Merrion Press has a hit on its hands with Old Ireland in Colour, a coffee-table hardback with 173 photographs that track Ireland’s history from the Famine to the outbreak of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Merrion Press is the popular history and general interest imprint of Irish Academic Press.

According to publisher Conor Graham, the initial print run of 10,000 copies sold out to bookshops in five days. Another print run of 5,000 copies was quickly snapped up by the trade, and last week the publisher ordered another 10,000 copies from their printer.

The book’s novelty is photo colourisation of mono photographs and enhancement and restoration of old colour photos.

• Click here to download book sample

In Association with

Graham commented: “Using a combination of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology and his own historical research, John Breslin has meticulously colourised these pictures with breathtaking attention to detail and authenticity.

“Accompanied by fascinating captions by historian Sarah-Anne Buckley, Old Ireland in Colour revitalises scenes we thought we knew, and brings our past back to life before our eyes.

John Breslin is a professor at NUI Galway, where he has taught engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship over a twenty-year period. He has written over 200 publications and co-authored two books. Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley is a lecturer in History at NUI Galway and President of the Women’s History Association of Ireland.

The book retails for €24.95 and can be purchased here.