Tag Archives: 2021

The Mother of our Cats

Mommy Cat, a now elderly cat who has lived with us for over 12 years now, is a semi wild cat who brought her kittens to us many years ago. There were six cats altogether. Three boys, a girl and their mother. She has never let us rub her, unless we get a sneaky rub in as she’s facing away but she immediately tries to bat our hands away. However, her offspring were and are the most affectionate cats. Unfortunately the three boys were killed on the main road beyond the ditch. Mommy Cat rarely leaves our garden now, and Hoppy mustn’t go far as there are feral cats around.

Aperture ƒ/6.3
Camera ILCE-7M3
Focal length 600mm
ISO 8000
Shutter speed 1/500s

Covid19 Supporters Unite

Supporters of SARS-CoV-2 gathered on the Grand Parade yesterday to encourage members of the public to get infected with the virus instead of being vaccinated as it’s “just like the flu” or “the vaccine makes you sick”. There was a good turn out at the event and a spokesperson for the virus said they hoped for a positive bump in numbers in the next two weeks.

Thankfully they’re in the minority as 88.1% of over-18s in Ireland are now vaccinated. The journey to removing all restrictions will start next month, culminating on October 22nd when the only real restrictions will be:

  • Use of EU Digital Covid Certificate for international travel.
  • Wearing of facemasks in medical settings, retail and public transport.

The virus hasn’t gone away. Those that are vaccinated can still catch it but probably won’t get as sick or end up in hospital. I’m still going to be careful until numbers really go down.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera ILCE-7M3
Focal length 27mm
ISO 500
Shutter speed 1/500s

The Lispole Viaduct

If you’ve been to Dingle you’ve probably passed through the village of Lispole. It’s on that long fairly straight road where the speed limit is 60km/h. There are lovely views from the top of the hill overlooking the village and this viaduct sits behind the petrol station at the bottom of the village.

I’d seen the viaduct many times over the years but (I think) never stopped to photograph it until 2 weeks ago. According to a nearby sign it was part of the Dingle – Tralee railway line which ran from 1891 to 1953. An important part of the long community so long ago.

Aperture ƒ/1.8
Camera SM-G998B
Focal length 6.7mm
ISO 50
Shutter speed 1/1100s

Ballycanneen Sunset

I was late getting to Dooneen Pier this particular evening so I pulled over and took photos from where I stopped. A couple of nice photos came from this evening. They’ll appear here over the next few months. 馃檪

HDR image was made in Affinity Photo. It did a much better job than Lightroom. I did import it back into Lightroom to touch up and keep it within my normal photography workflow.

B贸thar an Uisce

B贸thar an Uisce, or River Lane, in Dingle is on a junction with Dykegate Street where my favourite caf茅 in the town sits. Thyme Out Caf茅 & Delicatessen (Google Maps) is in a lovely old building serving vegetarian and vegan food. Brenda makes an amazing breakfast burrito, and her delux baguette is delicious! Yes, of course I took photos. I’ll share them some day but if you’re in Dingle make sure to visit Thyme Out!

Aperture ƒ/2.2
Camera SM-G998B
Focal length 2.2mm
ISO 50
Shutter speed 1/1250s

The Sweet Pea Cat

I’m 99% certain I took a photo of this cat a few years ago and published it here but I cannot find it. The original photo was shot as we walked past at night and the cat was asleep in the window, just above the painting on the wall so it’s memorable. If I find it, I’ll link it here!

Dingle, July 2021.

Edit in September 2021, his name is Angel! Kieren Frost took a wonderful photo of him too.

Aperture ƒ/1.8
Camera SM-G998B
Focal length 6.7mm
ISO 50
Shutter speed 1/800s

Fog rolls into the Conor Pass

It was a beautiful evening in Dingle. Light clouds in the distance promised a fantastic sunset. I decided to head to Stradbally Beach to the north of the town but time was running out. Up and down the Conor Pass and as I drove along the road I saw clouds rolls in off the sea and worried they would hide the sun. I looked to my left and saw a blazing red ball of fire hanging a few degrees above the horizon and hoped I’d get my camera out in time to photograph it.

It was my first time to Stradbally Beach and the road I hoped to follow to the beach turned out to be a private caravan & camping site, with a gate across the entrance. I drove on. The sun dipped below the high dunes next to the road and eventually I came across an opening where quickly parked. I grabbed my camera and tripod and ran to the beach, only to see a sliver of the red sun disappear behind the cloud on the horizon! To say I was disappointed is an understatement!
I consoled myself by taking photos of a nearby headland in the cloud, and the rotting wooden stakes of a beach fence that might look good in black and white.

As I drove back to Dingle I saw that clouds were creeping inland from the sea and the sky was still somewhat bright. This photo was taken on the way into the Conor Pass. It was stunning to see and even though I was eaten alive by midgies I’m glad I stopped and it made up for my earlier disappointment.

The Conor Pass and the north side of the Dingle Peninsula was covered in the cloud the next day. The south side basked in boiling heat!

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera ILCE-7M3
Focal length 24mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 3.2s

Around And Around We Go

The Spin City Funfair visits Dingle during the summer months and features the “Star Flyer” where participants are raised about 40m into the air before twirling them around and and around. No way will you get me on something like that! I’ll happily take photos of it though.

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera ILCE-7M3
Focal length 240mm
ISO 4000
Shutter speed 1/250s
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