Coastal Adventure in West Cork

Just a few months shy of ten years ago, we’d visited Sherkin Island and as we were leaving I spotted a man on a RIB talking to two others on their dingy. It was a lovely warm August day, just before school was about to start again.

In the background is the famous Baltimore Beacon, built in 1849 as a navigation guide.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length105mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/500s

Steel Wool Spinning at Night

Spinning flaming steel wool around creates fiery trails in the air. Thanks Henry, for this photo I took in 2015!


Apertureƒ/4
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length40mm
ISO50
Shutter speed13s

A Coastal Haven in West Cork

The Baltimore Beacon on one side and Sherkin Island on the other, while we travelled to that island on a day trip, the same day as this photo of the Wallis Buoy.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length24mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/640s

Seagull’s Perch on Wallis Buoy

Ah, the majestic Wallis buoy. It’s a beacon of maritime sophistication and seagull real estate. On my way to Sherkin Island, I came upon this floating masterpiece, complete with a solar panel that probably powers the seagull’s Netflix subscription. The bird, perched confidently atop its throne, seemed to be enforcing the 6 km speed limit with all the authority of a traffic warden who’s had one too many cups of tea.


Apertureƒ/4
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length105mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1600s

Rural Banter in Cork

Tucked away on the serene Sherkin Island in County Cork, I stumbled upon a timeless moment that felt plucked from another era. Two older men, clearly no strangers to the soil beneath them, were deep in conversation.

This photo was taken in 2015 while on a visit to the island. I hope they are still living on the island, chatting away.


Apertureƒ/11
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length105mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/50s

Ruins and Beacons

The Baltimore Beacon can be spotted between the ruins of a Franciscan Friary on Sherkin Island. The Beacon is around 900m behind the ruins, sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea.

The Friary, known locally as The Abbey, was founded in 1460, and it continued to act as a religious building until 1650, when it was confiscated by Cromwellian soldiers.

ref:

  1. https://westcorkislands.com/franciscan-friary-sherkin-island/
  2. https://heritageireland.ie/unguided-sites/sherkin-franciscan-friary/

Apertureƒ/11
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length105mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/80s

Horses on Sherkin Island

We were visiting Sherkin Island in 2015 when I saw a rider pulling another horse along with him. This was on Cow Strand, but I’d seen him riding on Silver Strand earlier in the day. A lovely, warm, August day just before school was about to start again.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length24mm
ISO160
Shutter speed1/250s

Surrounded by the sights of Cork

I wonder if this man checking his phone noticed the mural behind him in Bishop Lucey Park. In this fragment of the mural you can see the old Roches Stores building, Mangan’s Clock and Shandon Bells.

You won’t see that mural there now. This is a snapshot of it from 2015.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length105mm
ISO200
Shutter speed1/320s