An Fear Marbh at Sunset
It looked like there wouldn’t be any sunset, but I was down at the bottom of Dunquin Pier when I saw an orange glow coming from behind the large rock blocking my view of the sun that had just set. If you know how steep that path down to the pier is, I hope you’ll…
A Bantry Market Character
People of all ages come to the market in Bantry, Co Cork, looking for bargains.
Sunset Fishing at Ballycotton Pier
A series of photos showing men fishing off the pier at Ballycotton, Co Cork a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful evening. Lovely time to be there.
Inniscarra’s Historic Stone Bridge
This is the narrow bridge that crosses the River Lee near the Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills. I found out today while doing a little research that the bridge was built in 1805, replacing an older 6 arch bridge. It’s very narrow, but a survey showed that 7,000 cars cross it every day!
Bee goes buzz
An Asian hornet was spotted in Cork recently. If they gain a hold in this country it could be very bad news for bumblebees like the one in this photo. This particular bee had 3 of us surrounding her with cameras trying to photograph her as she fed on the nectar of this little flower.
Nature’s Spotlight in Ballincollig Park
It’s sometimes hard to believe there was a gunpowder mill in this area, but look around and you’ll see the ruins everywhere. Here though, I found a winding, worn path running parallel to the neat tarmac of the modern path.
Am I prolific?
A slightly battered boat in Ballycotton, Co Cork.
Anglers Under Ballycotton’s Big Sky
There were 6 or 7 people fishing in Ballycotton. Most were standing on the pier, but these two had climbed up on the pier wall. Judging by the bag of fish they had, it was a good choice of location.
A Fishing Boat’s Story in Cork
These intimate details from a single fishing boat in Ballycotton harbour tell the story of Ireland’s working coastline better than any wide-angle vista could manage. Every weathered rope, rusty chain, and salt-stained life ring speaks to the daily reality of earning a living from the sea. Ballycotton’s fishing fleet primarily targets lobster, crab, and various…
Heroes of the Sea
The RNLI flag flies in Ballycotton Harbour. The RNLI operates one of Ireland’s busiest lifeboat stations at Ballycotton, which launched 57 times in 2023 alone, rescuing 49 people and assisting 67 others. The station operates an all-weather lifeboat capable of handling the most challenging sea conditions off the Cork coast. Ballycotton RNLI has a proud…
The Lighthouse and Tidal Treasures
The tide was very far out when we visited Ballycotton last week, so I wandered out on the rocks, carefully avoiding the slippery seaweed, and took a few photos.