Daily Blog

Once again I could not get out despite the great weather! I think we are about to pay for it though, it feels like there is rain in the air.
Here is a picture from Lough Carra on a sunny day.

Another lovely day in mayo but once again i did not get out to get any pictures.
This picture was taken on Achill Island last Saturday evening. I was on achill to attend the opening of an Exhibition of photographs of Achill Yawls, by my friend Theresa Cawley, its well worth a look , if you happen to be near (Alices Hotel at achill Sound). I had arrived early for the schedualed Yawl racing but it was cancelled due to high wind. So I decided to make a quick trip to Cloughmore to photograph the rough seas. As you can see from the photograph however the sea on the West of the Isalnd was flat calm! You would not know from the sea in the photograph, but it was far to windy to use a tripod, and it was very difficult to stand still with the camera! usually the wind comes from the West and Cloughmore is a great place for high and crashing waves.

A lovely day in Mayo, but I had no chance to get out today. But like the rest of the country I did find time to watch Katie Taylor win GOLD !! Well done Katie....
Todays picture of Trá Bán beach was taken last week.

I was driving home from Kilalla a couple of mornings ago when the sun suddenly appeared and there was a clearing, so I decided to make a quick detour to Rosserk Abbey . When I got there I discovered the abbey was undergoing some repairs and had scaffolding erected along its Eastern wall. This meant I had to make the abbey very small in the photo so as not to highlight the scaffolding.. It was very windy and a slow shutter speed has resulted in movement in the cloud and the water .

I hope you don't mind seeing this image for a second time. I have just heard that it received a gold award in the SWPP awards for July. The picture was taken on Iniskea Island off, Belmullet, County Mayo. You can see the award winners HERE[url]

I did not get out today, the olympics are proving a big distraction! Katie Taylor was great this afternoon.

I took this picture on TráBán Beach a couple of days ago. A slow shutter speed gives the movement in the water.

Here is an other picture from yesterdays sunrise on Ross Strand Kilalla, on Mayo's East Coast!

At midnight last night I decided i should get up in the morning for a sunrise! I set the alarm for 4.15am and really struggled to obey its call. However I made it to Ross Strand Kilalla by 5.35 in plenty of time . The forecast was for cloud with no sun and I was not sure that I should have travelled, however it turned out to be a lovely morning, and I had a great time getting a number of different images.
As I retraced my steps back to the car I realized mine were the only footsteps on the beach and I must say I felt very pleased with myself. I had made a good decision to set that alarm, an even better decision to actually get up, great decision on the location, I could not actually take credit for the sunrise, but at least I was in the right place. I sat back into the car almost glowing inside and started to review the pictures on the back of the camera, it was only then that I realised the camera iso was set to 1250 instead of 200 What a Wally !! The smugness left me , and I had to laugh at myself . the pictures were not completely ruined but were not as good as they should have been.

Often in Landscape photography the sky is more important then the land. Here is a good example, taken on Achill, the picture is all about the sky.

Here is something a little different tonight. This picture was taken on Mulranny Beach, it was the colours that first attracted me, I then thought I would try a long shutter speed to show movement in the flag and the clouds. It is a twenty second exposure.

We had a lovely afternoon today, really nice after the day started with pouring rain , but I had to go over to Westport in the morning and was there with Patricia when the weather started to improve. we decided to make the most of it and went for a walk in Mulranny.

I am posting this from Dublin, where we have been all day, visiting my daughter Grainne. We should have been back in Mayo several hours ago but just as we went to leave the car broke down!! Arrangements were made to have it towed back to Mayo, but the lads who came to tow it actually fixed it!! So we are now able to go home after all !
here is another picture from Achill, this was taken at Achill Sound.

I am very late posting this evening, and indeed was very late taking todays photograph. I was on Achill for a book launch. Mary J Murphy was launching her book "Achill's Eva O Flaherty Forgotten Island Heroine" Mary had used one of my images for the front cover. I had hoped to get some pictures on Achill, and as we rushed to get to the venue on time (the launch was at 8.45pm) I decided I did not really have time before hand to take many pictures, but felt sure that with sunset at9.45 pm I might get a few shots afterwards. Patricia of course told me not too rush as the launch would be on "Achill Time" but not wanting to be late I kept rushing and got to the venue just on time. The launch started an hour later and it was after 11pm when we left!. The sun was long gone but we went up to Keem bay anyway and it was lovely in the dark. I decided to try to make a picture anyway, and its amazing what modern digital cameras are capable of. This shot almost looks like daylight. the camera settings were 30seconds @f5.6 and iso800! It won't win any prizes, but I still think its amazing as I could not see this with my eyes.

Well done to all those who climbed Croagh Patrick today ! Here is another view of the mountain, taken earlier this week from Berta

Beach.

Heres an old picture. I took this picture on film, one evening, I had climbed Croagh Patrick with a friend of mine and had just set up the camera on a tripod when this couple walked into frame. They agreed to pause for a few moments for me to make the picture. This picture then became the front cover ofa book called "Croagh Patrick, Irelands Holy Mountain" Tomorrow is "Reek Sunday" the day of the annual pilgrimage up the mountain, up to 20,000 people will climb the mountain, I won't be one of them on this occasion.

It seems like a long time since I posted a picture of Croagh patrick. here is an unusual view of the holy mountain, taken from Bertra Beach.

The sun came out for a second day in a row!! But unfortunately I was unable to take advantage so am posting another from yesterdays trip to Carramore Beach Louisbugh. You can see Clare Island on the horizon.

Summer at last!!!! The sun finally came out this morning, and afraid it would not last, I headed out towards the coast this morning, I took this picture on Carramore Strand, I loved the "delicate" sky.

Just like last Monday I went to Westport today and just like last Monday it was pouring rain, this must be the wettins Summer we have had in years. Unlike last week I decided it was just too wet to take the camera out and so anm posting another picture from the Burren in Co clare. The Burren is famous for its limestone and its wild flowers. I am always amazed by how all kinds of flowers and even small trees grow in every crack of rock. I thought this little Thyme flower was almost a garden in itself.

Last night I posted a picture of Carron Church in Co Clare. While there I found a camera, a small compact full of water. the camera had been lying in the grass for two weeks and is ruined. however it had a memory card in it and I would love to get the pictures back to their rightful owners, so if you happen to recognize this young lady ,who is the subject of many of the photos, you might get her to contact me. I know this is a bit of a longshot, but lets see how big, or small, the internet really is?