Latest Photographs:
2nd July 2011
1st May 2011
This photograph of Strandhill was taken from the beach (close to Killaspugbrone).
Carrowkeel Tombs, Bricklieve Mountains - The Panorama Collection
23rd January 2011
This panorama photograph shows two of the fourteen Neolithic passage tombs of Carrowkeel in the Bricklieve Mountains, near Lough Arrow in south Co. Sligo (which can also be seen in the background). It was taken around sunset in late January.
There are fourteen cairns in the Carrowkeel complex which dates from 3200-2400 B.C. The passages within these cairns lead to limestone burial chambers with corbelled roofs, some of which are 9 feet high. The Irish for Carrowkeel is An Cheathrú Chaol which means 'the Narrow Quarter'.
The Carrowkeel tombs were first excavated in 1911 on behalf of in Royal Irish Academy by R. A. S. Macalister. However, many consider his work to be vandalisation rather than preservation as he and his assistants were said to have used dynamite and sledgehammers during a rushed two week endeavour.
Robert Lloyd Praeger accompanied Macalister on the dig and later recounted the moment of first entering one of the cairns:
"'I lit three candles and stood awhile, to let my eyes accustom themselves to the dim light. There was everything, just as the last Bronze Age man (sic) had left it, three to four thousand years before. A light brownish dust covered all... There beads of stone, bone implements made from Red Deer antlers, and many fragments of much decayed pottery. On little raised recesses in the wall were flat stones, on which reposed the calcinated bones of young children".
A particular type of crude pottery found in passage tombs has been titled 'Carrowkeel Ware'.
The Pilot House - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
22nd September 2010
The Pilot House at Deadman's Point, Rosses Point was built in 1810 and was the home of the estuary pilot, whose job was to guide ships into Sligo Harbour. In later times it is said to have been used by smugglers.
The Pilot house features in the short story 'The Old Men of the Twilight' by William Butler Yeats:
"At the place, close to the Dead Man's Point, at the Rosses, where the
disused pilot-house looks out to sea through two round windows like
eyes, a mud cottage stood in the last century
Rosses Point Beach - The Panorama Collection
28th August 2010
Rosses Point Beach overlooked by Benbulben mountain.
Carrigaphooca Castle - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
9th June 2010
Carrigaphooca Castle (Castle on the Rock of the Fairy) is perched high on an outcrop of rock overlooking the Sullane River near Macroom in Co. Cork. The five story tower house was built by Dermot Mor MacCarthy sometime between 1436 and 1451. As is common for early Irish tower houses, it had only a single room on each floor, no chimneys or fireplaces and had very narrow windows.
The MacCarthy clan of Carrigaphooca were constantly engaged in destructive internal warfare. In 1602 they sided with the English Crown and their stronghold was subsequently attacked by Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare. Following a long and protracted siege the thick wooden door of the castle burned down and O'Sullivan Beare retrieved a chest of Spanish gold he had presented to the MacCarthys some months previously in return for their support against the English.
Prior to this Carrigaphooca Castle provided refuge to Teige MacCarthy following the Battle of Kinsale in 1601.
Rosses Point Panorama - The Panorama Collection
20 March 2010
The seaside village of Rosses Point lies under Benbulben on the Rosses peninsula to the north of Sligo town. It boasts one Sligo's Blue Flag beaches and is home to both the Sligo Yacht Club and County Sligo Golf Club, which hosts the West of Ireland Golf Championship every year. The village looks across Oyster and Coney Islands in Sligo bay towards Maebh's Cairn on Knocknarea and mouth of the bay is guarded by the iconic 'Metal Man'.
The 12ft high 7 ½ ton cast iron Metal Man was placed on Perch Rock in 1822 and is 'dressed' in the uniform of a 19th century petty officer. It was originally intended to be placed atop the 1819 Blackrock daybeacon; it was relocated when a decision was made to convert that beacon to the current day Blackrock Lighthouse.
The Metal Man's outstretched arm points to signal the safe side of navigation, and when his light is lined up with the light on Oyster Island lighthouse this is called the "leading lights" which mark the safe passage for shipping heading into the Sligo Channel. The figure, commissioned by the widow of a ship captain who wrecked nearby, was designed by the sculptor John Kirk. Another figure cast from the same mould stands on a daybeacon at Tramore, Co. Waterford.
Rosses Point is also famous for having been the subject of both paintings and poems by the Yeats brothers, William and Jack, who regularly holidayed there as children at Elsinore Lodge, the home of their cousin Henry Middleton.
Oyster Island & Coney Markers - The Panorama Collection
20 March 2010
Oyster Island sits just off the coast from Rosses Point and got its name from the many oyster beds that were found along its shores until the end of the 19th Century. Oyster Island Lighthouse is located on the north shore of the island and was built in 1932. Oyster is separated from the larger Coney Island by Sruth na Mile, the channel of a thousand currents. Sruth na Mile's many eddies give it an unusual whispering sound, which changes with the ebb and flow of the tide.
Ashford Castle Winter Panorama - The Panorama Collection
12 January 2010
Winter Wonder Land - revisited the spot in Cong where I got an autumnal shot of Ashford Castle in November (see below) for a crisp winter shot.
Connemara - The Panorama and Landscape Collections
18 December 2009
Twilight at Roundstone Harbour
The village was founded in the mid 1820's by a Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo working for the Western District and was settled by Scottish fishermen. Roundstone derives its name from the Irish "Cloch Na Ron" or Rock of the Seals.
One of the longest running maritime festivals in the West of Ireland, The Roundstone Regatta is held in the village each year when Galway Hookers and currachs race across Bertraghboy Bay.
Below: Roundstone Lobster pots & Roundstone Boats.
Dogs Bay Beach
Dogs Bay is a coral beach with crystal clear water just a few miles northwest of Roundstone and is overlooked by Errisbeg mountain. For this photo I waited until dusk to capture the warm post sunset afterglow. The receding tide created small rock pools which picked up some of the striking colours of the late evening sky.
The Twelve Bens
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This photo of Twelve Bens was taken on the Clifden to Galway road. The mountain range dominates Connemara and much of it is in Connemara National Park which covers some 2,000 hectares of scenic countryside. The highest of the Twelve Bens is Binn Bhan which is 730m.
Glassilaun Beach
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Sweeping Glassilaun Beach is situated at the mouth of Little Killary Bay, midway between Leenane and Tully Cross on the Renvyle Peninsula in Connemara. It was taken on a crisp winter's day with a receding tide. The cattle are regular grazers at the beach and are renowned surfers....
Kylemore Abbey
Kylemore Abbey is nestled into the Kylemore Pass in Connemara, Co. Galway. The name Kylemore originates from the Irish 'Coill Mhor' which means Great Wood.
The Abbey was built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician from Manchester, who was also MP for Galway County from 1871 to 1885. After fleeing war-torn torn Belgium during the First World War, the Benedictine nuns purchased the Abbey in 1920.
Today the Benedictine nuns run the Abbey as a secondary school but it is set to close to students in 2010. However Kylemore Abbey, Gardens and visitor centre will remain on as one of the premier tourist attractions in the West of Ireland.
Ashford Castle Autumn Panorama - The Panorama Collection
11 November 2009
This panorama photograph of Ashford Castle is made up of six individual photos stitched together to form one image. It was taken late on a showery November afternoon.
Ashford Castle is situated on the shores of Lough Corrib at Cong, Co. Mayo and was built in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family. The de Burgos had several key strategic castles throughout Connaught but Ashford was their principal stronghold. After an intense battle in 1589 the de Burgos lost control of the castle to Lord Richard Bingham, the governor of Connaught, who added a fortified enclave within its precincts. Successive Lords extended and further fortified the castle over the following years.
The Ashford estate was established by the Browne Family of Oranmore in 1715, who also extended the castle, this time in the style of a French chateau. In 1852 the new owner of Ashford Castle Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness extended the estate to over 25,000 acres and significantly increased the plantation and road network within the estate. The estate remained in the Guinness family until 1939 when it was sold to Noel Huggard who established Ashford Castle as a hotel, with a focus on country pursuits. The castle has changed hands and been developed several times in the recent past and is now one the top hotels in Ireland.
The Quiet Man was filmed in Cong in 1951 by John Ford. John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara stared in the film, much of which was shot on the grounds of Ashford Castle.
Misty Mountain Top - The Panorama Collection
20 October 2009
Benbulben forms part of the Dartry Mountain range and its dominance extends throughout much of County Sligo.
This panorama photo focuses on dramatic cliffs of the northern face of Benbulben. These cliffs were formed as the harder Dartry limestone eroded at a different rate than the softer lower layers of Glencar limestone and shale.
Benbulben has many myths and legends associated with it, the most famous being The Boar of Benbulben. It is said that King Cormac , the High King of Ireland, had betroth this daughter Grainne to the warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool). However rather than marry the aging McCool, Grainne elopes with a young Fianna warrior Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
The enraged Fionn pursues the couple all over Ireland and catches up with Diarmuid on the slopes of Benbulben where he tricks him into fighting an enchanted wild boar. After a fierce battle Diarmuid manages to slay the boar with his sword but not before the beast was able to pierce his heart with its tusk.
Legend has it that when Grainne learned of Diarmuid's death she died on the spot and that the couple were buried in a cave that now bares their name on the Dartry mountain range, not far from Benbulben.
Benbulben Head - The Landscape Collection
20 October 2009
This landscape photo was taken on an autumn afternoon just beneath the iconic head of Benbulben.
Mullaghmore Harbour - The Panorama Collection
13 October 2009
This is a panorama photograph of Mullaghmore Harbour which is made up of six separate photos stitched together to form a single picture.
Mullaghmore is a small but busy fishing village in North Sligo. Just beyond the harbour wall there is a beach which is popular with surfers and holiday makers. Much of Mullaghmore's horizon is dominated by the striking Dartry Mountain range. In this panorama photo these mountains are lit by a scattering of evening sunlight. The iconic outline of Benbulben can be seen in the far right of the picture, its northern face silhouetted against the sky.
Mullaghmore also has a troubled past; in August 1979 the IRA blew up the boat of Lord Louis Mountbatten in Mullaghmore harbour, killing him and three others. The British Royal was holidaying in nearby Classiebawn castle
Cong Cloisters - Landscape Collection
12 September 2009
Cong Abbey, Co. Mayo, was founded by St Feichin in the early 7th century and was destroyed by fire in the early 12th century. Its was refounded in 1135 by Turlough Mor O'Connor, one of Ireland's High Kings.
The Caves of Keash - Panorama Collection
23 August 2009
This photograph of the The Caves of Keash was taken at Keshcorran Hill, Co. Sligo. It is a panorama photograph made up of seven individual photos stitched together.
There are approximately 13 small caves on the west side of the 362m hill, which also has a large hilltop cairn on its summit. The caves were partially explored in 1901 and again in 1929. Amongst the finds were the bones of reindeer, boar, beer and wolf.
The caves are linked to several legends - Cormac MacAirt, a High King of Ireland is supposed to have been born and raised by a she-wolf along side her own cubs in the caves. According to the mythical tale The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne, Diarmuid and Grainne are said to have taken refuge from Fionn Mac Cumhail in the caves. The ancient Lughnasa festival has also been celebrated on the top of Keash Hill.
Thornhill Church - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
05 August 2009
The ruins of Thornhill Church, Blacklion, Co. Cavan.
Last Light at Lisloughrey - Panorama Collection
28 July 2009
Lisloughrey Lodge was built in 1820 and overlooks Lough Corrib at Lisloughrey Quay, near Cong, Co. Mayo. It is a panorama photograph comprising 6 individual photos which have been stitched together to form one image.
Crookstown Mill - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
08 June 2009
Crookstown Mill, Co. Cork (near Macroom)
Storm Clearing Doo Lough - Panorama Collection
02 April 2009
Doo Lough Pass is on the Louisburgh to Leenaun road in County Mayo. To the right of Doo Lough can be seen the Sheeffry Hills and on the left is Mweeelrea Mountain. This is a panorama photograph comprising seven individual photos stitched together to form one image.
Near the shores of Doo Lough there is a famine memorial. In March of 1849 hundreds of starving people walked the 10 miles from Louisburgh down to the Delphi Lodge in bad weather to meet officials of the Poor Law Union hoping to get food. They were turned away by the officials and numerous people died on the walk back to Louisburgh. Several bodies, mainly women and children, were found on roadside at the edge of the lake at Doo Lough Pass.
Last Light on Ballisodare Bay - The Panorama Collection
03 January 2009
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This panorama photograph of Ballisodare Bay is made up of seven separate photos stitched together to form a single image.
Knocknarea mountain (327m) can been seen in the background overlooking the bay. The mountain is caped by a huge cairn which is over 10m high, one of the largest tombs of this type in Ireland. This cairn is know as Queen Meave's Grave or Miosgan Medbha and said to be the burial place of the legendary warrior Queen Meave of Connaught, buried upright on her horse in full battle regalia and facing her enemies from Ulster
Killaspugbrone Tombstone - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
12 October 2008
The ruins of Killaspugbrone church lie at the most western point on the Coolera peninsula at Strandhill, Co. Sligo. The name Killaspugbrone means 'the Church of Bishop Bronus' and relates to the original church which was founded by St Patrick in the 5th century. Coolera native Bishop Bron (or Bronus) was the son of a local Gaelic chieftain and companion of St Patrick.
It is said that St Patrick lost a tooth at the site which fell out onto a flagstone and Bishop Bron founded the church on the spot. The 'Shrine St Patrick's Tooth' or Fiacal Phadraig was made in the 14th century for the Lord of Athenry, Thomas de Birmingham, and allegedly this shrine holds the lost tooth. The shrine is now held in the National Museum of Ireland. No trace of the original 5th century Killaspugbrone church of Bishop Bron remains and the current ruined church dates from the 12th century and is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters.
Today the church and graveyard are at serious risk of being reclaimed by the advancing sand dunes and coastal erosion.
Knocknarea from Deerpark - The Panorama Collection
15 September 2008
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This photograph of Knocknarea Mountain was taken from Deerpark, Calry, looking across Sligo town. It is a panorama photograph made up of seven separate photos stitched together to form a single image.
Knocknarea mountain (327m) is situated on the Coolera peninsula and is a commanding landmark that can be seen from much of county Sligo. The mountain is caped by a huge cairn which is over 10m high, one of the largest tombs of this type in Ireland. This cairn is know as Queen Meave's Grave or Miosgan Medbha and said to be the burial place of the legendary warrior Queen Meave of Connaught, buried upright on her horse in full battle regalia and facing her enemies from Ulster.
Ross Errilly Friary - Ireland's Abandoned Ireland Collection
03 September 2008
The Franciscan Abbey of Ross Errilly was founded in 1349 on the banks on Black River on the Galway-Mayo border near the town of Headford. It is among the best-preserved medieval monastic sites in the country.
The abbey was founded by Dr. Malachy MacHugh, the then Archbishop of Tuam and a member of the Franciscan order. In 1348 Europe was in the grip of the Black Death. It is said that Archbishop MacHugh had a dream where he was told that in order for his prayers to be answered and the plague to end, he must first build a Friary. He was told to go to the townland of Cordarra in Headford and that a sign would be given to him there.
The next day he arrived at Cordarra where he saw three swans soaring overhead, each with a bunch of flax in his bill. The swans landed on a slight ridge near the banks of the Black river. When he reached this spot the swans had disappeared and in their place he found growing the three bunches of flax - all in full bloom even though it was still the depth of winter. Dr MacHugh took this to be his sign and at this spot he built Ross Errilly Friary. Following the Reformation the Franciscan order had strongly opposed King Henry VIII's break with Rome. In the resulting anti-monastic crusade, Ross Errilly was regularly persecuted at the hands of English Authorities; the monks were imprisoned, banished or killed.
The monks were repeatedly forced to flee Ross Errilly during the 17th and 18th centuries and the abbey was finally abandoned sometime around the 1750s. By the 1800s Ross Errilly was in ruins. Visitors to the abbey are said to have been greeted by significant amount of unburied human remains strewn throughout the monastery. The abbey is now managed by the Office of Public Works Heritage Services.
Beaches & Moutains of Sligo - Panorama Collection
21 August 2008
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This photograph of the Beaches and Mountains of Sligo was taken from Skreen looking across Ballisodare Bay towards Sligo town. It is a panorama photograph made up of eight separate photos stitched together to form a single image.
While Sligo's iconic mountains of Knocknarea and Benbulben dominate the shot, the broken sunlight also highlights several of the county's beaches. From left to right you can see the beaches of Raghly, Lissadell, Rosses Point, Strandhill and Culleenamore.
The Glen - The Landscape Collection
13 June 2008
This photograph of The Glen was taken on the slopes of Knocknarea mountain. The Glen (sometimes called The Hidden Glen) is a dramatic chasm on the southern slopes of Knocknarea mountain in Co. Sligo.
The path though the Glen is almost a mile long and is often flaked on either side by ivy adorned limestone cliff faces that tower 60 foot above you. The Glen features in the poem The Man And The Echo by W.B. Yeats -
"In a cleft that's christened Alt
Under broken stone I halt
At the bottom of a pit
That broad noon has never lit,
And shout a secret to the stone."
Boats at Ballinakill - The Landscape Collection
29 April 2008
This photograph was taken at Ballinakill Harbour in Connemara, Co. Galway. Ballinakill means "settlement of the church" and there are a number of islands in the bay including Roeillaun.
Moyne Castle - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
16 March 2008
Moyne Castle is a large tower house build on the Black River on the Galway/Mayo in the 16th century.
Shrule Castle - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
22 February 2008
Shrule Castle was built on the Mayo/Galway border by the Norman deBurgo family of Galway in 1238. In the early 17th century the castle fell into hands of Richard Burke, the Earl of Clanricarde who leased it to Pierce Lynch, who was mayor of Galway City from 1615-17.
In 1642, after a violent uprising the previous year, a large group of English Protestant settlers lead by Dr. John Maxwell, the Protestant bishop of Killala, surrendered to the Catholic forces in Castlebar and were later lead to the castle at Shrule. What followed was to become know as the 'Shrule Massacre' when scores of the settlers were killed by their Catholic escort duty. Some survivors of the massacre were taken to Ross Errilly Friary in Headford, Co. Galway where they were cared for by the monks.
Under Bare Benbulben - The Panorama Collection
24 December 2007
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This photograph of Benbulben Mountain was taken from Carney, Co. Sligo. It's a panorama photograph made up of six separate photos stitched together to form a single image.
Benbulben forms part of the Dartry Mountain range and dominates the horizon throughout much of County Sligo. This panorama shot was taken on Christmas Eve and is dominated by the gentle southern slopes of the mountain. The dramatic cliffs of the northern face can be seen to the left of the shot while the mountain range twists around into the Glencar valley to the right of the photo.
William Butler Yeats described Sligo as 'The Land of Heart's Desire' and the county is said to be the inspiration for much of his works. He is buried in nearby Drumcliff churchyard as per his wishes outlined in the poem Under bare Ben Bulben:
Under bare Ben Bulben's head
In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid.
An ancestor was rector there
Long years ago, a church stands near,
By the road an ancient cross.
No marble, no conventional phrase;
On limestone quarried near the spot
By his command these words are cut:
Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!
View from Lisheen House - Ireland's Abandoned Ruins Collection
16 November 2007
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The house was originally called Seafield House and was built by local landlord William Phibbs in 1842. The name was changed to Lisheen House in 1899 following a of period of unsettling supernatural events.
William's son Owen toured Egypt and Syria as an archaeologist and brought back several artefacts to Seafield. Shortly afterwards the house came under the unwelcome attention of a violent poltergeist who would spend the night hours smashing any breakables throughout the house. These events resulted in the demise of Seafield House as the family couldn't convince the domestic staff to return to work there. The house was sold in 1938 and cleared of all its contents and left to go to ruin.
This photograph was taken looking out the stagecoach door at Lisheen House, Seafield, Strandhill, Co. Sligo. An old horse-drawn cultivator can been seen abandoned in the doorway.
Coney Island Causeway - The Landscape Collection
3 November 2007
Coney Island lies in Sligo Bay between the coastal villages of Strandhill and Rosses Point. Its name originates from a onetime abundance of rabbits on the island. It was once home to over 120 islanders but now only one family inhabit the island. At low tide you can drive or walk across Cummeen Strand to the Island following the causeway which is marked by the 14 large stone pillars which dominate this photograph. These markers were erected in 1845 to guide people to the island from the mainland following several drowning deaths in the previous years.
Its is said that Coney Island in New York is named after Sligo's Coney Island. The story goes that Captain Peter O'Connor, a Sligo man, sailed into New York harbour in the late 18th century on the schooner Arethusain and named the island Coney as it too was teeming with rabbits.
The Glen - The Panorama Collection
21 October 2007
This photo of The Glen was taken on the slopes of Knocknarea mountain. It is a panorama photograph made up of nine separate photos stitched together to form a single image. The Glen (sometimes called The Hidden Glen) is a dramatic chasm on the southern slopes of Knocknarea mountain in Co. Sligo.
The path though the Glen is almost a mile long and is often flanked on either side by ivy adorned limestone cliff faces that tower 60 foot above you.
The Glen features in the poem The Man And The Echo by W.B. Yeats -
"In a cleft that's christened Alt
Under broken stone I halt
At the bottom of a pit
That broad noon has never lit,
And shout a secret to the stone."
Annaghdown Castle - The Panorama Collection
14 October 2007
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This photograph was taken near the pier at Annaghdown Bay, Co. Galway, on the shores of Lough Corrib. It is a panorama photograph made up of seven separate photos stitched together to form a single image.
Annaghdown Castle was built in the 14th century by the Gaelic O'Flaherty Clan of Galway, also known as the 'The Ferocious O'Flaherties'. They earned this name following Norman invasion of Galway city in 1235. The settlers were later to erect a wall on which they had inscribed "From the ferocious O'Flaherties, Good Lord protect us". The castle has recently been restored and is now a family home.
Annaghdown pier has a tragic history as a boat carrying 20 local people to Galway sank in September 1828. All on board were drown. The tragedy was immortalised by the famous Anthony Raftery poem, Anach Cuain. There is a memorial to the victims at the shore at Annaghdown.
Benbulben Overlooking Sligo Bay - Panorama Collection
10th April 2007
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This photograph of Benbulben Overlooking Sligo Bay was taken from Scarden, Strandhill, looking northwards across Sligo bay. It is a panorama photograph made up of nine separate photos stitched together to form a single image. Benbulben is part of the Dartry Mountain range which straddles Sligo and Leitrim. Truskmore, Sligo's highest point (644m), is also part of the Dartry range and can be seen towards the right of the shot. The villages of Ballincar and Rosses Point are at the left of the photograph