The Elysian will be so wonderful

If you’ve driven around Cork over the past year you can’t fail to miss the huge 17 storey tower going up in the south of the City. It’s called the Elysian and when it’s finished it will I think be the tallest building in the Republic of Ireland.

Now, compare that with the 60 storey skyscraper being built in San Francisco just a few blocks from Matt’s apartment. The top of it seems to be perpetually in fog.

Anyway, the Irish developers of the Elysian have all this positive advertising with people looking to heaven and wondrous slogans to get the positive vibe going about this massive building, when in fact it’s only a middling little building when compared with what the rest of the world has done.

Way back in 2005 this is what the building site looked like, and a year later, check out the huge crane.

I guess I’m glad that we don’t have the population density that makes huge buildings necessary, not yet anyway.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/160s

Absolutely crazy in Ireland

I spotted this sticker on the pier at Currabinny, Co. Cork. I have no idea what “Absolutely, Crazy – Cowes’05” refers to and a quick bit of research didn’t show up anything.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/125s

The Yellow Mini

A yellow BMW Mini parked on the Washington Street a while back. It sure has room in that parking space doesn’t it?

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 20mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

Wow! A super hero!

This is for all the fans of Marvel and DC Comics publications! Super heroes do exist. They live in Cork, and hand out leaflets on Patrick’s Street in front of Dunnes Stores!

Aperture ƒ/4.5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/320s

Light trails on Oliver Plunkett Street

Light trails from a passing car leave their mark on this long exposure shot of Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork.

Can you see pink lights on the vertical poles standing at the edge of the pavement? On my Linux box they’re clear as day but I can’t see them at all in Preview on the Macbook.

The lights were designed and made by MAAS here in Cork and the colour changes slowly from blues to purples to pinks to yellow and to any other colour. It’s quite a sight to see the colour change when standing at one end of this long straight street!

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 8s

Which way to Radio Kerry?

A wall in Killarney, Co. Kerry in February this year. I love the red brick and the assortment of colours – blue, red, gold, black and the creeping green at the end of the wall.

Aperture ƒ/5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/50s

MEH! No Parking!

Ah graffiti! That most visible of teenage expression on our streets and walls.

Anyway, I can’t remember where I took this. It could be one of the side streets off St. Patrick’s Street, but that’s about as vague as “somewhere in Cork” to be honest.
Typical Heineken banner flying in the background so there’s a pub around there.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/400s

King of beers

Crossing the street on St. Patrick’s Quay, Cork.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/500s

Guinness

Guinness, world famous stout brewed in Dublin, Ireland. It’s also the tipple every tourist to the country samples but I prefer beer myself! 🙂

This is a sign on a pub on Bridge Street. It’s the one on the corner near Vibes and Scribes. What’s it called?

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/100s

Heatons Awaken Your Senses

I jumped at the chance to make this photo when I saw the colour of the Heatons bag and the Super Valu advert on the bus shelter. Only later did I notice just how well the red or wine colours match!
Is there a subtle marketing ploy at play here?

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/500s

Ban Embryo Research

At the end of August last year these signs popped up around Cork City urging people to attend meetings against embryo research. In one fell swoop they reduced a very complex issue to the simple image of a smiling baby. The poster itself does have impact however.

They needn’t worry too much in Ireland. During our tour of Cork University Maternity Hospital someone asked about freezing stem cells. If the cells could be collected and stored properly then who knows? In 50 years time when a baby born today needs a heart transplant, could a new heart be grown from their own stem cells?
It doesn’t matter, under current EU law, a hospital must reach a certain standard to be legally allowed collect the cells and store them. Unfortunately the CUMH isn’t up to that standard, and this is a brand new 75m Euro facility.

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/320s