Eneclann to identify the top surnames from around Ireland and we asked them to assist us in compiling a short history for each of the names. The historical stories talk of battles, kings, crowns and castles — stories that would enthral even the most devoted Game of Thrones fan.

Once the stories were agreed, we scouted far and wide to find a range of people, from all ages and profiles, to represent the family names. We selected eight Irish people from Ulster, Connacht, Leinster and Munster and captured their profiles with the help of renowned photographer Trevor Hart. We then worked with the talented photo retoucher, Dona Gorska, to double-expose the amazing location shots over the portraits.

The outcome is a series of images that capture the faces, locations and stories behind the people of Ireland. To embellish the images further, we reimagined the family crests and positioned them at the top of each piece, proudly branding them with their heritage.

The portraits are housed in 2.5m2 light boxes, which are positioned along the main feature wall within the new Boarding Zone. The illuminated square portraits work in harmony with the overhead light fittings, creating a glow of geometric light imbued with artistic history.

What was once an underutilised space, has now been transformed into an area that allows passengers to uncover the meaning and stories behind Irish surnames and discover everyday people, just like them.