Spike Island an Island fortress has a rich and varied history. It started life as a Military Base protecting the ships of the Royal Navy for over 100 years and then used by the Naval Service for many years. It was also used in many guises as a prison, from a holding prison for prisoners being sent to the penal colonies and al prison during the war of independence to finally as a detention facility for convicted joy riders.
As a venue for a photo shoot it offers a wide range of subject material. You have fantastic views of Cobh and the outer harbour. The fort itself is an interesting subject with its high walls, bastions and artillery positions. Then you have the old cells coupled with the modern detention centre. There is the contemporary architecture married with the old drill Hall which makes an interesting subject along with the clock tower building which houses a very interesting history of the fort, a history of the navy and an impressive collection of Irish militaria Then there is the Gun Hall which houses an impressive array of varied artillery with lots of brass parts ideal for a bit of macro photography. Finally, outside the fort there is the dereliction of the old accommodation quarters and the village area of the island.
ECCG enjoyed a great day on the island and the only issue is how quickly our time passed on the day. It is definitely one I would recommend (a tripod recommended as there are lot of low light opportunities) and it is one I will be revisiting
See a full gallery of images from the shoot here. Enjoy!
- Andrew Foley
The "Morgenster" is a brig, a two masted, filly square rigged sailing ship. Her rigging is based on the American clippers from the Eighteenth Century. She is a stunning and elegant ship and has been sailing as a clipperbrik since 2008 when her restoration was finished. Its mission is to preserve a historical heritage of seafaring and to help further develop all persons on board. During Tall Ship races she can always be found in the leading group and is always a feared competitor. Her rigging is said to be dated to 1840. As a training ship she is allowed to sail around the world with up to 36 trainees and a crew of 10. Her young apprentices take sail training voyages supported by the Cork Sail Training Bursary Scheme.
We passed by the Irish Lights vessel, ILV Granuaile, anchored securely in the Harbour. She stood majestically above us as we ventured close to her. Her size would have been no match for us had she decided to move!!
corkscrew - a cast iron support system that enabled construction in deep water on mud and sandbanks. The Lighthouse itself was designed by George Halpin and was first lit in 1853 and remains a working light to this day. It has a focal plane of 10 metres and white and red lenses depending on direction of approach.
It was then time for Finbarr and me to hold on as Kevin turned up the throttle and we sped in the direction of Crosshaven. We passed beneath Camden Fort Meagher looking out protectively across the Harbour. We then slowed again as we were now entering into the Owenabue Estuary and the Sunday daytrippers were out in their boats. Crosshaven is home to The Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest Yacht Club in the world. We cruised by the magnificent yachts, standing stately on the still waters. We went up the estuary towards Curabinny Wood and then turned back again. The day was very overcast and unfortunately the sky was not lending itself to showing any colour at all. It would definitely be a place to revisit with a blue sky overhead.
We then decided to head for East Ferry. White knuckled, Finbarr and I held on as we sped off. As we neared East Ferry, looking east across the Owenacurra River to the mainland we could see the Bell Tower of the Holy Trinity Church. It was built in 1867 of red brick and limestone banding and its Bell Tower stands 75ft high. We slowed as we neared the church sitting at the foot of a wooded hill. This was a rare opportunity to photograph this church in such a tranquil setting. Only the noise of the cameras clicking could be heard over the peace and quiet of the birds singing in the evening.
On board, we were taken for a beautiful meal in the very plush Villa Verde panoramic restaurant on Deck 6, following which we went to the Aft Lounge on Deck 7 for tea and coffee. During this we made a presentation of a framed series of images of the ship, taken in Cork harbour during 2015, to the ship's events manager, Ms. Anna Vakulenko.
At this stage we did a tour of the ship taking in the wonderful Aqua Park featuring four outdoor pools and one indoor pool with a retractable roof - ideal for cruising in our weather. We also visited the shopping mall and casino as well as the many restaurants and wellness/fitness centres. The Sports bar with its two bowling lanes was an interesting feature while the stylish Reception area with its waterfall and Swarovski crystal stairs was really classy.
As the bells of St. Colman's Cathedral rang out for 9pm, three long blasts of the ship's whistle announced her impending departure. With mooring ropes cast off and recovered, she was off the berth and moving downriver past the town, dipping her deck lights a number of times in farewell. A beautiful sight in the blue hour, she slipped almost silently around the Spitbank light and headed for Roches Point and out of the harbour on her way to Southampton.
It all started on 25th April with the arrival of the 
As the clock ticked past 6.30am, Royal Princess, with its 3,600 passengers and 1,300 crew on board, was visible from Cobh at Roches Point. On her tenth and final visit of the season, she was the 46th liner of the year and the first of three to call on this day. As she made her way between Forts Davis and Meagher, the sun began to spread its magic over the harbour and bathed the ship in a golden glow as she did a 180 degree turn and went alongside at Cobh Cruise Terminal.
Thereafter, we toured the ship and took in her splendour. Only two years old, she was named by the Duchess of Cambridge on the 13th June 2013 and like her 'godmother', exudes elegance and style at every turn. Among her highlights, the Royal Princess offers a larger and expanded atrium with additional entertainment and casual dining options and it boasts the largest top deck pool ever with Princess Watercolor Fantasy, an enhanced Movies Under the Stars screen, and a SeaWalk with views 128 feet straight down through the glass floor!
Having worked up an appetite, we adjourned to the Horizon Court restaurant on Deck 16, for lunch, for which the choice was seemingly unending. It was really relaxed and enjoyable and afterwards we planned the afternoon's shoot which took us to the casino (which was closed unfortunately) and the atrium where an All Ireland champion uilleann piper and a local troop of Irish dancers entertained the cruisers to great applause.
Resisting the temptation to somehow stow away and depart Cork with the mighty ship, we made our way to deck four and the exit where cruisers, who had been ashore, were streaming back to the ship for the 5.30pm 'all aboard' time. With a glance back we marvelled at the feat of engineering and logistics that is the Royal Princess with a more meaningful understanding of the Princess Cruises slogan, "come back new". Our brief introduction to the world of cruise liners definitely left us with a taste for more and I even heard a suggestion that next year the club should have a foreign shoot ..... on a cruise!!
