West Cork – In Photos dot Org

Church Bay’s Cosmic Cathedral

The Milky Way as seen from just above Church Bay, at Weaver Point, in Co. Cork. This was last night, a few minutes after the moon had set. Unfortunately, the centre of the galaxy was hidden behind a bank of clouds at the horizon. The forecast said there would be about 30% cloud, but thankfully it mostly didn’t cover most of the galaxy.

The best time to see the centre of the Milky Way again from Ireland will be in March 2026. However, you’ll still be able to shoot the less bright celestial arms once the moon has set for a good few weeks, probably.

I recommend using Sun Surveyor to plan a Milky Way shot. Photopills is good too, but the street view integration in Sun Surveyor is difficult to beat.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	6400
Shutter speed	20s

Rocks in the Misty Surf of West Cork

The restless Atlantic waves become ghostly veils of white mist caressing the rocks on Owenahincha Beach, Co Cork.

Henry shared a photo of this same rock yesterday. There are lovely swirls of water in his photo.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

Driftwood at Owenahincha

Last night Blarney Photography Club travelled to Owenahincha Beach to do some seascapes. We hoped to do some Milky Way photography later in the evening too but cloud cover got thicker and after some socialising in the nearby Celtic Ross Hotel we went home.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

Bantry Market’s Most Diverse Stall

Traditional Catholic culture meets modern Irish culture in this stall. A statue of Mary holds a Cork flag, the red and white instantly recognisable by anyone in the County.

There’s something for everyone at this stall.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/1600s

A Bantry Market Character

People of all ages come to the market in Bantry, Co Cork, looking for bargains.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

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

Sailing Through Time

Someone walking past a sail in Kinsale made for a nice slow-motion intentional camera movement photo.

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	49mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1.3s

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

The Red Van Chronicles

A trader at the market in Bantry puts his stuff away at the end of the market day. During the day, stalls are set up around the main square (well, rectangle, technically) as well as in a nearby car park.

Yes, he was parked in an accessible parking spot, which made this more interesting, but the car park was full of traders that day, and nobody else was parking there.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/640s

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

Art for sale

A black and white photo of an outdoor market scene in Skibbereen, Co Cork, Ireland. In the foreground, a table displays framed paintings, books, and art prints, with a floral-patterned backdrop featuring more artwork. Several people are visible: one man stands to the left in a striped shirt, another sits reading a book, and a group of people walk in the background. The setting is lively, with a mix of shoppers and vendors, and the market is held alongside a row of buildings and an old stone church.

Selling art at the farmer’s market in Skibbereen a few years ago.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	16mm
ISO	160
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