Daily Blog

Yesterday I received a comment thanking me for removing the copyright mark from the front of the image. I did this in error! And from today , unless I make further errors the copyright mark will return. But I thought I should explain why I have started to do this. I have posted a picture everyday for three years now,both on this site and on Facebook and for the most part I did not use a copyright mark . I was often advised to use a mark but felt it diminished the idea of sharing, just a little. I consider it a compliment when people like an image enough to share it further , however it no longer feels like a compliment if people are passing the pictures off as their own , without any credit back to the author. The copyright mark takes care of this issue.
I spend a lot of time, a lot of money and also a little skill creating all these images, and I do believe in " credit where credit is due"
I can only take credit for the photography of course, I cannot take credit for the fantastic beauty that I am privileged to see all around County Mayo, that credit belongs somewhere else.........

Here is a "sunny "picture from Keem Strand.For a few months in the year Keem is a great place for a sunrise, as it faces East. But its no good for sunsets. I was there last week about twenty minutes before sunset, but as the sun set behind the beach it still created some interesting lighting on the side of the bay.

Yesterday I was complaining about the weather. I can have no complaints today .....accept I did not manage to get out with the camera at all. Todays picture was taken at the foot of the cliffs at Downpatrick head on a calm day! Imagine what the waves are like on a rough day!

More rain in Mayo today. Bizzare listening to RTE radio of course based in Dublin, and later listening to Newstalk broadcasting from Cork, both reporting glorious weather! While it just rained here, I was in the car at the time and switched off the radio!!
Tonights picture was also taken on a day that kind of sums up the summer we have had in Mayo!!

Up Mayo !!!
What a thrilling win Mayo had over Dublin today in the All Ireland Football Semi Final, but they certainly kept us on the edge of our seats right up until the end!!
Todays picture is of Clare Island and was taken on the Atlantic Drive just outside Mulranny.

I was in Mulranny this evening, I brought the camera but it was a horrible evening, misty rain and wind. So here is a picture of Mulranny beach on a better day!

Here is another picture from yesterdays jaunt into Co Roscommon. This ruined church is in the grounds of the Lough Key Forrest Park. When I saw it first I was a little disappointed as it is surrounded by a tall fence, no doubt for "Health and Safety" reasons. I sometimes think Health and Safety has the country ruined! AnywayI had decided not to photograph it but on walking around I found this viewpoint which looked good, and I then removed the fence in photoshop!

Here is a rare picture from Co Rosscomon! I was in Ballaghadereen to meet with my framer John Dolan. I asked john to suggest somewhere I might go for a photograph or two. I'll do better then that say John, I'll come with you! So John and I took a quick trip to Lough Key Forrest Park. the picture shows Mcdermotts Castle, which is on an island on the Lough.

We had lots of rain again today but I took this picture in Westport last Saturday , as you can see the sun was shining!!! A rare sight this summer. Mind you the flower displays in Westport don't seem to have suffered too much from the weather.

Here is another picture which I thought would look better in Black and White. This is the view from Clough More on Achill Island, looking towards the Minaun Heights.

Here is a picture from yesterday's visit to North Mayo. The sea stake is called Dunbriste and is one of my favourite locations. The sea was very calm yesterday but a long exposure gives movement to the water and I think along with the exclusion of colour enhances the mood of the photo.

We awoke to a lovely sunny morning, so took our Maltese visitors to North Mayo ,on our journey home, we visited a number of historic sites, starting with Rathfran Abbey built in 1274, we then visited St Patricks Cathederal, Kilalla. The cathederal is one of the smallest in Ireland and is still in use by the Church of Ireland. It stands on the site of the first church built by St Patrick in 442AD . the present Cathederal was built in 1670AD, I imagined that Rathfran Abbey , if it were still in use would look and feel very similar to the cathederal on the inside. Kilalla was a very important ecclesiastical site in Ireland, further evidenced by the Round Tower that can be seen from one of the windows in the Cathederal.

Spent a lovely day on Achill Island with some friends, this was the last picture taken.

Not a landscape, but definitely Irish! This boat is called a Curragh a traditional Irish boat and was photographed in North Mayo. It was the location of the Tricolour above it that attracted me to take the picture.

Lots of rain in Mayo today and I did not get out with the camera. Here is another picture taken at Downpatrick head last week.

Very late posting today, just back from a trip to Dublin, I travelled from Galway and stopped near Ballinasloe to visit this Abbey at Clontuskert. Apparently there has been a monastery on this site since the seventh century ! The current building however dates from the twelfth century.

I am sure that when I am out taking my landscape pictures I must sometimes make a strange site. On this occasion I was crouched down over a very low tripod trying to get a particular view, while behind me this cow approached with a very puzzled look on its face!!

Here is another picture from Downpatrick Head , Ballycastle North Mayo taken on Saturday evening about half an hour after sunset.

I have lived in Mayo for about fourteen years, during that time I have photographed most places and have travelled to every corner of the county in search of landscape photographs , and would consider myself pretty knowledgeable. But tonights photograph is taken on a Lough Carrigeen, a small lough that I did not even know existed until a few days ago. It is about 3miles away from my doorstep!! My neighbour Tony , also a photographer, took me there earlier this week! This evening we travelled together to capture the sunset.

I got out with the repaired camera this evening and it worked a treat! I went to Downpatrick Head I was hoping I might get a sunset, the sunset was a little disappointing but I still got a few half decent pictures. This one was taken looking across the bay towards the sea stack called Dunbriste, and is taken maybe a half hour or so before the sunset.