A Storm Brewing

Cows waiting to be milked in a field near the Coachford Greenway. It’s a lovely walk along the River Lee, opposite Farran Woods.

I had an umbrella, and it was a good thing too, as it started raining about ten minutes later.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length240mm
ISO250
Shutter speed1/500s

Cape Clear’s Car Graveyard

What happens to old cars is one of the harsh realities of island life that doesn’t make it into the tourist brochures.

Getting a dead vehicle off Cape Clear isn’t as simple as calling a scrap dealer as everything has to go by ferry, which makes the economics of removal pretty grim for islanders already dealing with the higher costs of island living. It’s a stark reminder that even in Ireland’s most picturesque corners, people have to deal with the mundane realities of modern life, including what to do with that blue van that’s given up the ghost and will never make another trip to the mainland.

Cape Clear Island, located about 13 kilometres off the coast of West Cork, has a permanent population of around 120 people and faces unique challenges with waste disposal due to its remote location. All waste, including scrap vehicles, must be transported by ferry to the mainland, making disposal expensive and logistically complex. The island’s small size (just 6.5 square kilometers) means that space for storing unusable vehicles is extremely limited, leading to accumulations like the one shown in this photograph. Irish islands have lobbied for government assistance with waste disposal costs, as the expense of transporting bulky items like cars can be prohibitive for island communities with limited resources.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length77mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/320s

A Home Surrendered to Time

An old abandoned house on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula in Co. Cork. This isn’t the first time I’ve photographed it. In 2017 it looked much the same, but not quite as overgrown.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/125s