I was there too
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 |
The path forks around one of the ruins of the gunpowder mill in Ballincollig Regional Park, Cork. Everything is overgrown, but access is easy. Inside that building, it looks like this.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 4s |
The weir in Ballincollig Regional Park collapsed in 2014, but this photo was taken many years before that, in 2003. Repairs to the weird have been delayed over and over again, unfortunately.
| Aperture | ƒ/8.2 |
| Camera | FinePix2800ZOOM |
| Focal length | 36mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/270s |
A grey wagtail pictured in Ballincollig Regional Park during the summer. He was hopping around in the bushes next to the River Lee, when Rory spotted him, got a few photos and called me over to see. I’d never have seen him otherwise, as he’s tiny.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 571.8mm |
| ISO | 4000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
Amid the solemn remnants of a once-sturdy edifice, nature reclaims its dominion as elegant trees emerge from the heart of the ruins. Time has crumbled the walls and worn away the foundations, leaving behind a hauntingly beautiful tableau. The delicate yet resilient trunks of these trees writhe upwards like sinuous dancers, their journey culminating in a verdant embrace that forms a living canopy above.
This evocative scene unfolds within the historic locale of the Gunpowder Mills in Ballincollig. Here, the convergence of human ingenuity and nature’s inexorable advance creates a poignant contrast, as the tenacious growth of the trees emerges amidst the tangible echoes of a forgotten past. The rustle of leaves in the breeze and the interplay of sunlight and shadow across the time-worn stones stir the senses, transporting the observer to a realm where time’s tapestry weaves together the threads of creation and decay.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 6s |
On a particularly foggy morning in December 2002 I wandered around Ballincollig Regional Park. I photographed the weir that morning in the mist. Wasn’t much to be heard except the rushing of the water.
Some fifteen years later the centre of the weir would collapse. The OPW may rebuild it at a cost of over €1m. Hopefully that happens.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | FinePix2800ZOOM |
| Focal length | 8.2mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/170s |
