Author Archives: Donncha

Diego in the Castle Grounds

November 2015.

Dogs aren’t allowed in the gardens of Blarney Castle any more. Tourists had apparently slipped on dog excrement if what I’ve heard is true. I also heard that dogs were on the loose but the only dogs I saw off the lead in there were the Springers that belong to the owner of the Castle. A shame that dog owners can’t pick up after their dogs.

The gardens there are beautiful, and if you’re visiting Cork they’re worth a look, but they obviously don’t need or care for local people enjoying them.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 6D
Focal length 24mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/200s

1,000 Days of Photos

Somehow I’ve managed to post a photo a day (with only one or two interruptions, one of which was because of a DDOS on my hosting provider) for 1,000 days. To celebrate I give you not one, but two photos of my dear dogs.


Oscar was a cranky old soul, but we discovered his teeth were very bad and likely made him argumentative. He was a rescue and when we first got him he wouldn’t trust anyone. He always was on alert. He could not relax. We hired someone to help him, and after a short session his mood improved immeasurably. We discovered he had an amazing fetch instinct. He’d run after a tennis ball anywhere and seemed tireless. Old age caught up with him though, and our vet warned us he had to take it easy because of his heart. In time we carried him with us on journeys in a child’s buggy. He *adored* my wife. Anywhere she went, he was likely walking next to her. He died in 2014.


Diego came into our lives in 2015, shortly before I started on this marathon 1,000 photo marathon. He’s a rescue too, and for such a small dog has a big heart full of love for all of us. He loves us all, and loves his toys. 🙂

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 6D
Focal length 105mm
ISO 640
Shutter speed 1/320s

Beautiful Molly

Molly, a rescued greyhound on the streets of Cork with her mom for Greyhound Awareness Cork who campaign for greyhounds to raise awareness of the suffering many of them go through.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 6D
Focal length 28mm
ISO 500
Shutter speed 1/250s

The Burning of the Total Abstinence Association Hall

The Total Abstinence Association Hall on Station Road in Blarney was an unused shell of it’s former self by the time I moved to Blarney but others have fond memories of activities there.

In 2005 I saw smoke billowing up from Station Road and found Cork Fire Brigade hosing down the remains of a fire that had gutted the building earlier.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera DMC-FZ5
Focal length 6mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/400s

Graphic Abortion Related Imagery Ahead

A referendum on the 8th amendment which added the following text to the Constitution of Ireland:

The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

It was added at a time when abortion was illegal in the country but Catholic groups were afraid of potential change because of what was happening elsewhere. A change to our constitution would make it much harder for abortion to ever become legal. You can read more about the history of the 8th amendment in this article.

It’s time to repeal the 8th amendment.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 6D
Focal length 300mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/250s
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