Santa & Cole in Cork

Santa came to Cork early this year, sort of. This metal work is from somewhere on the Grand Parade in Cork. It’s designed by the firm of Santa & Cole, obviously, and seems to be a perfect place for people to throw their litter unfortunately.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/400s

Clouds move at night

Clouds fly across the sky in this nighttime shot of Cork City. A crane is in the middle distance, practically a symbol of the City at this stage.

The building site in the foreground is on the old site of the Guy And Company building. There’s St. Anne’s Church or Shandon Bells in the distance.

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

Is it a bird, is it a plane, no! It’s the sky!

I have no idea what they were looking at because there wasn’t anything flying overhead. Better than waiting for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to start I suppose!

Taken on Paddy’s Day this year on Patrick’s Street, or Panna as it’s locally known.

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 144mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/100s

Fitzgerald’s Park Reflection

Clouds in the sky reflect off the water of the pond in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork.

Aperture ƒ/5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/100s

The house in the bushes

This is the side of the small gatehouse in Fitzgerald’s Park, Cork.

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

Oscar! Come here!

Imagine the scene. Out on a pier, I’m lying on the wooden beams over the low tide surf on the rocks below and I’m calling to my dog. Thankfully Oscar obliged and I made this photo as he walked towards me with his tongue half-hanging out of his mouth. There’s Jacinta in the background, she’s almost 9 months pregnant in this photo, but you probably can’t see the bump in this small image!

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/125s

Around this way, not that way

Drivers can be so confused by road signs. Drive this way, drive that way. Those roundy signs with the big numbers surrounded by a red border must be the worst offenders, I mean, hardly anyone obeys them. What were they thinking when they put them up can anyone tell me?

Head on over to shitedrivers.com if you want to rant. You’ll be very welcome there!

Oh, this was taken in Wilton, Cork. Anyone from the city will recognise this I’m sure!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/60s

Sometimes I just miss talking to you

A sticker on the back of a STOP sign reads, “Sometimes I just miss talking to you” and is signed “The 508”. A message of love for someone missing, or mindless graffiti? What makes the image for me is the couple walking by at the bottom of the frame. The sticker could be a speech bubble above their heads.

Shot on Oliver Plunkett Street a few month’s back while walking around Cork City.

PS. Welcome all from Creative Ireland!

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/60s

The Yellow Rose

A yellow rose in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork. I made this photo a few weeks back and it had just rained, leaving nice little droplets of water on the delicate petals of the flower.

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 179mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/400s

Engarde! Construction continues in Cork

Will the construction work in Cork ever end? They just finished digging up the end of Washington Street and Grande Parade when they dig up that busy corner again.

Not quite as bad as the ESB or Bord Gais running a trench through brand new tarmac and leaving a broken road surface behind.

This shot is from the Grand Parade where brickwork is being laid into the ground around the original fountain that was recently restored there. Pics of that to follow!

Aperture ƒ/6.3
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/80s

Cork University Maternity Hospital opened March 31st

This was taken a few days after Adam was born and while an election campaign was in full swing. Outside Cork University Hospital a proud poster announced that Cork University Maternity Hospital opened on March 31st. I can’t remember if it did, or was it a week later, but some smart arse added “Despite the best efforts of the HSE” above the main message. An obvious reference to the bullying tactics employed to get midwifes to work in the new an under-staffed hospital.

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/100s

YIELD! Right of way

A slightly damaged sign that should read, "Yield Right of Way" in Wilton in front of the CUMH.

Looks like someone took a bite out of it. Are there large animals in Wilton?

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 13mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/100s