Breathtaking Kerry

Facing towards Brandon from the Dingle Peninsula at Cruach Mhartain.

Brandon Outcrop

Alex contemplates the world from a rocky outcrop on Brandon, Dingle, close to Cruach Mhartain.

Eask View

View from Eask Tower, Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland. The spread of northern Kerry beneath one, as a storm rolls in from elsewhere.

Gentle Gallarus

Gallarus Oratory is a rather mysterious dry-stone building on the Dingle peninsula, which is perhaps a thousand years old. It has been variously identified as a Christian church, a shelter for pilgrims, and a private funerary chapel. No-one really seems to know, and initial cuttings have not revealed definitive information about either period of construction, or reason for use. It is amazingly well-constructed, with the stones being very carefully lined up to produce the solid wall effect you see.

Conor Pass Panorama

A panorama of the barren wilderness of the Conor Pass, Kerry, Ireland.

Abandoned Chair

An abandoned chair on Wine Strand, Dingle.

Skellig Sweep

The Skelligs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Co. Kerry, famous for many things but most recently being a filming location for the last Star Wars trilogy. In this picture we see Little Skellig ("Sceilig Bheag"), the smaller of the two, and the less hospitable to humans -- though neither of them can really be described as hospitable, as such.

Seahorse In Reflection

In the Dingle acquarium, a seahorse, risen to the top of the tank, is reflected in the water from below.

Dark Horse

John pets a horse behind bars at a Pet Farm on the north portion of the Dingle Peninsula.

Brandon Point Sunrise

Sunrise at Brandon Point, Co. Kerry. My friend Peter and I arose early to try to catch the dawn, but unfortunately the sun was shrouded in clouds for all but this fleeting moment. Ten seconds later the cloud had closed over again and the sun was not to be seen directly for most of the rest of the day.

Sinuous

The curves of Smerwick Harbour at sunset.

Purple Rocks

Carefully balanced rocks on Beenbawn Beach, Dingle, Co. Kerry. They were like that when I got there, honest.

Tralee & Blennerville Railway

The once-and-potentially future refurbished Tralee & Dingle railway, on a short section re-opened for tourists between Tralee & Blennerville, Co. Kerry.

Inch Beach

The broad expanse of Inch Beach on a very cold March. Barely a human to be seen, but the birds are loving it.

Gleensk Viaduct

The Gleensk Viaduct, constructed in 1893 as part of the (now sadly abandoned) Farranfore to Valentia Harbour line, still stands today, and is even accessible to the brave and fearless of trespass. In this view the mountain (I think called Gortaforia) looms over the bridge as it heads away into wilderness. It is due to be turned into a greenway, and not a moment too soon in my opinion, since it will be a joy to cycle and a huge attraction for tourists, given the spectacular scenery on the way.

Killorglin Symmetry

The road bridge into Killorglin, taken from some rocks in the river Laune. In the back you can see the abandoned viaduct for the long decomissioned Valentia Island line, now earmarked for a Greenway deployment (and surely to be one of the most spectacular, if it comes off). I was struck by the binocular nature of the bridge, and the reflection in the water.

Caragh Lake View

Caragh Lake is (yet another) beautiful lake in Co. Kerry, Ireland. By official accounts, created by damming the Caragh river, it is now an area of special conservation, with it's own rare slug. In this view, we are looking across to the McGillycuddy Reeks mountain range as a group of fishermen cluster at the bottom end of the lake.

Annascaul Lake

Anascaul Lake is a very peaceful 64-acre freshwater lake nestling amidst the Carrigblather mountains on the Dingle Peninsula. In this shot do indeed we see the very edge of the lake, but focus more on those unearthly mountains and their riot of colour, despite the stormy, overcast day.

Foothills of Carrauntoohil

The foothills of Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain, on the way to Lough Callee.

Rossbeigh Runner

On Rossbeigh Beach, Co. Kerry, a runner splashes through the wash of the seawater as the clouds cluster over the Dingle Peninsula in the background.

Sunbeam Wreck

The wreck of the Sunbeam, buried underneath Rossbeigh Beach, Co. Kerry.

Caherconree Summit

Caherconree is not, by most measures, a particularly tall mountain, being somewhere between 11th and 20th depending on how you count. But it is, when the weather is against you, a particularly arduous one. Here we see a view west over the Dingle peninsula, with hints of the sea peeking in at the edges, on what was a truly spectacular day. On this ridge, which isn't even the summit (I failed to reach it that day), the wind was so strong that even approaching the edge of the ridge was enough to literally make it impossible to breathe, the wind was so strong. However, the view was worth it.

Viewing Point

Lough Leane in Killarney, outside the Aghadoe House Hotel. Seats in front of rain failling.

Brow of the Hill

In Killarney's National Park, near the Meeting of the Waters, a cloudfront moves over the brow of a nearby hill.