ECCG members travelled to the picturesque town of Lismore, Co. Waterford on Saturday 22/2/14. Given that more bad weather was forecast for the afternoon, coupled with the minor detail of an Ireland v England Triple Crown decider at 4pm, we arrived in Lismore shortly after 9am with the intention of avoiding one and making the other!

As ever, the hallmark of this charming heritage town, even on a cold and overcast day, was the tidiness and cleanliness evident everywhere – a fact that betrays an underlying vibrant community spirit and pride and suggests the town could reclaim its 2004 title of Ireland’s Tidiest Town any time it wants.

A stroll around the town revealed photo opportunities at every turn – Lismore Castle, The Blackwater, the weir, St. Carthage’s Cathedral, the park, etc, etc. While happy to just ramble around and shoot, a friendly, local couple, on seeing my camera, kindly advised me of some great local sights to shoot which I would never have found on my own.

Having spent the morning around the town and at the Ballysaggartmore Towers nearby, it was time to adjourn for lunch to The Malt Bar in The Lismore House Hotel where we were served by the delightful Marie Ahearne who, having delivered first class customer service, was gracious enough to agree to an impromptu portrait sitting!

Between its friendly people, picturesque locations and almost tangible heritage, Lismore has quite a bit to offer. A ‘must visit’ town for everyone, it is a photographer’s paradise and any time spent there will be richly rewarded with images, varied and unique.

Take a moment to view some images from our trip below. Mouse over the image to activate the slide show controls.

[slideshow_deploy id=’1751′]

Photos by Tom Arnott, Denis Barry, Joe Carr, Kevin Day, Joseph Keniry, Finbarr O’Shea, Bill Sisk and John Tait.