Midleton Food & Drink Festival – 10/09/2016

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The Midleton Food and Drink festival 2016 celebrated culinary excellence during the period Sept 4th to the 11th. The festival has been running for almost 15 years  and brought a range of culinary excellence to Midleton showcasing the incredible food offerings from well know local food producers in the region. An array of colour ful stands with a taste of authentic and locally produced food dominated the main street of Midleton on Saturday the biggest and busiest day of the festival. This year and every year since the festival commenced has attracted food enthusiasts from local areas and afar sampling the food and drink delights of the event. Musicians and bands entertained the crowds adding to the fun of the festival.

A number of daily events during the festival period were arranged including Demo food Theatres by local chef personalities, Whiskey Talks and tastings at the Midleton Distillery and special demonstration on the art of barrell making by Master Cooper Ger Buckley in his unique workshop at the distillery.

ECCG was also on hand on the Saturday with a stand displaying a variety of images from ECCG’s finest!  The weather was mixed with sun in the morning changing to rain in the early afternoon but this not prevent ECCG members from capturing a flavour of images of events on the day.

Click here to see a gallery of images from this shoot. Enjoy!

 – Noelle Lowney.

Youghal Medieval Festival – 27/08/2016

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On a bright sunny Saturday August 27th 2016, the Youghal Medieval Festival took place. The venue was the St Mary’s College gardens within the 13th century walls Raleigh Quarter of Youghal . Now in its 10th year, the Medieval festival celebrated National Heritage week and attracted visitors from local areas and and afar.

The festival was awash with the rich heritage of Youghal town and featured an array of colour ful activities including displays of Falconery and Birds of Prey, fascinating Archery and Medieval battle re-enactments. Visitors to the event including ECCG members were all blessed with great weather and blue skies and

were brought back in time with a journey through many aspects of medieval life back in the day with wool spinning, medieval recipes, weaving on hand looms couple with an array of   artisan and craft stands.

ECCG members were treated to opportunities to capture images on camera of the medieval festival which showcased Youghal’s rich history and heritage.

Click here to see a gallery of images from the shoot. Enjoy!

 – Noelle Lowney

Coal Quay Festival – 20/08/2016

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On a wet Saturday August 20th 2016, the annual Cork Coal Quay Festival took place. The festival saw the Corn market and North Main street traders come together in the Coal Quay area in the centre of Cork city -regarded as one of the  oldest parts of the city to join in the festivities. Now in it’s 5 year, the festival celebrated the rich tradition, heritage and culture of music, song, stories and more resonating the nostalgia of Cork city.

At 12 noon on the day, the bell chimes of the historic Shandon bells could be heard with the Banks of My own lovely Lee to celebrate the opening of the festival.  The Coal Quay Shawlies began the celebration as they set off from the North Gate bridge walking along North Main street to Kyle Street finishing at Cornmarket street where they were met by the Lord Mayor of Cork who officially opened the festival. The Cobh Animation team as well as the People of the Middle Parish traders were also present dressed in traditional costumes adding to the atmosphere of yester year.  Prayers were said in remembrance of the deceased Coal Quay traders and doves were released in their memory. Various musicians performed including the Roaring Forties entertained the crowds.

The damp and torrential rain did not deter some brave ECCG members dodging the odd downpour of rain attending the festival to capture images of the festivities in the one of Cork City’s most historic areas.

See a gallery of images from the shoot here. Enjoy!

 – Noelle Lowney

 

World Wide Photo Walk – 01/10/2016

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Brilliant sunshine greeted us outside the Commodore Hotel in Westbourne Place, Cobh, Co. Cork as we met at 11am to begin our 2016 Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk. This was ECCG’s third WWPW having held the previous two in Midleton and Youghal in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Guided by local man Gordon Kinsella who knew all the best shots in the town, we began our walk in the park and then took a circular route taking in most of the town centre as well as Deep Water Quay.

The roof-top of the Commodore Hotel, with its stunning views of the town and harbour, provided a fitting end to this most enjoyable event which we topped off with great food and conversation in the Hotel bar.

As much a social event as a photography event, it was great to meet some new people and catch up with some that we haven’t seen in a while. Thanks to Gordon Kinsella, the Commodore Hotel, everyone who joined us on the walk and everyone we met along the way.

Check out the gallery from the event here but check back regularly as the gallery will be added to over the next week or so. Enjoy!

 

PPAI Exhibition Launch – 09/09/2016

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Presentation by East Cork Camera Group to PPAI Press Photographer of the Year 2016, Mark Condren. (l to r) John Tait, Mark Condren and Denis Barry

East Cork Camera Group is delighted to host the Press Photographers Association of Ireland Awards 2016 Exhibition at the Library, Main St, Midleton, the launch of which was held on Friday 9th September 2016.

In order to have the exhibition in the town centre for the annual Midleton Food and Drink Festival on Saturday 10th September, PPAI stalwarts, Robbie and Billy put in a superhuman effort in dismantling the exhibition at AIB, South Mall, Cork and erecting it again just a couple of hours later in Midleton all in time for the official launch at 7pm despite a wet Friday evening and its associated gridlock.

The launch was held in the library and was attended by Press Photographer of the Year 2016 and fourth time winner of the title, Mr. Mark Condren of the Irish Independent. A native of Castletownroche, Co. Cork, Mark cut his teeth as a photojournalist with The Avondhu and The Corkman newspapers before moving to the Sunday Tribune and then to the Irish Independent where he currently plies his trade covering news stories at home and abroad.

The event was well attended with all present very impressed by the high standard of work on show. Following some brief words by ECCG Chairman, Denis Barry and Chamber of Commerce President, Seamus Cunningham, Mark spoke of his work as a press photographer over 20 years in exciting and sometimes dangerous places, as far afield as Syria, Nigeria, Haiti, Gaza and the Middle East as well as at home. “The really big news stories of our time are rarely recalled by the written word”, he said, “but we all remember the images”. He instanced the destruction of the Twin Towers, the recovery of the body of three-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, drowned in the Mediterranean, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Black Power Salute at the Olympic Games in 1968 as images that are ingrained in our memories courtesy of the news photographers of the day. He complimented the work of his colleagues on display in the exhibition and exhorted all present to study the images and think of the unique stories behind each one.

To commemorate winning the title and the exhibition’s first time in Midleton, Mark was presented with a framed image from East Cork Camera Group’s recent Cruise Liner / Lusitania Exhibition. Depicting the reenactment of the return to Cobh of the flotilla of small craft carrying casualties and debris from the site of the sinking of RMS Lusitania, the image was made by ECCG member, John Tait.

The exhibition runs at the Library, Midleton for two weeks and is well worth a visit. Thanks to Ann-Marie Kenneally and the staff of Midleton Library for having the exhibition and to Wallis’s, Midleton and Day’s of Whitegate for supplying refreshments for the launch Thanks also to Mrs. Ursula O’Tuama for providing the musical backdrop that was woven delicately throughout the evening’s proceedings and, finally, thanks to Mark Condren and the PPAI for bringing the exhibition to Midleton and in time for the Food Festival’s main event.

Click here to see a gallery of images from the launch night.
Click here for the PPAI website.

Enjoy!