Mizen Magic 12: Autumn Colour (Reposted)

I’m reposting this, written six years ago, for the season that’s in it.

It’s not the trees that lend autumnal hues to the Mizen, as they do elsewhere. It’s the whole landscape – that combination of rock, heather, bracken, moor grass, brambles, filtered through the light and shade of our notoriously changeable climate – that creates the special colour palette we associate with autumn. It’s my favourite time of year.

Today, early, we drove up Mount Gabriel and looked over the whole of the Mizen, back to Mount Corrin and Mount Kidd, and across to the Sheep’s Head, the Beara, and away to the mountains of Kerry.

Upper: looking down to Dunmanus Bay from Mount Gabriel; Lower: looking across to Mount Corrin

But every day brings changes. What trees we have are not yet bare. The thorns, blackthorn and whitethorn are loaded with berries. The heather is hanging on here and there, providing a wonderful contrast to the yellow gorse.

Haws, Sloes, Heather and Gorse

The bog asphodel is fading now, but earlier in the month it had reached its peak orange state and looked spectacular consorting with the other bog and mountain flowers that were still blooming.

Upper: Bog Asphodel, Gorse, Scabious; Lower: Cappaghglass Bog

When you get a clear day, like today, there is nothing on earth like a walk on the West Cork hills, drinking in the colours and trying to store them in the memory. Or perhaps, in a blog!

Upper: Toormore; Lower: Derryconnell 

Upper: North Side of the Mizen; Lower: Crough Bay and Long Island

Scarecrow in an abandoned garden – quintessential autumn image!

Rock Island

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17 thoughts

  5. There is nothing like the sheer splendour of autumn. There is no palette that can capture the reality of seeing the unique colours first hand. Thank you for reminding us to get out and witness the splendour of nature dressed in its autumn finery.

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  6. We spent a few days near Kenmare recently and, while we included visits to two gardens in our plans, it was the views while driving or walking about which were more attractive. The colours of autumn are of a deeper and more comfortable range, less brashness and vibrancy and more ease to the eye. You have recorded and reported them perfectly.

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  8. Hi Finola

    You may not remember me, we met briefly at one of the Wednesday coffee mornings in Durrus a while back.

    I just wanted to say that I’m delighted you’ve kept on the journal – I know it has been a lot of effort. I really enjoyed your last article on the Grand Jury Map of Cork featuring Sheeps Head, Beara and Bantry – it’s lovely to find out more about the place we’ve chosen to call home. I was just saying to my wife this morning that one of my favorite things in our house here is the lovely view we have over to the Mizen, where the colours change day by day. Everyday the light is different, and everyday we see something that we didn’t notice before.

    So I was delighted to open my mailbox this morning to see the this piece on the the Autumn Colours of the Mizen … thank you again for keeping the journal going!

    I’ll look forward to sitting down with a cuppa later today and diving into this article.

    Thanks L

    >

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  11. Yes, this is one of the reasons why I live here I suppose, drunk on the colours of the landscape as they change with the days. Today was quite special , I walked the valley to the west of Mount Kidd, and got drunk – on the colours !). Just specatacular hues everywhere. Later, it rained and I went home, and lit the fire. More colours !

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      • Muted today, Finola, but so gentle on the eye. I was up onthe Sparrograda back road yesterday and was well rewarded and thought of you – and I saw a red squirrel scampering about on the road , the first I have ever seen here. Money can’t buy moments like that ! Sunday will be pretty wild in the sky, probably….. hold nto your hat !

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