I was there too
Last night Blarney Photography Club travelled to Owenahincha Beach to do some seascapes. We hoped to do some Milky Way photography later in the evening too but cloud cover got thicker and after some socialising in the nearby Celtic Ross Hotel we went home.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 2s |
Dunquin Harbour is mostly photographed from the cliffs above because there is a narrow winding path that descends on a steep trajectory to sea level.
As I said previously in my photo of An Fear Marbh the sky was a monochrome grey but suddenly the clouds dispersed and some of the lovely light of the sunset leaked through. This is a bracketed shot I got from near sea level before rushing up the path to get a few more photos. 🙂
Dunquin Harbour served as the traditional departure point for boats traveling to the now-uninhabited Blasket Islands, with the last permanent residents leaving in 1953. The harbour’s dramatic location at the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula made it strategically important for accessing the islands, despite the challenging Atlantic conditions. The area is rich in Irish language and culture, being part of the Kerry Gaeltacht where Irish is still spoken as a community language. The distinctive rock formations visible in this photograph are part of the ancient geological structure of the Dingle Peninsula, composed primarily of Devonian sandstones and siltstones that were formed over 400 million years ago and shaped by countless Atlantic storms.
| Aperture | ƒ/13 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/5s |
A beautiful brass candle stand in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork. When Helios was on display in the Cathedral, I visited there with Blarney Photography Club and took the opportunity to photograph other parts of the cathedral’s artistic heritage.
The inscription above reads, “NÃ mar is toil liomsa, ach mar is toil leatsa”, which roughly translates as, “Not as I will, but as you will”. A reference to the Biblical quote, “Not my will, but thy will be done”.
St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, completed in 1879, is the Church of Ireland cathedral of Cork and is renowned for its French Gothic Revival architecture and exceptional craftsmanship. The cathedral contains numerous examples of fine metalwork, woodcarving, and stained glass, much of it created by Irish artisans.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 23mm |
| ISO | 640 |
| Shutter speed | 1/6s |
If you wander down St. Patrick Street in Cork on a Saturday you’re sure to bump into this gentleman who is there in front of Murray’s with his global warning sign. He’s been there most Saturdays since at least 2016.
It turns out he has nothing to do with global warming, the very real danger all of humanity faces. He’s part of an evangelical Christian movement warning about the end times and judgment coming to the Earth.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
It looked like there wouldn’t be any sunset, but I was down at the bottom of Dunquin Pier when I saw an orange glow coming from behind the large rock blocking my view of the sun that had just set.
If you know how steep that path down to the pier is, I hope you’ll have some sympathy for me as I raced up again to capture what turned out to be a momentary break in the thick clouds. I was surprised I saw any colour in the sky!
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 42mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/8s |
A series of photos showing men fishing off the pier at Ballycotton, Co Cork a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful evening. Lovely time to be there.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
This is the narrow bridge that crosses the River Lee near the Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills.
I found out today while doing a little research that the bridge was built in 1805, replacing an older 6 arch bridge. It’s very narrow, but a survey showed that 7,000 cars cross it every day!
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/30s |
An Asian hornet was spotted in Cork recently. If they gain a hold in this country it could be very bad news for bumblebees like the one in this photo.
This particular bee had 3 of us surrounding her with cameras trying to photograph her as she fed on the nectar of this little flower.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 4000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
It’s sometimes hard to believe there was a gunpowder mill in this area, but look around and you’ll see the ruins everywhere. Here though, I found a winding, worn path running parallel to the neat tarmac of the modern path.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1s |
A slightly battered boat in Ballycotton, Co Cork.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 124mm |
| ISO | 2000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
There were 6 or 7 people fishing in Ballycotton. Most were standing on the pier, but these two had climbed up on the pier wall. Judging by the bag of fish they had, it was a good choice of location.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/160s |
These intimate details from a single fishing boat in Ballycotton harbour tell the story of Ireland’s working coastline better than any wide-angle vista could manage. Every weathered rope, rusty chain, and salt-stained life ring speaks to the daily reality of earning a living from the sea.
Ballycotton’s fishing fleet primarily targets lobster, crab, and various fish species in the rich waters off the East Cork coast. The heavy rope and chain equipment visible in these photographs is essential for handling fishing gear in the often rough conditions of the Celtic Sea. Modern Irish fishing boats like this one typically use a combination of traditional techniques and modern technology, with equipment that must meet strict safety regulations while remaining practical for daily use. The life rings and safety equipment visible are mandatory under Irish maritime law, and the weathered appearance of the boat’s equipment reflects the harsh marine environment that constantly tests both vessels and crew along Ireland’s Atlantic coast.
Videos I think you’ll learn from:
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |
