St. Finbarre’s Cathedral, Cork – 14/2/15

Trevor O'Connell-6

St. Finbarre's Cathedral, situated near the heart of Cork City, was the venue for the ECCG shoot on 14th February 2015. The cathedral, built in 1863 by the Victorian architect William Bruges, was dedicated to St. Fin Barre, replacing a previous building which once stood on the same spot believed to be the site of a monastery founded by St. Fin Barre in the 7th century.

The present building is from the neo gothic period made from Cork limestone, marble as well as Bath Stone. The exterior, with its spiky spires, gurning gargoyles and rich sculpture contribute to it's magnificent presence and stature.

The grandeur continues inside with noteworthy features of marble floor mosaics, stained glass windows, elaborate and colourful paintings on the sanctuary ceiling. Gus, our guide, was on hand to give us a history of the building and it's magnificent artifacts, including over 1,200 sculptures, an ornate pulpit, an elaborate oak Bishop's throne, and an organ with 4,000 pipes located in the upstairs gallery which is currently closed for renovations unfortunately. Quirky items include a 24lb cannonball suspended from a chain representative of the legacy of the Siege of Cork in 1690. The sheer splendour and ostentatious interior of this building was certainly a challenge for us to photograph.

After the cathedral visit the shoot continued nearby at the 17th century star shaped Elizabeth fort located off Barrack street. The fort was built after the battle of Kinsale in 1601 and named after Queen Elizabeth 1st and served as a prominent defensive fortification outside the city's walls. Cork city eventually grew around the fort which has taken on various other roles over the years - including use as a military barracks, prison and Garda Station.  The fort's location and vantage point over the city made it ideal vantage point for great shots of Cork city.

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See more images here.

 

- Noelle Lowney

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Christmas 2014 in Cork City

James Brady-6

Eager to get shooting again after the Christmas holidays, a group of ECCG members descended on Cork City on 28/12/14. A bitterly cold day, the city didn't disappoint with Christmas lights, reflections and good cheer to be found in abundance.

Mouse over the image below to activate the slideshow. Enjoy!

 

 

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Cork – Resplendent in the Rain

Though buffeted by high winds and rain, Cork City presented with a charm all of its own on Sunday afternoon, 29/12/2013, as hardy shoppers scurried about the streets in the festive atmosphere.

Despite the testing conditions, people were in great humour all around the City lending credence to the City's 'friendly' tag.20131229-DB2_7183ECCG reporters-120131229-DB2_7052

Though hardly ideal weather for photography, two members of ECCG threw caution to the winds and ISO settings to the heavens and headed out into the storm to record activities in the 'Real Capital'.

ECCG reporters-14ECCG reporters-5 ECCG reporters-8 20131229-DB2_6973Business at The Giant Wheel on Grand Parade was understandably slow but the friendly cashier on duty was undaunted as she sipped her cuppa to keep out the chill.

ECCG reporters-17Given the adverse weather, there was little room in the McDonalds Inn at Daunt Square

20131229-DB2_7228The Echo Boy on St. Patrick's Street appeared to try to catch everyone's attention as they passed by but was having little luck.

20131229-DB2_7182Storm? What storm? - Time to relax in Carey's Lane

Click the thumbnails above for a bigger version.

ECCG reporters-22New and Old: Opera Lane and Queen Anne House, Emmet Place

ECCG reporters-Selfie on The Giant Wheel - ECCG's intrepid reporters: Denis Barry and Anthony O'Connor high above the Grand Parade.

While willing to risk life and limb to get the shot (well we did have a go on the Giant Wheel!), the gear had to be protected from the elements. The first defence was the incredibly cheap and effective OpTech Rain Sleeve, without which, we would not have been able to get out at all. These kept the bodies and lenses dry and after that it was a constant battle just to keep the front lens elements dry, an impossibility in the circumstances so it was really just a matter of getting on with it and hoping for the best.

ISO crept towards the 2000 mark at times in order to maintain some chance of a hand-hold-able shot. Both Nikon and Canon were represented but with conditions as they were, there was no lens changing. 18-55mm and 18-200mm were the lenses of choice and proved their versatility on the day. Umbrellas and tripods were brought along but were more of a hindrance than a help, such was the high wind and could really have been left in the car.

All in all, a challenging but enjoyable day of photography in our City by the Lee - and a few 'keepers' into the bargain.

 

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Sub-Zero Temperatures no match for ECCG Members

The sub-zero Siberian winds were no match for the dozen or so hardy souls who turned out for the first night shoot of the year in Cork City last night. With windchill dropping the temperatures to -4C, the members were treated to a full moon rising over the City Hall which was awash in a beautiful blue light that rendered the freezing conditions irrelevant.

DavidGeary_Corknight-shoot-2

After a while in the Lapps Quay and Parnell Bridge area it was off to the South Gate bridge where views of St. Finbarre's Cathedral  reflected in the waters of the South Channel were worth the walk.

More than once, passers-by paused and looked quizzically at the line of tripods and their attentive owners wondering what in the world was going on. Some looked far in the distance to see what could be the object of this group's attention only to walk away as mystified as they were to begin with. One couple's curiosity got the better of them causing them to stop and ask what was going on!

The hot refreshments at a local hostelry went down a treat afterwards as all reported a satisfying and good shoot despite the challenging conditions.

Photos by Dave Geary, Anthony O'Connor and Karen Fleming.

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