I had no idea these beach huts were in Youghal until about a week ago, but I just love the colour and shape of each one.
| Aperture | ƒ/14 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 166mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
Tag Archives: County Cork
Trading Tales and Treasures
Two men enjoying a chat at the Bantry market almost exactly a year ago this week.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
A Sentinel at Sunset
A groyne standing upright by the seashore near Youghal.
The wooden post in this photograph is part of Youghal’s coastal defence system called groynes. They are structures built perpendicular to the shore to prevent beach erosion by trapping sand moved by longshore drift. These timber groynes at Youghal are regularly maintained and replaced as part of ongoing coastal management efforts by Cork County Council. The long exposure technique used in this photograph typically requires exposure times of 30 seconds to several minutes, using neutral density filters to reduce the amount of light entering the camera, which creates the smooth, ethereal water effect by averaging out the motion of waves over time.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 39mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 13s |
The Watchtower and Seaside Blooms
The lifeguard tower at the end of the main section of the beach at Youghal. The beach does continue on, but the sand was green with algae and it was obvious it’s not used by humans much.
I love the matching colours in this photo. I spent a good few minutes kneeling in damp sand and dirt trying to get this photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
A Hidden Retreat on Sherkin Island
An old van sits in the driveway of a house on Sherkin Island, Co Cork. The barrier blocking the way is apparently used extensively on the islands off the Irish coast and in other rural areas, but I’m more familiar with seeing them in WWII films or war zones!
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 103mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
McCarthy’s: the pink garage
The derelict McCarthy’s Garage as it was in 2021 in Schull, Co Cork. The building today is very different, but it’s still pink! I have a few photos of the old petrol pumps that stood outside the building somewhere on this site, going further back in time.
The slate roof visible on the McCarthy’s building is typical of traditional Irish architecture. Irish slate was quarried extensively in counties like Valentia Island in Kerry and was prized for its durability and weather resistance, often lasting well over 100 years when properly maintained, which explains why so many original slate roofs still grace Irish buildings today.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
West Cork for Palestine in Skibbereen
While enjoying the market in Skibbereen I spotted a march in support of Palestine and got a few photos. It was West Cork for Palestine marching. They were a small group but made up for it in noise and their presence.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/640s |
The Watchful Eye of Sheep’s Head
Several years ago on Sheep’s Head we went for a walk and discovered a lovely horse nearby!
Did you know? Horses have nearly 360-degree vision due to the placement of their eyes on the sides of their heads, allowing them to spot predators from almost any direction without moving their heads.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.8 |
| Camera | SM-G998B |
| Focal length | 6.7mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/100s |
Lifebuoy on Duty
It’s reassuring to see lifebuoys at the beach, especially when the sea is rough. Unfortunately, not every person in distress in the water can be saved, as has happened at this beach in Youghal in the past.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 106mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Eggs for Sale
A visit to the market in Skibbereen in 2019 was productive. I’ve posted a number of photos from that hour or so on here over the years, and there are still a few more to go.
August 2019 feels like a lifetime ago.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Coastal Adventure in West Cork
Just a few months shy of ten years ago, we’d visited Sherkin Island and as we were leaving I spotted a man on a RIB talking to two others on their dingy. It was a lovely warm August day, just before school was about to start again.
In the background is the famous Baltimore Beacon, built in 1849 as a navigation guide.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 6D |
| Focal length | 105mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Flying Hooves at Dawstown Point to Point
A few of the photos I took today at the Dawstown Point to Point. We’ve been very lucky in the last few years that the weather has been good when these races were held!
| Aperture | ƒ/5.6 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 163mm |
| ISO | 640 |
| Shutter speed | 1/2000s |