The traditional continues, with a twist. This year, instead of photos we’ve already published, we’ve gone through our albums and chosen the ones we didn’t use this year (2021) but want to share now. It’s a fairly random collection – our guiding principle was personal preference or something that jogs a pleasant memory for us, all taken in West Cork in 2021. Some of them are similar to images we have used, but that’s because we take so many! So, as every year, although we’ve provided links to relevant posts, we’ll keep the writing to a minimum – all you have to do is scroll!
A mysterious megalithic tomb – we’re not quite sure what type it it – on a mountain in West Cork. We haven’t written about this one yet, but getting to it was quite an adventure.
It’s just the day for a Sunday drive, so come along with us as we explore the shore around Crookhaven Harbour. It’s turned cold all of a sudden, so we won’t do too much hiking or climbing today, just some gentle pottering around some spectacular scenery, with a hearty lunch in the middle of it all.
We’ve provided a map but you probably won’t need it as it’s a relatively small area and easy to see where you are at all times.
We’re starting off at Rock Island (1 on the map) – you remember what an interesting day we had there with Aidan Power? You can read that post as you wander around the island, either by car or on foot, and it will help to orient you to where you are.
Driving off the island we turn left, along the road that hugs the water. We pass several sites along the way that date from various times in Crookhaven’s history. The first is the stone quarry that Robert wrote about in Industrial Archaeology in Crookhaven(2). It’s impossible to miss, looming above the road like an abandoned fortress wall. When he researched it, he drew a blank but one of our readers, John d’Alton from Schull, wrote to tell us of the background to the Granite Company Lt.
Once you’ve passed the old quarry workings, keep an eye on some small field coming up on the sea side. You will make out the ruins,(3) much overgrown, of some buildings near the water’s edge. This is all that’s left of a fish palace, originally built in 1616 by Richard Boyle, Great Earl of Cork, and his business partner in this area, the notorious Sir William Hull – read all about it in Robert’s post, Pilchards and Palaces.
The next site is on private land and not really visible from the road so here we are letting you into a little secret. At 4 on the map there’s what seems to be an old quay. There are really only a few rocks left, but one of those rocks is a piece of archaeology – a cupmarked stone. The cupmarks were probably hammered out thousands of years ago and the rock was probably transported here from close by to help build the quay. If you’re not too sure what a cupmarked stone is, take a look at this post, The Complex Cupmark. That’s Robert, below, taking a photo of the cupmarked stone.
We’ve arrived at the long beach at the head of the Harbour and we’re going to leave the car here and, because the tide’s out, walk on the white strand out towards a curious row of stones sticking out of the sand (5).
The Dúchas Folklore Schools Collection tells us these were known locally as The Blacks, and it was believed that some black sailors who drowned at sea were buried there. Indeed they do look like grave markers, but in fact they are part of an ancient field wall system that dates to when the tide was lower.
There’s an enormous upright stone here too – tempting to think that it may be a standing stone, deliberately erected, but archaeologists think this is a natural feature. In fact, it may have landed in this position after tumbling from the hill above, or perhaps it’s a left-over glacial erratic.
There are wonderful views from here back to Rock Island and across to Crookhaven, but let’s make our way back to the road now and wander down to Galley Cove. If you’ve a mind to, walk or drive up the road to Brow Head a little way (6), just for the incredible views across the whole of the Harbour and all the way to Mount Gabriel. We’ve written about Brow Head before, way back in 2014, and you can take a look at that post now, although it really deserves an update (one of these days).
Back down at the small parking lot at the base of the Head, you’ll find yourself at the beautiful Galley Cove (7). Since it’s December, you’ll have it all to yourself.
Linger to read the plaques that go along with the statue of Marconi (see Robert’s post on him here). There are several statues of Marconi around the world, and this one may be the quirkiest. It’s actually a witty take on the Washington DC statue – a mixture of the head of Marconi and the female figure of electricity – take a look here to see what I am talking about.
Are you gasping for lunch? Could you, as they say around here, murder a crab sandwich and a pint (or a coffee, since you’re driving)? You are in luck, as you WILL find O’Sullivan’s pub open and they do the best crab sandwiches on the Mizen. On the way, take a look at St Brendan’s Church of Ireland (8), possibly the only old church in the area that still doesn’t have electricity. Nobody quite knows how old it is, but there has been a church on this spot since at least the 1600s.
Don’t be surprised to find O’Sullivan’s (9) heaving – this is a very popular spot and we have never been there when it’s not busy. If possible, have your lunch sitting outside. In summer, you’ll be fighting for a table and surrounded by folk in sailing gear.
Time to head for home, with one last little detour on the way, through Castlemehegan. As you drive back the way you came, take a road that angles off to the left at number 4 on the map. It will take you back to Goleen over the hills and you’ll be wowed by the views from up there (10).
Missing West Cork? Live here and love it? Always wanted to visit? Colum Cronin sent us this charming song some time ago and this is the perfect time to enjoy his wonderful voice with the images his song evokes. Wherever you are, stay safe and well, and sit back and enjoy.
We started a series this year on our Facebook Page that has proven to be very popular. We post a photograph of West Cork and ask our Friends if they can identify the place. It turns out that it is really hard to stump West Cork folk!
2 You know we love colourful houses, and this juxtaposition of green and pink is particularly eye-catching. Where would you see it?
So we thought we’d give our non-Facebooking readers a crack at this too. Of course, many of you are not from West Cork, so this is a post you can just sit back and enjoy.
3 This is a cross roads that’s made for dancing!
Some of the photos have featured in our posts, like the one above where Robert and I joined in the dancing at the crossroads. You may remember that post, although it was a while ago.
4 The statue is gazing down at a holy well site – but which one?
And where would we be without a holy well photograph, having shared so many of our adventures over the last few years with Amanda and Peter of Holy Wells of Cork? Amanda is nearing the end of her journey to visit every Cork well now, but is still managing to uncover all kinds of fascinating stuff about the wells she catalogues.
5 This is a wonderful ancient monument – do you know which one it is?
Archaeology has to feature, naturally, as it’s an ongoing preoccupation of ours. West Cork is rich in ancient sites and we have visited and written about so many of them, including the one above.
6 Taken from an iconic vantage point – can you identify it?
And you’re on the right track if you keep thinking ‘archaeology’ for the photograph above. This is a site you may have visited, even if you don’t live here full time.
7 A river runs through it – but where is this?
We aren’t used to looking at this side of the bridge above. In fact, you may not even know this is a bridge. Chances are, if you’ve been in West Cork, you’ve driven over and past this numerous times.
8 A lovely farm house in a remote valley. Recognise it?
Mount Gabriel seems to pop up in many of our photographs, probably because it is so prominent on the landscape. And so it is in the one above – see the air traffic control domes (it may help to biggify)? But I’m willing to bet you won’t know where this shot was taken.
I think you might know this one. If you’ve been there, it’s pretty much unforgettable. I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in Ireland – and that’s saying something.
10 Close to our hearts
And finally, a photograph of our own view from here at Roaringwater Journal International Headquarters, Nead an Iolair. From it, can you tell where we live, and what we are looking across to in this shot?
Leave your answers, or any comments you might have, in the comments section below, or if you like, on our Facebook page. Good luck, Dear Readers!
Up to Christmas I had been using my iPhone for photography. Upside – you always have it with you, it weighs nothing and fits in a pocket, it takes surprisingly good images as long as you don’t need to zoom in. Downside – very grainy if you try to zoom, very limited except for basic shots, few manual controls. Because of my frustration with its limitations (did I grumble that much?) Robert gave me a new camera for Christmas (Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60, for those who care about such things). It fulfils my requirement of being small enough to fit in my pocket while launching me into a whole new world where I can have more control over my images.
Up to now I have been using it purely on the automatic settings, with occasional forays into some of the pre-programmed effects, and I was starting to hit that wall of frustration again – the knowledge that the camera is capable of so much more if only I knew how to use it properly. So this week we signed up for a one day session with Celia Bartlett, a photo-journalist who uses her house in Toe Head to lead weekend photography breaks and workshops.
Farmhouse near Toe Head
After some initial discussion about our goals for the day, and some instruction on caring properly for our cameras, the three of us set out on a ramble down to the beach and along the rural lanes of West Cork. Robert and I clicked away, while Celia mostly just observed our modus operandi. The weather did its usual West Cork thing of alternating between being overcast and sunny, the lanes provided hedgerow flowers and the beach had an obliging spring tumbling over stones to the water, while the farmhouses looked picturesque and cattle browsed contentedly in the fields.
A beach around every bend
Back at the house Celia put our images on a large screen and we went through each one in illuminating (and occasionally embarrassing) detail. “What were you after in this shot?” she asked, encouraging us to articulate our intentions and to analyse whether or not we had realised them. “What could you have done differently?” “Where were you standing and was that the best place?” “What were you focussing on, and is it IN focus?” It was a revelatory experience.
On the shed wall
Foxglove
Robert had expressed that what he wanted was to get the best image in the camera, rather than rely on cropping and correcting afterwards and she focussed on that, showing us how a little forethought might have improved a particular shot.
Robert was taken with this unique postbox
She introduced me to aspect ratio and the rule of thirds (honestly, am I the last person in the world to learn about such basic photographic terms?) and how choosing a square versus, say, a 16X9 format might bring out a line in the shot that lead the eye to a natural point. She showed me how to use focus/recompose to correct a lighting or a focussing issue.
Robert taking his best shot
When I was 21 my parents gave me my first camera. Still have it – an AGFA SLR, completely manual, with a small rangefinder on the strap. I needed it to photograph the rock art for my thesis. The irony is that way back then, 40 years ago, I understood about ISA film, shutter speeds and Fstops. I had to – I couldn’t afford to take more than one or two shots of each rock, mainly in black and white, with an occasional roll of colour slides and I had to make each shot count. But in the 40 years since then I have relied on cameras with automatic settings and have forgotten all that I knew in my early 20s. So the lesson that followed the critiquing session – on aperture size and shutter speeds and sensor sensitivity and grain (ISO) – was a process for me of re-learning long-lost concepts.
Frozen water – it’s all about the shutter speed
After lunch we practised some of those concepts, trying to get the feel for varying the focus and the depth of field. I re-took a couple of shots from the morning, addressing the issues we had identified earlier. Celia went through some of the basics of image processing with us, encouraging us to use minimal adjustments to good effect and to choose the right aspect ratios.
Celia Bartlett
She went through our camera settings with us and showed us what happened when we went, for example, with aperture priority versus shutter priority. Finally, she encouraged us to let go of the Auto security blanket and strike out into the brave new world of manual controls, starting with aperture priority.
Finola gets the picture
I left full of confidence – which has waned a little in the few days since as I’ve played with shots using the aperture setting and realised that I have to practise a LOT to feel like I really know what I am doing. But it’s a great start. I do feel more confident in composing a shot now and in taking my time to get what I want in the image, and in framing and improving it afterwards. As usual, there’s a lot going on in West Cork, so I had the opportunity to practise aperture settings at the opening of a new exhibit at Uillinn, the West Cork Arts Centre. Tess Leak has been the artist-in-residence there for the last few months and she also plays with the wonderful Vespertine Quintet. For this opening, Justin Grounds had composed a new piece for the quintet, featuring a phono-fiddle – a one-stringed horned violin.
The Vespertine Quintet debuts a new work
Tess Leak
Justin Grounds
Tools of the trade
My shutter-speed controls got a workout today at the Baltimore Fiddle Fair. April Verche and her trio entertained us with a dazzling display that included her step dancing while playing the fiddle! This was followed by The Henry Girls, a Donegal trio of sisters with an eclectic repertoire and lovely harmonies.
April Verche – fiddling, dancing AND smiling!
The Henry Girls
I did have a spectacular fail, though. I love bluebells and took multiple shots of our local display using aperture priority, Every single shot was out of focus, so I ended up using the the pre-programmed ‘take flower pictures’ setting.
Bluebell wood
Grrrrr….still lots of work to do…. Celia – help! I need a second day! Oh and by the way, Celia, I loved your coverage of the Lusitania commemorations in Cobh.
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