It wasn’t until we were back at the car after our first time out of the house in 2023 that my phone helpfully pinged and told me what we were doing at this very time in 2022. No surprises, it was the very same thing we’d just done. I suppose that makes it an unofficial tradition to walk around Fota Gardens in the new year. Not exactly as colourful as usual and with a couple of areas closed, but aRead More
I feel like I’ve put up some photos of this place before, but I can never be sure what I’ve put on Instagram or on the blog anymore. This was one of the last times we ventured beyond two kilometers from the house. Just on the cusp of the world going to hell. Social distancing was all the rage and lockdown was on the cards. Ahh March, seems so long ago. Thankfully, social distancing wasn’t a problem on this visitRead More
Since moving back to Cork from Dublin in 2013, Fota Gardens has been like the replacement for IMMA, the Botanic Gardens and the War Memorial all in one. Something to look at all year round. If there’s one place in Cork that I’ve probably photographed to death at this point, this is it. Still manage to find something new or a new way at looking at something old. Most of the time anyway.
A very brief visit to Airfield Farm/Estate/Gardens yesterday. First time there in ohh, probably about 6 or 7 years. The place has changed a lot. Nice even when it’s packed with people, you can still find a nice quiet spot or two.
Back to the kitchen garden at Fota Gardens, where there are flowers hanging around in all sorts of photogenic places. Previously in this outing.
First time visiting Nano Nagle Place on Douglas Street in the city. Heard great things about it, now believe them all. Took far too many photos of this particularly impressive and hugely detailed glass sculpture, so there’s another one below. Can’t wait to go back, grab a coffee, sit on the grass and watch the world go by.
It seemed we were cursed never to get back in here. Every time we’d been to Fota Gardens recently, the kitchen garden was closed. Not today thankfully.
Took the scenic Copper Coast route home from a visit to the Japanese gardens in Tramore back in June. More on that front coming in the near future. Just as soon as I’ve fully recovered from the shock of opening my photo library for the first time in months/years.
What with it being the first of the year and all, I usually get the urge to do something productive, if only in an attempt to prove to myself that I can and in the hope that I’ll continue to try to outdo myself as the week/month/year progresses. Productivity started early(ish) this January 1st with a trip to the gym. Yes, I’m one of those people now. After all that unpleasantness was over, I wanted to get out somewhere localRead More
It seemed that I’d been missing opportunities to get to Kilruddery Gardens left right and center over the years we lived in Dublin. So in the run up to moving, a list was made. Kilruddery was on it. Thats the entire story really. Needless to say it’s a great place, worthy of another visit when/if I should find myself in Dublin with time to kill at some future date. Less words, more pictures. And so on and so on. Ah,Read More
Well, it’s been a while. Amazing how moving to a different county, getting a new job and oh yeah, getting married, tends to divert attention from blogging and even picking the camera up. After Julie got a tip from Jamie on the location of some bluebells, we added it as a pit stop on a fairly short tour around west Cork last weekend. I’m not keeping it a secret, the forest is at Ballinspittle. That’s just outside Kinsale. Head towardsRead More
IMMA is and has always been too damn handy. As I have mentioned before, it literally is the neighbours front garden. If it was any closer I wouldn’t have to put my shoes on to walk over there. Quiet neighbours too, never any trouble from them. They have a couple of wild parties every year and a couple of more sedate ones but I’ve never had to go up there and bang on their door to tell them to keepRead More
I thought “I’ll post some photos of a recent trip to Fota Gardens, then link back to previous visits” but I can’t find any previous visits. Well, there’s one, but I would have imagined there should be far more than that on here. Maybe I’ve just been very selective about posting photos of the gardens on here. Yes, selective. That’s the word. Not lazy. Never lazy. The car park at Fota, which I always kind of appreciated for it’s roughRead More
Sitting at home on a Sunday morning, needing to get out for a few hours despite the cold and the threat of rain. Wiclow? Kildare? Wait, we haven’t been to the Botanic Gardens in ages! Every time we go up there, I seem to get the great notion to try something new. “This time, I won’t take photos of any plants”. How very obscure I’m sure. After all, plants are so mainstream. Things like that. This wasn’t much different, althoughRead More
I thought a little ‘year in brewing’ review was probably called for as the end of 2012 will mark my first year as a home brewer. If at the same time it serves to give a few of those currently on the fence about taking up the hobby a bit of a kick in the right direction, all the better. As I said, I started brewing at the start of 2012 after humming and hawing about it (as usual) forRead More
A quick Christmassy post before the annual pilgrimage to the rebel county for for festivities. About this time of year, wonderful things start happening. Possibly the most wonderful of all is when Julie announces that it’s time for some experimental gingerbread baking. This year, I took it as an opportunity to skulk about so I could both test my new camera and so that I could possibly munch on the rejects of the experimental gingerbread baking process. But first, theRead More
Wait, whats your name again? It’s only been [counting on fingers] June, July, August, September, October, November; Oh almost 6 months since I last pressed the export button on a batch of photos. I suppose as long as I post once a year I can still refer to myself as a (photo)blogger in the sometimes polite circles of whippersnappers that know about these things. It seems the more cameras I buy, the less photos I take. The less photos IRead More
In Cork two weekends in a row (a rare treat) and the promise was made to seek out some bluebells to photograph. Currabinny woods has nealy always been a good spot, something I believe I pointed out on the morning we were setting out to go and take some photos. Without knowing I’d already jinxed the operation completely. Although there were bluebells, there was nowhere near the amount I’ve seen in previous years. So instead, I contented myself with usingRead More
IMMA has become more or less that; A place to bring new or recently dusted off camera gear for a stroll around the grounds. No cat photos and not a focus chart in sight. Just a few from this visit before I drag and drop the set into the abyss that is the 2011 archive.
My first post in December and I’m back with a couple of photos and a large bag of excuses. I became the newest splitter at the end of November when I left my old job and started a new one. I think either I underestimated how busy I’d be or grossly overestimated the ‘settling in time’ I’d end up taking because it’s been crazy pretty much since I started. Sadly, updating the blog has been far from top priority althoughRead More