Irish coast – In Photos dot Org

Dunquin’s Dramatic Edge

Dunquin Harbour is mostly photographed from the cliffs above because there is a narrow winding path that descends on a steep trajectory to sea level.

As I said previously in my photo of An Fear Marbh the sky was a monochrome grey but suddenly the clouds dispersed and some of the lovely light of the sunset leaked through. This is a bracketed shot I got from near sea level before rushing up the path to get a few more photos. 🙂

Dunquin Harbour served as the traditional departure point for boats traveling to the now-uninhabited Blasket Islands, with the last permanent residents leaving in 1953. The harbour’s dramatic location at the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula made it strategically important for accessing the islands, despite the challenging Atlantic conditions. The area is rich in Irish language and culture, being part of the Kerry Gaeltacht where Irish is still spoken as a community language. The distinctive rock formations visible in this photograph are part of the ancient geological structure of the Dingle Peninsula, composed primarily of Devonian sandstones and siltstones that were formed over 400 million years ago and shaped by countless Atlantic storms.

Aperture	ƒ/13
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/5s

An Fear Marbh at Sunset

It looked like there wouldn’t be any sunset, but I was down at the bottom of Dunquin Pier when I saw an orange glow coming from behind the large rock blocking my view of the sun that had just set.

If you know how steep that path down to the pier is, I hope you’ll have some sympathy for me as I raced up again to capture what turned out to be a momentary break in the thick clouds. I was surprised I saw any colour in the sky!

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	42mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/8s

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

Heroes of the Sea

The RNLI flag flies in Ballycotton Harbour.

The RNLI operates one of Ireland’s busiest lifeboat stations at Ballycotton, which launched 57 times in 2023 alone, rescuing 49 people and assisting 67 others. The station operates an all-weather lifeboat capable of handling the most challenging sea conditions off the Cork coast. Ballycotton RNLI has a proud history dating back to 1858, and the station’s crews have been awarded numerous medals for gallantry, including gold medals for particularly heroic rescues. The RNLI is a charity that relies entirely on voluntary donations and is crewed by unpaid volunteers who undergo extensive training to perform rescues in some of the most dangerous maritime conditions around the British and Irish coasts.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	110mm
ISO	125
Shutter speed	1/250s

The Lighthouse and Tidal Treasures

The tide was very far out when we visited Ballycotton last week, so I wandered out on the rocks, carefully avoiding the slippery seaweed, and took a few photos.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	2.5s

Ballycotton’s Spectacular Sky

The golden hour at sunset is spectacular but I love the amazing colours you might be lucky to see after the sun has set. Such happened on Thursday night in Ballycotton. This is a panoramic photo of several photos stitched together to make one larger one. The dark, dramatic cloud was too wide for my lens, but even though it was dark, handheld panoramas are possible these days if you’re careful.

The phenomenon captured in this photograph occurs when the sun has set below the observer’s horizon but continues to illuminate high-altitude clouds from below, creating dramatic lighting effects known as “alpenglow” or “afterglow.” This effect is particularly pronounced in coastal areas like Ballycotton, where the unobstructed western horizon allows for clear sunset views, while high clouds moving in from the Atlantic provide the perfect canvas for these spectacular post-sunset displays. The pink and purple colours result from the way the atmosphere scatters different wavelengths of light, with longer wavelengths (reds and pinks) penetrating further through the atmosphere to reach the high clouds even after the sun has disappeared from view.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/13s

Purple Skies Over Ballycotton

I was in Ballycotton last night on an outing with Blarney Photography Club. Our summer outings are a highlight of the year and always a nice social event for all involved.

When we got there, it was a nice evening, and I hoped there would be a nice sunset, and there was, but after the sun set, the sky lit up in a spectacular way. Fishermen were nearby, providing a nice silhouette for my photo.

We had hoped to photograph the Moon as it rose beyond the lighthouse there, but a thick band of cloud prevented us from seeing it until it was far off to the side. Maybe another day.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	27mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/10s

A boat disturbs the water

As you may have seen over the last few days I was taking photos of the boats moored in Kinsale Harbour. Until another boat came along and sped past, disturbing the scene and rocking everything about. Still a lovely evening there, and it was about time to move on anyway. 🙂

Aperture	ƒ/18
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	50
Shutter speed	1/8s

Masts and Mirrors

I visited Kinsale recently with Blarney Photography Club. Many photos were taken all around the town, but I went down the quay to start with the boats mooored nearby.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	46mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

Youghal’s Charming Beach Huts

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

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