I was there too
Outside the Vicarstown Bar, a man in a suit pauses at the threshold, engrossed in his newspaper before stepping fully inside. The chalkboard out front boasts a tempting “3 for 10 Handsum IPA” offer, hinting at the lively sessions that await within.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
In 2019, Cork’s riverside scene took on a rare and almost surreal quality as the beloved Shakey Bridge, or Daly’s Bridge, vanished for the first time since 1927. Locals strolling along the Lee were greeted not by the familiar wobbly walkway, but by its ornate white tower standing alone, flanked by colourful houses and lush gardens. The river, ever calm, mirrored the absence and the anticipation, while the city buzzed with stories of the bridge’s famous shake and the engineers’ promise to bring it back just as lively as ever.
The bridge is back now, and we visited recently. It still has its famous shake!
It’s the only suspension bridge in Cork City and the only surviving pedestrian suspension bridge of its kind and age in Ireland.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 57mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
Selling art at the farmer’s market in Skibbereen a few years ago.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
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.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
These days, it’s so unusual to see a cyclist who isn’t a delivery person on the roads in Cork City that this man caught me by surprise as he turned into Industry Street from Evergreen Street.
Luckily I had my camera out, as I was walking down to Nano Nagle Place for their photography exhibit where I had a number of photos on display. Can’t believe that was in 2019.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 18mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
We visited a market in Skibbereen a few years ago, where I saw this gentleman selling these woodworking items.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
This was the derelict site of the demolished tax office in Cork, but back in February 2019.
What difference 6 years? Nothing really except they’ve removed the rubble. It’s still an ugly eye sore. They really should have put a park there if they’re not going to do anything with it.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/40s |
It was October 2019 and JD Sports had yet to open their shop on Patrick’s Street in Cork. The back of the building, on Drawbridge Street, featured JD Sports hoarding, but now it’s derelict, with “TO LET” signs in the windows, and the SAVOY entrance is boarded up.
A sign of the times. The city can’t compete with online sales.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
One from the same rooftop as yesterday’s photo of Malaga. The hotel had a rooftop pool, and when I ventured up there it was lit up. It was too cold to swim on an April evening, but the light was surreal. 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 64000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/30s |
I’m not a huge fan of anchovies, but the way these fish were displayed caught my eye. The silvery fish created an almost hypnotic pattern across the vendor’s counter, their tiny bodies catching the harsh market lights in a way that demanded to be photographed.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 200 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
Sometimes you have to stop and let humanity go past when there are too many people around.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
