Church by the Water

Gougane Barra is, for want of a better word, a place in Ballingeary, West Cork. The building you see in the shot is St Finbarr's Oratory, the "Barra" after whom the place is named. It is a very peaceful setting in the right weather, popular with pilgrims and wedding parties, and is surrounded by a tree-laden national park. The lake around the oratory is actually formed from the River Lee, one of the main rivers of Cork City.

Kilmacthomas Viaduct

The Kilmacthomas Viaduct dates from 1878, when it was part of the newly built Waterford & Dungarvan railway which went all the way to Lismore, and overcame many difficult engineering challenges through occasionally spectacular scenery. Partially closed in the mid 20th century, and after decades of intermittent operation ending in the 1990s, it was turned into a greenway (a special cycle path) in 2017; indeed, one of the most successful in Ireland, since it apparently attracts upwards of a quarter of a million visitors a year. This shot is from a drone looking towards the Comeragh Mountains, and you can trace the curve of the greenway (and old railway line) into the distance from the foreground. An impressive feat of engineering, and a wonderful cycle. I heartily recommend visiting.

Lighthouse to the Stars

On the South Bull Wall after sunset one evening, I had intended to capture pictures of lit-up ferries going past. I got some, but was not impressed. Prompted by a friend, I turned my camera back and up towards Poolbeg Lighthouse. The moon was on fire with reflected sunlight; the stars glittered in the sky, and the red lighthouse loomed above them all.

Silent Valley Schwarz

The ominously-named Silent Valley reservoir in Northern Ireland stores water for County Down and Belfast, a considerable proportion of the population of Northern Ireland. Obviously the water levels in a reservoir can rise and fall, and in theory this dark overflow pipe helps to regulate them -- but for some reason I wouldn't like to be water falling down it.

Remains of Ballydavid Signal Tower

On Ballydavid Head, the remains of a Napoleonic signal tower survey the sweep of north-west Kerry.

Whitby Sheds

A collection of beach huts line up against the seaside at Whitby, Yorkshire, UK.

Owencarrow Viaduct

A ruined train viaduct of an abandoned train line in Co. Donegal, this isolated and beautiful site was the location of a major accident with a number of fatalities in the 1920s when high winds literally blew the train off into the valley below.

Grianán of Aileach

A ring-fort perched on the edge of Donegal, with the Bluestack Mountains in the distance. Dating is hard, but it is somewhere around 3700-4000 years old.

Docks by Drone

A view of the river Liffey snaking through Dublin's docklands at night.

Killiney Obelisk

The obelisk on Killiney Hill at sunset.

Grand Canal Sunset

Grand Canal DART station at sunset; the dock itself is covered in algae during a drought.

Mediterranean Taney

The Luas bridge at Taney Cross, Dublin, during a particularly beautiful sunset.

Parallel Lives

The parallel curves of the West Pier at Dun Laoghaire, framing Howth in the background.

Seattle Approach

Leaving Seattle on a ferry.

Skilift to Heaven

A skilift in Snoqualmie, Bellevue, WA.

Turlough Hill Panorama

A shot of Turlough Hill upper & lower, one of Ireland's few hydroelectric power stations.

The Writing on the Wall

A room in the rather bizarre Casa Loma, a mansion in Toronto Canada.

The Threat of Hellfire

The Hellfire Club: a ruin of ill-repute in Co. Wicklow.

Chambord Staircase

Whitby Pier

The town of Whitby in Yorkshire, U.K., has some family connections for me as well as being a place laden with history and culture. (For example, as well as having perhaps one of the most picturesque ruined cathedrals in the north, Whitby is used in Bram Stoker's Dracula as the place where the eponymous count lands, and I believe Whitby consequently enjoys the distinction of hosting the largest goth festival in Europe.) Here, the four lighthouses Whitby has (though only two are functional) are on display, on a glorious summer's morning.