About Us
Our Story
Vintage Irish Postcards© was established by Mary Horgan Rafferty, who fell in love with an artist’s view of The Gap Of Dunloe and began collecting postcards of her native Co. Kerry. Since then, she has personally collected thousands of individual Irish postcards. handpicked for their art, cultural and historical value.
Meet Mary Horagn Rafferty
Passionate about their beauty and value, Mary wanted to share her postcard images, their beauty and knowledge. She curated and digitised Vintage Irish Postcards Collection©, thereby opening the collection to a wider audience, as well as helping to preserve them.
The collection is categorised by county and national themes, providing visual information and unique insights into Irish daily life. Uniquely, they capture the front and back of the postcards.
Mary’s own postcard story began with her grandparent’s old thatch cottage on the Dingle Peninsula. Mary spent many happy weekends here. It was photographed by John Hyde in the early 1970’s and was one of their more iconic postcards.
OLD COTTAGE IN THE KERRY MOUNTAINS, DINGLE PENINSULA, IRELAND
(c) John Hinde Archive/Mary Evans Picture Library
As Heard on Radio Kerry
Mary Shares Her Story on Travels Through a Kingdom
Mary Horgan Rafferty was recently featured on Radio Kerry’s Travels Through a Kingdom, where she spoke about her lifelong passion for Irish postcards, the stories they hold, and how her personal collection became a national archive.
Testimonials
Mary was kind enough to show me her collection of vintage postcards, while also sharing the history behind each piece. She has an extensive collection and will likely have whatever specific card you’re looking for!
Jadrian Ejercito
Mary has an amazing collection of antique postcards, and she is very enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge about them. I spent a fascinating hour with her looking at just a fraction of her collection, and bought some that I was particularly taken with.
Liza Baldwin
Events
Any Deltiology Events that Vintage Irish Postcards will attend will be listed here.
Moments of Shared Discovery
Deltiology Events Where History Comes Alive
Vintage Irish Postcards participates in curated Deltiology events and exhibitions. Any forthcoming appearances will be shared here, offering a chance to engage with Irish postcard heritage, collectors, and those drawn to its cultural significance