Tag Archives: Cork

Heritage Open Day, Cork – 23/8/14

Cork City Hall from the balcony of the Clarion Hotel’s Penthouse Suite, Lapps Quay.

Cork Heritage Open Day is a unique event, which is held on the first Saturday of Heritage Week. This year it was on Saturday the 23rd of August.

For one day only, nearly 40 buildings opened their doors free of charge for this special event. Members of the public were allowed a glimpse of some of Cork’s most fascinating buildings ranging from the Medieval to the Military, the Civic to the Commercial and the Educational to the Ecclesiastical.

In the slideshow below are some images from St. Anne’s Church, Shandon, The Clarion Hotel Penthouse Suite, Lapps Quay, The Masonic Hall, Tuckey St, St. Finbarre’s Cathedral, Bishop St., Elizabeth Fort, Barrack St. and a few random others from around the city.

Many thanks to Cork City Council and the owners of the various buildings.

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

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SSV Corwith Cramer – 6/7/14

Berfore lunch, I took myself down to Carlisle Fort on the East side of lower Cork harbour, to see if I could get a crack at the Tall Ship “SSV Corwith Cramer”, an American sail training ship, en route from Cork City to Spain and further afield.

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I was in position by the fort at 12:30pm, where I bided my time in glorious sunshine, while Fidelma Read and family took up position at Roche’s Point. At about 1:30pm, Corwith Cramer rounded White Point in Cobh, and I took shots of her with a 500mm zoom.

Prof Murphy and his law struck, just as the ship came close enough to get a bit of detail in the shots. The heaven’s opened, and I was copiously precipitated upon (That’s the polite term) and a mad dash to the car ensued. The gear survived unscathed, but the photographer was a tad damp to say the least.

Fidelma and family retreated in face of this deluge, as I made my way to Roche’s Point. By the time Corwith Cramer reached the point, the rain had almost cleared, but “the sky was on the floor”. In dull and damp conditions, I got a few more shots, as she cleared the point, and headed South East. She was a couple of miles off shore, before they raised the sails… Bah! Bloody weekend sailors!

As she disappeared into the mist, I made my way home to salvage the remains of my Sunday lunch, which had languished a bit too long in the oven. Ah well! We have to suffer for our art.

– John Tait

Mouse over the image below to activate the slide show controls. Enjoy!

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Shoot at Roches Point Lighthouse – 29/3/14

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Eight members of the group headed to Roches Point on Saturday morning, 29/3/14, lead by local man and Group member, Kevin Day.

Roches Point is a name familiar to most Irish people as data from the local weather station forms part of several daily broadcasts on TV and radio. The place itself, situated at the very entrance to Cork Harbour, is accessed from the nearby village of Whitegate. A scenic spot, it is a constant draw for visitors all year round with photographers counting high among these. The village’s quaint housing, imposing lighthouse and beautiful seascapes together with a busy sea-lane seemingly just an arm’s length away, provide a multitude of possibilities for the photographer willing to spend the time and explore the angles.

Trips to Roches Point were always tainted with a regret that the lighthouse, which is the highest point in the area with commanding views of the harbour, was always off limits and not accessible to the public. However, on this occasion, the locked gates were opened and ECCG got exclusive access which will, I’m certain, be a very high point of the year’s activities. Many thanks to all concerned.

Mouse over the images below to access and activate the slideshow controls and see the photographers’ details.

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ECCG visits The Naval Base

On Saturday 8/3/14, ECCG members visited the Naval Base at Haulbowline, in Cork harbour. While the weather wasn’t ideal, it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for the tour which was lead by Petty Officer, Brian Murphy.

naval base. 105 While being a modern military base, its long and illustrious history was inescapable with historic buildings, a martello tower and a nameplate commemorating a 19th century Royal visit, featuring among the reminders of times past. Records show a continuous military presence on the island since 1602 when the island was fortified against seaborne attack.

In 1720 the first yacht club in the world, now known as Royal Cork Yacht Club, was founded in Haulbowline. In 1806 the first naval presence was established on the island and in 1865, work commenced on the building of the Naval Dockyard and Drydock which was finished in 1884 but didn’t become operational until 1894. Haulbowline was an important support base for the Royal Navy and US Navy during WWI.

In 1921 the Irish Free State was established but Britain kept control of the seas and “Treaty Ports” of Cork, Berehaven and Lough Swilly (handed back in 1938). Haulbowline was handed over to the new Irish Free State in 1923 and was kept on a “care and maintenance” basis until 1939.

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In September 1939, the Government purchased 6 Motor Torpedo Boats and the Marine and Coastwatching Service (a forerunner to the modern Naval Service) was established at the Naval Base and in 1946, the Government established the Naval Service as part of the Defence Forces at Haulbowline to patrol Irish Waters.

Haulbowline island – known as “Inis Sionnach” – “Fox Island” in the Irish language – has been home to the Naval Base and Dockyard since 1946.

Many thanks to P.O. Murphy and his colleagues at the Naval Base for the welcome given to us and for sharing their knowledge and facilities with us during our visit.

Check out some images from our visit below. Mouse over the images to reveal the slideshow controls and photographers’ names. At the beginning of the slideshow are four interesting black and white images shot by David Hegarty on an Ondu Pinhole camera.

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Naval Service Website

All Ireland Hurling Finals – a Photographer’s Perspective

Denis O’Flynn at Croke Park

While most amateur photographers might hazard a guess at the gear and settings required for shooting sport, what are less widely known or understood are the actual logistics of getting prepared, getting into the ground, getting organised, where to position yourself and what and when to shoot. ECCG member, Denis O’Flynn is a very experienced sports photographer who regularly shoots GAA matches at club and inter-county level for the web and print media.

Having recently shot both All Ireland Senior Hurling Final games, Denis shares his experience and workflow which he has developed over many years.

Read on …

See more of Denis’s images here. Check Denis’s facebook page here.

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