Glendalough Bridge

We spent last weekend driving – up to Bray in Co. Wicklow, visited Glendalough, The Sally Gap and promptly got lost a few times on the way to Avoca!
On Sunday we returned to Cork, but took a detour via Tullow and Carlow to visit Killkenny. We called to friends in Fermoy and arrived home late last night.
The N11 on the east coast is very impressive! Getting to Killkenny from Bray is a chore however. There are only secondary roads the whole way, but the scenery is amazing and we saw bits of the country we hadn’t been to before!
This is the first photo from that trip taken at Glendalough.
The round tower in the background was built sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries. Round Towers were built to protect monastic scriptures, gold and property from Viking raiders. The only entrance is far off the ground, and easily defended.

Aperture ƒ/6.3
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/100s

Welcome to 2006!

It’s 2006 here in Ireland, and we’re celebrating in style! I can’t eat any more after dinner out in Aroma, a visit to a pub, an hour or two spent at a friend’s party and a visit to my brother Donal and Celine!
Fireworks marking the end of the year in which Cork was European Capital of Culture lit up the sky over the city! I wasn’t there to record it because the driving rain and cold wind made it very inhospitable outside. Donal should have a few pictures online in the next few days!
Pictured is the Jeanie Johnston in Waterford last July. She took part in the Tall Ship’s Race from there on the weekend of July 9th.