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It was an honour to be asked to open the 10th annual Boyle Camera Club photography exhibition. The exhibition was housed in Boyle Library in King House, and consists of 28 excellent images by club members.

Boyle Camera Club was founded in October 2007 and currently has more than 60 members. They were the first fully designated Digital Camera Club in Ireland and are affiliated to the Irish Photographic Federation. With such enthusiastic and talented members it's easy to see how the club has won the IPF National Shield.

During his opening address Ambassador Chilcott stated
'good photography should be able to surprise us, most obviously by making us look at the world in a new way. The camera does not lie, anymore than poetry lies. And like poetry, the camera embellishes and enriches our experience of living in the world...
This exhibition, through the skill of Ciaran McHugh's work behind the lens, fuses together the man, his poetry and philosophy, and the place, Sligo, that was dearest to Yeats?s heart'.

Ciaran describes the collection as 'A set of photographic images focusing on light, tone, form, nuance and texture inspired by a poetical landscape exuding the sensual, the mystical, the wild and intrigue. A unique collection of photographs which allows you refocus on the familiar landscapes we are immersed in and take a fresh look at the different interconnected worlds around us?.

Following its launch at the Hyde Bridge Galley in the Yeats Building in Sligo, the collection will then tour to a number of locations over the year including an exhibit at Lissadell House from the 1st - 14th July.

Click HERE to see the Into the 'Twilight - the Landscape of WB Yeats? photographs and more details on the collection.

To recognise Sligo’s selection as the European Town of Sport for 2014 it has been chosen by the Irish in Europe Association as the featured town in Ireland under the ´Brussels Irish Village Project´.

As the chosen town in the Irish Village Area, Sligo will be extensively promoted over a year long period in Brussels, Belgium and across Europe. The photography exhibition which will be focused on Sligo is part of a cultural exchange programme ran by the Irish in Europe Association to help provide tourism information for the island of Ireland.

Limerick has also been selected as the city to be promoted as it is this year's City of Culture. Last year some 1.2 million were exposed directly to the photography exhibitions which ran during the Irish Presidency of the EU and focused on Cork and Westport.

Ashley summarises the focus of the book:

There's no clear-cut beginning or end between the conclusion of paganism and the beginning of Christianity in Ireland. The old gods lingered, but the Celtic Church was established, thanks to St. Patrick, by the fifth century in Ireland. Stirring Irish tales of demons and banshees, restless dead, and magical beasts were written down by Christian scribes centuries later. It's beautiful, but bleak, landscape of ruined castles; devastated abbeys, prehistoric stone circles, and foggy bogs contain many vengeful ghosts. Follow the ambitious Irish chiefs and the English kings, the family feuds, and the constant troubles with the English in over 30 spine-tingling tales.

You can see some of the images included in the book by following this link.

Last year I was asked by an American writer called Ashley Rooney to collaborate on a book Irish of Ghost stories. I have provided over 30 images from my Ireland's Abandoned Ruins collection, many of them commissioned for the book. It was a very enjoyable project to work on as I got to photograph some stunning locations around the country including a memorable day spent with Sean Ryan at - - said to be the most haunted castle in Ireland.  The book is called ‘Ireland's Ghosts, Legends, and Lore’ and is now available for pre-order on a few websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

It is due to be published later on this summer.Ashley summarises the focus of the book:‘There's no clear-cut beginning or end between the conclusion of paganism and the beginning of Christianity in Ireland. The old gods lingered, but the Celtic Church was established, thanks to St. Patrick, by the fifth century in Ireland. Stirring Irish tales of demons and banshees, restless dead, and magical beasts were written down by Christian scribes centuries later. It’s beautiful, but bleak, landscape of ruined castles; devastated abbeys, prehistoric stone circles, and foggy bogs contain many vengeful ghosts. Follow the ambitious Irish chiefs and the English kings, the family feuds, and the constant troubles with the English in over 30 spine-tingling tales’.You can see some of the images included in the book by clicking here