Out to Dry
On a recent trip back to Cork to catch up with the family & friends. Farting about with Al’s Lensbaby 3G in the back garden. You could shoot handheld with it.. if you had at least one extra hand. Still, soft is good sometimes!
Comhairle Chontae Chorcaí
Ready to save a life. Perpetually pooped on by passing gulls the size of Ford Fiestas. The old model. Marks the start of what is turning into an ever more treacherous stroll across the rocks from Fountainstown to Myrtleville. Makes it all the more enjoyable.
Angelas Shop
And a fine place it is too! The small shop that has everything, nestled into a corner next to Fountainstown beach, between Carrigaline and Crosshaven in Cork. Sweets, ice cream, buckets & spades, sandwiches, tea, coffee, headstones and more. You’ll get it all in Angelas Shop. Well, I lied about one thing. They might not have coffee.
Belltower
Shandon, as pictured previously houses a wonderful set of bells. Not so wonderful when you’re next to them as they’re being rung. This is where they live. In a maze of old wooden beams, iron braces and plenty of nuts & bolts.
Crumbling Castles
A castle on Fountainstown beach built with the stony sand mixture, which is all that’s available at high tide. One of the best beaches for ‘beach stuff’ (i.e. flotsam or litter), possibly only second to the strip of beaches and rocks you’d travel if you were to walk between Fountainstown and Myrtleville beaches.
Flames for the Departed
Candles lit in the incredibly small church at Gougane Barra in west Cork. One of my best friends is getting married here later this year and I’m led to wonder if this is the most exclusively difficult place to book for your wedding in all of Cork? Given that the seating capacity is no more than 20 or 30 people, I imagine it’s in the top 5 anyway.
On the way
On the way down to Gougane Barra last month. On my many, many trips down there I always wanted to stop at this lake but there was always loads of people around. Me? Anti-social?!?
Danger
Strolling down around the Cornmarket Street area before the blog awards. Was that last month already? Wow. Well, I suppose we\’re only just into March so it’s not that bad. It was nice being in the city and seeing things I’d never seen before. Or not paid enough attention to because I’d spent much of my life so far walking so near to. One thing that wasn’t so nice to see is the big glass fronted monstrosity that’s been builtRead More
Howya Donkey!
Looking for a specific donkey at the sanctuary in Liscarroll in north Cork. Turned out she was a huffy cow.. err, donkey. In other, very unrelated news, pixie have finalised an amazing package for bloggers, photobloggers and pixie users for the St. Patricks day festival in Dublin. Details on the pixie blog. Big thanks due to the Guinness Storehouse and Canon. Roll on the fun!
Shandon
My first ever trip up to the top of the Shandon bells! Err, and I’ve lived in Cork for how long exactly? Don’t feel too bad though, it was Donncha’s first time up there too. We were both in awe. Deaf awe. Those bells are damn loud. Especially when there\’s a little kid mercilessly pulling on the ropes several floors down.
Sobering up in Gougane
This is the one where I thank everyone for the kind words, where I thank pix.ie for sponsoring, thank Damien for organising yet another amazing blog awards, thank all that it is that inspired me (good and bad) to take the photos that you see on this blog and thank God that after 3 years, I finally won the damn thing!
Reach For The Sky!
Tattered and torn bull-rushes swaying in the breeze. Wait, there was no breeze. Swaying for effect then. Either way, they’re in the Gearagh in west Cork and I sank a few inches into the murky depths while taking this photo. Those shoes were later finally executed on a very cold holiday in Canada. Damn good shoes.. damn good.
Tin Man
When a man’s an empty kettle He should be on his mettle And yet I’m torn apart Just because I’m presumin’ That I could be kind of human If I only had a heart…
Growth
Taken a lifetime ago, this vibrant blue moss grows from time to time on the half dead trees at the Gearagh, just outside Macroom in west Cork. To the best of my knowledge, the Gearagh is a man made lake, created by the construction of the hydroelectric dam further down the river Lee, just outside Cork city. I am open to correction though!
Surfing for Us
Back to the past; 1st October 2005. Taken for the Ray Darcy/TodayFM project “Us”. The book was published with photos contributed from listeners to the show and money went to charity. Hurrah. Also, I, along with other talented photobloggers, have several photos published in it. Hurrah! Finding all these old photos as I’m packing up my computer gear in preparation for the weekend.
My Mate Jack
This has been the wallpaper on my mac for the last God knows how long. Possibly counterproductive, it often makes me thirsty on bootup. I think I have almost a full bottle floating around somewhere.. If not Santa will have to bring me one.
Salt N’ Peppa
Taken for a project aaaaaages ago, surfaced as I trawled through my archives. A bit of black and white, ehh… literally. Lit from about 45 degrees from behind with one large softbox on an elinchrom flash unit.
Gather Around
Swans that aren’t even hungry crowd around a gentleman emptying a carrier bag full of foosty bread into the already murky (mostly from being full of soggy bread bits) waters of the lough in Cork city. Taken back when the sky was bluer, the weather was nicer and the days were hotter and t-shirts were entirely possible. Just to remind you…
Winter Gardens
One of the fine examples of Japanese Maple in Fota Gardens, the leaves of which are varying in amazing colours from bright reds to fiery oranges and yellows. Bit different than when I last visited the gardens some time ago. Well, possibly over a year ago. I did neglect Fota Gardens somewhat when I got wind that charges for entry had been increased significantly. Thankfully, that seems to be complete rubbish. Possibly the best visit ever to this wonderful spot!