Cork – In Photos dot Org

Sale at Brown Thomas

The January sales in Brown Thomas attract many but the shop is a good place to meet someone as I presume this gentleman was, back in 2016.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	Canon EOS 6D
Focal length	105mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	1/250s

When the Lee Became a Mirror

The Banks of the Lee were quite different by the Peace Park in 2004. Trees and shrubs obscured the river from the small park. It looks so different now.

Aperture	ƒ/4.5
Camera	CYBERSHOT
Focal length	11mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

I shared a couple of photos of The Undertones last year but since they’re coming back to Cork next year and tickets just became available I decided to go look through the shots from that night again. They are fantastic, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again when they visit Cork.

The atmosphere in Cyprus Avenue is electric, and the lighting is so atmospheric and dazzling. Great venue for a gig.

The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1974 and became one of the most important bands to emerge from the late 1970s punk movement. Their debut single “Teenage Kicks” (1978) was famously championed by legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who called it his favourite song of all time and requested it be played at his funeral (it was). What makes The Undertones particularly notable is that they emerged from Derry during the height of the Troubles, yet their music deliberately avoided political themes, instead focusing on universal teenage experiences like romance, frustration, and growing up. This made them hugely influential in showing that Northern Irish bands didn’t have to be defined by the conflict. The band’s current lineup still features four of the five original members, though original lead singer Feargal Sharkey left in 1983. They reformed in 1999 with new vocalist Paul McLoone and have been touring consistently since, proving that great punk rock ages remarkably well!

Aperture	ƒ/1.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	75mm
ISO	4000
Shutter speed	1/160s

Cork in Miniature

I love this mural showing various sights around Cork City. It’s just off Paul Street and well worth a look. The artist, Garreth Joyce, painted it in 2023.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/125s

What is Home?

The mural, “What is Home?” by the artist Asbestos, at the end of South Main Street, in Cork. As seen through the ring of a nearby life buoy hanging on a pole.

Aperture	ƒ/1.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	75mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/640s

The Capital of Culchies

Twenty years ago Emmett Place in Cork was full of skateboarders jumping over ramps and very very close to a couple of photographers like me. I got some nice shots of them that have appeared here over the years but I missed this one, somehow!

Twenty years ago. Cork in 2005. I wonder where they are now?

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	18mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/80s

Kinsale in Full Bloom

Kinsale’s tidy towns group must work overtime and they do a fantastic job of keeping the town tidy and colourful. These flowers were in a small boat at the end of the quay and make the area look so pretty.

Aperture	ƒ/3.5
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	500
Shutter speed	1/125s

Horse Riding by the Surf

A horse and rider just after coming out of the water. They’d been wading through the water out further. Good exercise for the horse.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	178mm
ISO	160
Shutter speed	1/400s

Kinsale’s Waterfront Serenity

If you’ve ever been to Kinsale in Co Cork, you’ll immediately recognise the house and tree in the picture above. If you go back in my archives you’ll probably find a photo of it from another angle, but it’s so nice I thought I should take another photo. 🙂

TIL that style of large, spreading tree you see dominating this Kinsale scene is likely a Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), which became incredibly fashionable to plant on Irish estates during the Georgian and Victorian periods. These trees were imported from the eastern Mediterranean and became status symbols for wealthy landowners. Having a mature Cedar of Lebanon on your property basically announced “we’ve been here long enough to grow something this impressive.” They can live for over 1,000 years and develop those distinctive horizontal, layered branches that make them instantly recognisable. The tree in this photograph is probably 150-200 years old based on its size and shape, meaning it was likely planted sometime in the early to mid-1800s when Kinsale was thriving as a fishing port and naval base. So that tree has essentially witnessed the entire modern history of the town!

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	49mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

The Geometry of Retail

I was having a coffee and scone at the café in the Cornmarket Centre when I spotted the circles on the roof. Apparently they are acoustic baffles to absorb sound waves and echoes. I guess it is quite a large enclosed area..

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	1/30s

When Art Meets Daily Life on Sullivan’s Quay

I love the murals around Cork City, and the mural on Sullivan’s Quay is particularly eye-catching. Ordinary life continues on, but at least we’re treated to the gorgeous colours whenever we pass by.