Masked Normality: Life in Cork One Year After COVID-19
A year after COVID-19 hit Irish shores and people were still being extra careful, even wearing masks outside where there was little risk of infection. Better to be safe than sorry. Here we are in 2026, and people are still denying that COVID-19 was a problem, while there’s a screenshot going around of a tweet…
Bye Bye Hoppy
We said goodbye to our dear cat, Hoppy today. She was 18 years old, and the last of her family that was brought into our lives by their mother many years ago. She was an adorable cat. She would accept rubs and loving ear scratches for as long as you’d do them. She only ever…
The Bright Side of the Streets
I have a good reason for photographing this perfectly ordinary scene. Over the years I’ve taken photos of men sitting on that electricity box, and this just adds to that collection. First there was this photo of Liam Foley, an elderly man enjoying a cigarette. He passed away 2 months after that photo was taken….
Street Life with Man’s Best Friend
I love dogs, so when I see one in town I always try to get a photo.
The Social Side of Shopping
When you’ve been to the shops, it’s nice to sit down with a friend for a chat.
Cork’s Social Life Spills Onto the Street
The Long Valley Bar is always busy, and I love seeing interesting characters sitting at the tables outside. The Long Valley Bar has been serving Cork since 1842 and is famous for its traditional “combination” sandwiches – hence the “Plain Comb” on the menu board. These legendary sandwiches typically contain a hearty mix of meats,…
Cork’s Bell Tower from the Steepest Street
Shandon Bells as seen from the top of Patrick’s Hill, from the wall surrounding Bells Field. The eight bells of Shandon Bells were cast in Gloucester, England, in 1750 and shipped to Cork. They’re tuned to play in the key of D major, and each bell has inscriptions including biblical verses and the names of…
Fire in the Sky at Sunset
The sun sets behind a hill on the Dingle Peninsula, Kerry, back in 2021.
Clouds swirl over North Main Street
Whispy cirrus clouds were visible over Cork a few months ago. The building in the background used to be a Catholic Young Men’s Society hall. These societies were established across Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of a movement to provide educational, social, and recreational facilities for young Catholic men,…
Chickens at the market
Chickens, and what looks like a duck, in cages at the Bantry market a few years ago.
A Hidden Retreat on Sherkin Island
An old van sits in the driveway of a house on Sherkin Island, Co Cork. The barrier blocking the way is apparently used extensively on the islands off the Irish coast and in other rural areas, but I’m more familiar with seeing them in WWII films or war zones!
McCarthy’s: the pink garage
The derelict McCarthy’s Garage as it was in 2021 in Schull, Co Cork. The building today is very different, but it’s still pink! I have a few photos of the old petrol pumps that stood outside the building somewhere on this site, going further back in time. The slate roof visible on the McCarthy’s building…