Irish Photography

Slieve Croob, Dromara, Co. Down

2009-02-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

As I am a County Down native I decided it was about time I went to see what my home county had to offer. I started off heading to Slieve Croob which is situated in Dromara. According to some friends apart from lovely scenery and fresh air this place has been known for its nocturnal activities. Not purturbed I headed up this hill. The path from the car park on Dree Hill only takes 45 minutes to climb but for the scenery it is more than worth it. Im sure you'll agree, the Mourne Mountains in the background are a lovely backdrop.

Ice along the main path

Antenna at the summit

View across the Mournes

Enniskillen Photography Lough Erne

2008-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was up in Enniskillen... again and managed to catch some photos of the castle and of the sunset hope you enjoy.

Enniskillen Castle

Enniskillen Skyline

Co. Sligo, Knocknarea and Rosses Point

2008-09-29T16:30:00.001-07:00

Sligo is situated on the West Coast of Ireland and as a backdrop there are many of the most scenic places in Connaught and Ulster. The first place I visited was Rosses Point. This place can be accessed just before heading into Sligo Town from the Donegal side. The scenery here is spectacular. A statue has been setup to mark the long history of seafarers who never returned back from sea.

The Statue at Rosses Point

Further on round the coast is Knocknarea. Knocknarea is a hill on which a tomb has been placed of Queen Maeve. From the top of Knocknarea views can be seen from Mayo, Strandhill and Donegal. It is clear to see why so many people spend time in Sligo.

All in all I have grown to love Sligo. I spent much time working here and the people are lovely! Thanks to Mr Feeney for introducing me to the delights of having a Cream Cracker with your Cup of tea.

I have also included photos of Carrowmore tombs

Carrowmore Tombs

At low tide it is possible to drive to Coney Island

The rock in the bottom left has been in this field for many years. In tradition, women are put through the hole in it backwards and it is said that if this is done they will be married within a year. It is off the main road towards Knocknarea

County Kilkenny, Jerpoint Abbey, OPW

2008-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

For any of those interested in Irelands Christian ancestory, this abbey is an important place to visit. The abbey was built in the 12th century by Donal MacGillapatrick for the Benedictine monks.

On the inside of the abbey grave stones carved as past monks can be seen. If your ever near Thomastown in Kilkenny, give this place a look.

View taken inside the abbey ruins

A gravestone on the outside of the abbey

An old grave cover. Looks like a monk outline on top of it

Another view inside the abbey

Cuilcagh Mountain Park, Co. Fermanagh

2008-09-14T03:39:00.001-07:00

For anyone who has been to County Fermanagh it is hard to escape the backdrop of Cuilcagh mountains. These mountains are set on the border between County Fermanagh and County Cavan, with the border running across the mountains summit. For a day trip I decided to take a walk to the summit to see what all the fuss was about.

The walk towards the summit on the Fermanagh side has been gravel pathed up to a point about 3 miles from the carpark at Marlbank. The walking is fairly easy with a few inclines along the way. However past the gravelled point things become a little bit trickier. The path soon turns to floating marsh for a mile and a half with some steep inclines. The path has been marked out across the marsh using posts with the walker following from post to post. The hardest bit of this walk has to be the final incline towards the summit. At times it was necessary to crawl as you approached step like features in the mountain side.

Getting to the summit felt like an acheivement and for people new to hill climbing this would be a great place to start. If you feel at any point in the walk it is becoming too much you simply turn back and head back to the car. Below are some photos of the summit and I highly recommend this place to anyone!

A view looking down from Cuilcagh

The edge of Cuilcagh from the incline to the summit

The floating bog just before the final incline

Natonal Trust - Florencecourt, County Fermanagh

2008-09-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Flourencecourt is set to the South West of County Fermanagh. It is backdropped by the Cuilcagh mountain range. There is a house situated on the grounds of the Florencecourt estate which was built in the 17th century.

Florencecourt House

As this property is owned by the National Trust it has been very well maintained and there are often events taking place to keep both adult and child amused. When I came to Florencecourt there was a honey festival and falconry taking place. There are walks to suit all types. The forest surrounding the house has been pathed and signposted for keen walkers. Whereas for those lumbering kids there are spectatular views and short gravel paths leading round the house. I really enjoyed this place and some of the scenery such as the Walled Garden where quite stunning.

More information can be found here

One of the huts featured in the gardens

The view from inside the hut

Butterfly seen in the Walled Gardens

A very tame baby robin in the Walled Garden

Archive of my Photography so far

2008-08-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested to see some of my other work, it can be viewed at UKExpert.

The URL for my work is http://www.ukexpert.co.uk/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=1050

Kinvara, Co. Galway

2008-08-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

Kinvara in Co. Galway must be one of Irelands hidden gems. As a town there is very little to do and as with most Irish seaside villages it has it's fair share of small newsagent shops, hotels and other amenities. However for the more learned traveller there are greater things to come here for. Kinvara would be a great place to spend maybe a couple of hours or if pre-booked an evening could be spent at Dunguaire Caste having a medieval banquet!

Kinvara has one of the largest thatched hotels in ireland called the Merriman Hotel

The main attraction for staying here in Kinvara is the close proximity to the Burren in County Clare. Kinvara allows the traveller to be within an hours drive from Galway town centre yet maintain a close distance to the attraction that is the Burren.

More information on the Burren can be found here

A view over Kinvara

Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara

An old sail boat in Kinvara harbour

National Trust - Crom Castle, Co. Fermanagh

2008-08-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Crom Castle is situated near to the border towns Lisnaskea and Newtonbutler. It costs £5.70 to bring a car into the grounds but there is alot to see and do.

The main building was built some 350 years ago and was established during the Plantation era in Ulsters history. There have been attempted seiges on this castle in the past. For more information you should visit this site! There is an information centre showing the whole history of this building. For those with a motorboat there is a jetty located at the rear of the car park. Below is a selection of photos including the old castle and various locations.

I recommend visiting Crom for a day.

http://www.cromcastle.com/

Old Castle Crom

An Arch with the Old Church in the distance

An old Oak Tree along one of the walks

National Trust - Castle Coole, Co. Fermanagh

2008-08-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Fermanagh is the most western county in Northern Ireland. It is mainly a rural place with a central hub called Enniskillen where the Lower and Upper Lough Ernes meet. There is much to see and do here. Below are a few of the places I have been to and seen. There is of course much more than this list. More information on Fermanagh can be found on the Discover Northern Ireland home page.

Castle Coole

Castle Coole is situated just outside Enniskillen town centre, off the main Enniskillen to Belfast A4. It is a National Trust owned 18th Century building. There are many walks around the building as well as guided tours of the inside of the building. As I have only ever been on the outside of the building I'm not sure what the tour is like. However there is plenty to do for free around the grounds. The National Trust have layed out some walks for you to take around the grounds, taking in the granduer of the building, and the layout of the many different features outside the main Castle itself.

The Main Building

An Ice House for Cold Storage

A view through the trees

One of the many walks around the grounds

Welcome to this Blog

2008-08-18T16:07:00.001-07:00

I am a keen photographer from Northern Ireland, and have spent many years travelling the lengths of the North and the South of Ireland for work and for pleasure. I hope to introduce you to the many delights of this Island and give an unofficial tour through the use of photography and description. There can be no replacement for the Tourist Boards for information about this Island but hopefully I can share with you a hands on experience of this country.

My Favourite photos will appear at http://www.andrewmurphyphotos.co.uk this blog will act as a photo journal accompanyment to the above site.

I hope you appreciate the photography and I hope you enjoy the site!

Thanks for Looking....