100 Years of the Irish in Kenya

In 2016, Ireland celebrated 100 years since the Easter Rising in 1916, an event which set Ireland on a path to independence. In Ireland this was a year of celebration, and the Department of Foreign Affairs wished that each of their embassies marked the occasion in some way. The newly appointed Irish Ambassador to Kenya, Dr Vincent O’Neill, wanted to highlight the immense contribution that the Irish made to the development of Kenya. From creating the first successful commercial coffee plantation, through education, health, industry, culture and sport - Irish people played an important part.

The objective was to tell the stories of these Irish people from the past to the present, and also to describe the current co-operative involvements of the Irish in Kenya. The project would be delivered as fifteen reusable roll up banners, each one telling a facet of the overall story.

Peter Hughes racing down bobsleigh run at Cortina D'Ampezzo in Italy in his Fort Cortina. He had won the East Africa Safari Rally earlier that year in 1964.  This photograph was duplicated from a faded original black and white print. — Peter Hughes racing down bobsleigh run at Cortina D'Ampezzo in Italy in his Fort Cortina. He had won the East Africa Safari Rally earlier that year in 1964. This photograph was duplicated from a faded original black and white print.

I was asked to be project manager for a team of 5, in addition I developed the overall design layout, typography and project logo. In addition I was responsible for the content for four banners as well as providing photographic content for a number of other banners, in many cases to reproduce existing photographs or documents,

The banners were formally launched by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on November 30th, 2016 in Nairobi.

One of the banners, telling the story of the irish Hughes family who settled in Kenya, and contributed to the farming and motoring activities in the country.