The Family Shenanigans in Cork, part 4

The girls of the Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance on the Grand Parade, Cork at the end of the Family Shenanigans parade last Sunday. What fabulous performers they all are!


Apertureƒ/11
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/1000s

The Family Shenanigans in Cork, part 1

The Family Shenanigans parade organised by Cork Community Art Link took place today in Cork and what a blast it was! There was so much energy, happiness and laughter!

This is only a small selection of the photos from today. More to come tomorrow.


Apertureƒ/10
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO4000
Shutter speed1/1000s

Cork Rocks for Rory!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of Rory Gallagher, a legend in rock and roll, at a relatively young age.

Today in Fitzgerald Park we were treated to a great music session on a beautiful, sunny day as the city celebrates Rory’s music and life. Here are a few photos from the gig. You can watch the entire thing on YouTube below. Watch carefully. You’ll spot me there a few times!


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length146mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/320s

The Sun Inside Cork’s Historic Cathedral

Step inside St Fin Barre’s Cathedral this week, and you’ll be greeted not just by the soaring Gothic arches and intricate stained-glass, but by a blazing sun right in the heart of Cork. The Helios exhibition, a six-metre-wide glowing sculpture by UK artist Luke Jerram, has transformed the cathedral’s nave into a cosmic spectacle for the Cork Midsummer Festival. The installation is more than just a visual treat. It’s a full sensory experience, with detailed solar imagery and a soundtrack of real NASA recordings of the sun. It’s a surreal and awe-inspiring blend of old and new: the ancient spirit of the cathedral meets the cutting edge of contemporary art, inviting visitors to reflect on the power and presence of the sun in a truly unique setting.

The Helios sculpture is built to scale, with each centimetre representing 2,300 km of the real sun’s surface, and features detailed representations of sunspots and solar flares, all accompanied by a soundtrack of live NASA recordings of the sun.


Apertureƒ/2.2
CameraGalaxy S23 Ultra
Focal length2.2mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/25s

Lifebuoy on Duty

It’s reassuring to see lifebuoys at the beach, especially when the sea is rough. Unfortunately, not every person in distress in the water can be saved, as has happened at this beach in Youghal in the past.


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CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length106mm
ISO160
Shutter speed1/500s

Eggs for Sale

A visit to the market in Skibbereen in 2019 was productive. I’ve posted a number of photos from that hour or so on here over the years, and there are still a few more to go.

August 2019 feels like a lifetime ago.


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CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length16mm
ISO320
Shutter speed1/500s

Fresh Fruits and Fortune

I went out one morning to photograph Palafrugell, walking around the town, exploring the streets. It’s a small town with narrow roads and tall buildings, with a few public squares dotted around. Near one is a vegetable market where I spotted a man buying a lottery card.

The ONCE lottery, seen in the photo, is unique in Spain for being operated by the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, an organisation founded in 1938 to support the blind and visually impaired. Many of the lottery vendors, like the one pictured, are themselves visually impaired, making each ticket sale a contribution to social inclusion and support for people with disabilities.


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CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length35mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/500s

A Striped Antelope at Valencia Zoo

A young antelope stands in water at Bioparc Valencia, Spain.

The animal in the photo is a sitatunga, a type of antelope known for its semiaquatic lifestyle. Its splayed hooves help it walk easily through marshy and swampy habitats.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length205mm
ISO250
Shutter speed1/1000s

Tools, Trades, and a Cold Beer in Athens

While wandering around a market in Athens, I saw this man sitting on the ground outside his tool-filled shop. He seemed very relaxed and was chatting to a nearby man. I hope that beer was nice and cold as it was quite a warm day!

The Areti beer seen in the photo is a Greek pale lager produced by Zotos Ltd., known for its light body and low alcohol content (3.5% ABV), making it a popular choice for casual daytime drinking in Greece


Apertureƒ/1.7
CameraGalaxy S23 Ultra
Focal length6.3mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/500s