Blarney Photography Club – In Photos dot Org

Carey’s Lane After Dark

I was out with Blarney Photography Club during the summer and one member of the club kneeled to photograph Carey’s Lane. I went high and lifted my camera over my head to get it from a different perspective!

Carey’s Lane is one of Cork’s oldest medieval streets, originally part of the walled city that dates back to the 12th century. The narrow width and cobblestone surface are remnants of medieval urban planning, designed for foot traffic and horse-drawn carts. The modern drainage channel follows the same path that medieval gutters would have taken, showing how some aspects of urban infrastructure remain remarkably consistent across centuries.

Aperture	ƒ/3.5
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	1/500s

Ballycotton’s Beacon on the Island

The lighthouse on the island just off the coast by Ballycotton is always a nice subject for a photo. The night we were there, we hoped to photograph the moon rising behind the lighthouse but a large bank of cloud covered the horizon.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	124mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	1/250s

love sweet love

A doorway in Kinsale saying what we all hope for in this crazy, violent world. Free Palestine.

Videos I watched recently:

Aperture	ƒ/7.1
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	3200
Shutter speed	1/125s

Shadows of North Main Street

A month ago, Cork City Council acquired 4 eyesore buildings at the top of North Main Street in Cork. They are in a prominent location and not used for much over the years – I remember a shoe store in one, a clothes store in the place next to it and a retro goods store too. They’ve been mostly derelict for a long time.

Hopefully they’ll be demolished and we’ll see something decent done with the location.

North Main Street sits on one of Cork’s oldest thoroughfares and was actually built on reclaimed marshland. The street runs parallel to what was once the original course of the River Lee before extensive land reclamation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the Georgian buildings here were constructed using limestone quarried from local Cork quarries, which is why they’ve developed that distinctive weathered patina that photographs so beautifully in black and white.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	12800
Shutter speed	1/500s

Father Mathew Quay Torn Up

Father Mathew Quay is a road that is definitely closed. The tarmac has been torn up to be remade into something better, hopefully.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	25mm
ISO	1000
Shutter speed	1/500s

It’s a bird city

Seagull with open beak standing over a discarded sandwich on asphalt pavement in Cork City

Adult seagull and juvenile gull sharing a dropped sandwich on a city street in Cork, with the younger bird showing mottled brown plumage

Cork City, where birds have become incredibly adept at turning human carelessness into dining opportunities.

Urban-adapted birds like the seagulls and crows photographed here have developed significantly different behaviours compared to their rural counterparts. City-dwelling seagulls often show reduced fear responses to humans and have learned to time their foraging around peak human activity periods, such as lunch hours when dropped food is most available.

Crows, meanwhile, have demonstrated remarkable problem-solving abilities in urban environments and can even learn to associate specific locations with regular food sources. Studies have shown that urban bird populations often have different dietary compositions, stress hormone levels, and even song patterns compared to rural birds, reflecting their adaptation to city life and the constant presence of human activity.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	150mm
ISO	400
Shutter speed	1/320s

Rocks in the Misty Surf of West Cork

The restless Atlantic waves become ghostly veils of white mist caressing the rocks on Owenahincha Beach, Co Cork.

Henry shared a photo of this same rock yesterday. There are lovely swirls of water in his photo.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

Cathedral Candlelight in Cork

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, “Ní 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

Sunset Fishing at Ballycotton Pier

Four fishermen silhouetted against golden sunset sky while angling from Ballycotton pier with layered clouds and reflected light on water, County Cork

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.

Evening fishing scene showing silhouetted anglers on Ballycotton pier with dramatic storm clouds gathering overhead and village buildings visible in background, County Cork

Sunset fishing at Ballycotton pier with harbour crane silhouetted against dramatic sky, anglers casting lines as sun sets over the water, County Cork

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/320s

Fireworks at the 2025 Cobh People’s Regatta

A few simple edits of fireworks in Cobh on Sunday night. Great fun and a great night out with friends!

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	169mm
ISO	800
Shutter speed	3s

Inniscarra’s Historic Stone Bridge

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

Bee goes buzz

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