I visited Kinsale recently with Blarney Photography Club. Many photos were taken all around the town, but I went down the quay to start with the boats mooored nearby.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 46mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 2s |
Holding Hands
Two hands intertwined, fingers gently clasped together as a couple watches the festivities unfold around them. The simple act of holding hands in public, something many take for granted, becomes a quiet celebration of love and belonging at Cork Pride.
While this year’s event was smaller than last year’s celebration (perhaps due to the absence of Eurovision star Bambie Thug, or simply the rising costs of travel), the energy remained undimmed. The parade began on Grand Parade before winding its way down St. Patrick Street, with dozens of people proudly carrying a massive pride flag that rippled in the hot, humid afternoon air.
After the parade, the community gathered at Kennedy Quay for the traditional after-party, where the real magic happened. Gay men danced together in the summer heat, some bare-chested, others waving colorful fans as they laughed and moved to the music. Same-sex couples like the one in this photograph stood hand in hand, watching the celebration with quiet contentment, expressing their love openly in a space where they felt safe to do so. These moments, the dancing, the hand-holding, the unguarded laughter, show exactly why Pride events are needed now more than ever.
The laughter, the energy, and the community were all so beautifully, defiantly joyful.
More photos from Cork Pride coming tomorrow.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Istanbul Conversations
Two friends chatting on a street in Istanbul.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Stop and Look Up
If you look up, you might see something towering overhead. Gleaming glass towers stretching up until they seem to pierce the clouds themselves.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/5000s |
A Storm Brewing
Cows waiting to be milked in a field near the Coachford Greenway. It’s a lovely walk along the River Lee, opposite Farran Woods.
I had an umbrella, and it was a good thing too, as it started raining about ten minutes later.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Copper Point Sentinel
Copper Point Lighthouse sits at the end of Long Island outside the town of Schull in Co. Cork. If you take the boat from Schull to Cape Clear, you’ll pass by here!
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 62mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
Cape Clear’s Car Graveyard
What happens to old cars is one of the harsh realities of island life that doesn’t make it into the tourist brochures.
Getting a dead vehicle off Cape Clear isn’t as simple as calling a scrap dealer as everything has to go by ferry, which makes the economics of removal pretty grim for islanders already dealing with the higher costs of island living. It’s a stark reminder that even in Ireland’s most picturesque corners, people have to deal with the mundane realities of modern life, including what to do with that blue van that’s given up the ghost and will never make another trip to the mainland.
Cape Clear Island, located about 13 kilometres off the coast of West Cork, has a permanent population of around 120 people and faces unique challenges with waste disposal due to its remote location. All waste, including scrap vehicles, must be transported by ferry to the mainland, making disposal expensive and logistically complex. The island’s small size (just 6.5 square kilometers) means that space for storing unusable vehicles is extremely limited, leading to accumulations like the one shown in this photograph. Irish islands have lobbied for government assistance with waste disposal costs, as the expense of transporting bulky items like cars can be prohibitive for island communities with limited resources.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 77mm |
| ISO | 1000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
The Red Van Chronicles
A trader at the market in Bantry puts his stuff away at the end of the market day. During the day, stalls are set up around the main square (well, rectangle, technically) as well as in a nearby car park.
Yes, he was parked in an accessible parking spot, which made this more interesting, but the car park was full of traders that day, and nobody else was parking there.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/640s |
Trans+ Pride London 2025
An estimated 100,000 people joined the Trans+ Pride event yesterday in London as they marched from near BBC Broadcasting House, past Downing Street, and on to Westminster Palace to Parliament Square Gardens. It was spectacular & emotional to watch.
“The message was clear: we will not be erased. Our existence is natural, historic, and enduring. You can try to take away our rights, but you will never remove us from society. We are a part of humanity, and the public will not stand by while harm is done to our community.”
Lewis G Burton, one of the founding members of London Trans+ Pride
More coverage from the Guardian & BBC and elsewhere.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Youghal’s Charming Beach Huts
I had no idea these beach huts were in Youghal until about a week ago, but I just love the colour and shape of each one.
| Aperture | ƒ/14 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 166mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
Cork Before The Elysian
Remember Cork before The Elysian was built? It’s almost 20 years old now, so there are many people around who never saw Cork City Hall like this, without the tower block behind it.
Cork City Hall, completed in 1936, was built to replace the previous City Hall that was destroyed during the Burning of Cork by British forces in 1920. The building’s limestone facade and copper dome make it one of Cork’s most recognisable landmarks. This 2005 photograph predates the construction of The Elysian apartment tower, which began in 2006 and became Ireland’s tallest residential building when completed in 2008. The development of The Elysian and surrounding high-rise buildings fundamentally altered the skyline visible from this vantage point, making this image a valuable historical record of Cork’s urban landscape before its dramatic transformation during the Celtic Tiger era.
| Aperture | ƒ/3.5 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 20D |
| Focal length | 18mm |
| ISO | 200 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
Street Life with Man’s Best Friend
I love dogs, so when I see one in town I always try to get a photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.2 |
| Camera | SM-G998B |
| Focal length | 2.2mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/580s |