Angela’s Shop in Fountainstown

Angela’s Shop and Coffee Dock in Fountainstown Co Cork. This shop has been at the beach in Fountainstown for the last 20 years (according to the owner) but I had never ventured inside until today. We were served lovely cups of tea which we enjoyed outside in the blazing sun.

I had hoped to shoot the women’s mini marathon earlier in the day but we had a busy morning with the baby and weren’t ready to leave the house until 1pm. Sorry Ciara, would love to have seen you and the girls in wedding dresses!

Aperture ƒ/14
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 22mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/320s

Tractor at Allihies

A tractor in the carpark at Allihies Beach in Co Cork.

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

A storm brewing at Allihies Beach

Storm clouds gathered over West Cork on the day I took this shot at Allihies Beach. A very different shot to some of the previous shots of this area!

It was freezing this day, wind howled and I was wrapped up in a big jacket against the elements. Gives me the shivers just looking at this photo.

Just goes to show, people can read littering signs here as well as they read them anywhere!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/80s

Allihies Countryside

The road to the beach at Allihies in West Cork branches in two a few miles from there. This was taken on the scenic route where the road comes out between two hills and you see this beautiful expanse of hills and grassland spread out before you. It’s quite a sight.

My poor photo does little to capture the real splendour of the area!

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/200s

Waves crash at Allihies

Allihies Beach on a cold February afternoon. Waves crash on the beach. It was bitterly cold and windy that day but well worth the trip.

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/100s

What happens after the oil runs out?

A car lies wrecked, burned out and upside down on the beach near the cemetery in Iniscarra where I shot a few “infra red” photos back in 2004. Is this what faces the world when the oil runs out? Abandoned cars and other vehicles left to rot and ruin scenic areas?

I drove past a week ago and it’s still there. Awful eyesore. Maybe I should ring the County Council?

Aperture ƒ/4.5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/50s

Allihies Beach

I look outside now and see the hazy cloud and rain that has descended on Cork and wonder if I was really at Allihies beach and saw the fluffy cumulus cloud stretching off into the distance. It seems like a another lifetime.

Today my wife, Jacinta, and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. It’s a joyful day because we are a happy family with our mad little son but it’s also the first anniversary of Jacinta’s sister’s untimely passing from this world. We went for dinner this afternoon with her family and it was a cheerful gathering, but of course in quiet moments, one’s thoughts stray to Gerry who wasn’t there.

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

EI-128 at rest on the beach

Glider EI-128 sitting on the sand at Inch Strand, Co. Kerry in 2006. I’ve posted a few photos of this glider in the past and I can safely say this is the last one unless I happen to see it again!

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/400s

Going Overboard

Bertie’s going overboard today, hopefully. As I write this Bertie Ahern is speaking and it sounds like a resignation speech. I haven’t heard an apology for lying under oath and deceiving the public yet however.

Unfortunately we’re all going to forget this by the next election. Hopefully the other parties will make hay while the sun shines.

Posting this today as Miriam’s photo of the same sign reminded me I had shot this at Allihies Beach in Co. Cork.
It’s appropriate too.

Edit – he’s out. Bertie Ahern will resign on May 6th 2008.

Aperture ƒ/6.3
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 22mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/60s

Looks like rain in Ballycotton

Threatening clouds over Ballycotton Harbour in Co. Cork. This was taken way back in 2006 on a nice September afternoon.

Lots done to this image, including overlay layers, and layer masks and other fun.

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

Spectators on the beach

The hang gliding crowd attracted a bit of a crowd on Inch Beach in 2006. Well, it was late September and there wasn’t that many people on the beach in the first place, so 2 people isn’t so bad, eh?

Hunger got the best of us and we watched as a powered plane flew high up in the air. I don’t think any of the gliders made it up that day because the winds weren’t right.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/800s

The sandy beach at Couminole

I photographed the beach at Couminole on the Dingle Peninsula back in 2006 when there was a beach there. There was no sand to be seen during repeated visits there in September 2007.

I had actually quite forgotten I had taken this so it was nice to see the lovely sandy beach!

Trivia – a well known member of Mallow Camera Club who shall remain nameless was caught by the tide and had to remain sitting on the rocks for several hours in wet, foggy and rough conditions until the tide went out again.

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 88mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s