Having more time over the Summer helps get out more and the beautiful Summer and the longer evenings repaid us all in kind. Following several visits to West Cork with Darren Lane, I set off on the August Bank Holiday weekend not realising that my weekend would turn into a 5 day photobinge. It was great to meet up with great photogrphers like Darren Lane, Mark O Brien, Gavin Byrne and Frank Brady. First stop was Ardmore and then on to Camden Fort in Crosshaven.
The old tower on Ardmore Head as the sun was setting and an early harvest underway.
This photo was taken deep in the heart of Camden Fort which over looks the mouth of Cork Harbour from the Crosshaven side.
This shot was taken aboard a hired boat from Baltimore to the Fastnet. A group of 12 Irish Landscape and Munster Landscape Photographers spent an evening aboard visiting the Fastnet at sunset.
The amazing and wonderful Fastnet Lighthouse built in 1904 and the second lighthouse to be built on this rock. When it was first constructed, there were two lighthouses standing side by side until they dismantled the older lighthouse. It was removed because of fears that the power of the sea could snap the neck of the old lighthouse in a storm as happened to an identical lighthouse on Calf Island off of the Beara Peninsula. These were great men who used granite blocks to build this amazing architectural feat and not one worker was killed or ecen injured in its making.
Having been told by Met Eirinn that there would be a sunny start to the day, several of the Fastnet group including Mark, Frank and I met up with Darren Lane at Guagane Barra but once again the sun eluded us there. However the lake was dead calm and as a bonus, Frank pointed out The Tailor’s grave in the graveyard on the lakeside. The Tailor, Tim Buckley, is a great character who lived in the area over a 80 years ago and was made even more famous by Eric Cross in his book, ‘The Tailor and Ansty’ which I had been reading at the time.
Following Guagane Barra Darren Lane and myself went shooting in Mid-Cork. This was one shot I took at Lough Allua near Ballingeary. Whoever would paint a boat pink!! The lake was dead calm.
Next up, Kilcrea Abbey. Darren headed home in preparation for our trip to the Dingle Peninsula. I headed to the golden fields of Kilcrea and then back to Ardmore before heading to West Kerry. Normally there are turnips in this field so it was great that they planted barley with great lead in lines!
Inch beach is one of my favourite beaches in Ireland. Photographically it never disappoints. Here is a minimalist shot of a couple walking southward.
Coumeeenole Beach between Slea Head and Dunmore Head is a wild place and it was particularly fierce the morning we arrived along with 3,000 other people!!! The area is nearly always busy as the water action never fails to produce exciting photos. Be careful and don’t lose your camera bag.