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 annual Jailbreak Triathlon hosted by the local Cobh Triathlon club took place on Saturday September 6th 2014 in Cobh. This is the third consecutive year that this national sporting event was held with sponsorship from the Port of Cork and local businesses. The ECCG group was on hand to take some memorable photographs of the extraordinary events of the day. Sunny skies and calm waters greeted competitors in their escape bid as well as photographers capturing the event on camera. The event also attracted huge crowds who lined the streets in their droves to cheer on the race participants.
The multi-stage competition involved the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines – swimming, cycling and running in immediate succession over various distances. The levels catered for in this flagship event were Olympic and Sprint triathlon distances. The Olympic distance consisted of a 1,500m swim from Spike Island to Cobh followed by a 40km flat fast cycle race finishing with a 10km run along the Cobh waterfront and promenade and back to the heart of the Cobh town centre. A shorter distance was available for the Sprint option consisting of a 750km swim, 20km cycle and 5km run. Relay teams consisting of 3 individuals also participated on the day – one completing the swim, one the cycle leg and the remaining person doing the run.
Shortly after 2pm competitors in the Olympic event, who had already been transported across to Spike, gathered for the start of their race, which commenced at around 2.15pm. Meanwhile, competitors in the Sprint event made their way to Whitepoint for their 3pm start. Both events commenced with a swim in open water without stopping, the Olympic competitors swimming from Spike Island to Cobh while the Sprint competitors swam along the shorefront from Whitepoint to the town centre. On completion of the swim competitors made their way to the transition area where they changed gear to begin the cycle segment through the main street of Cobh town and out the coast road.
The bright coloured outfits of the cyclists, together with their athletic prowess were admirable as they were cheered on by the clapping spectators. We availed of the opportunity to capture the participant’s facial expressions of intense determination, hard hitting motivation and undefeatable attitude on camera.
Of course we were present at the finishing line to capture the emotion and delight of those who had completed the triathlon reaping the rewards of their strict and challenging training regimen, many of which participated in support of various charities such as animal welfare groups and cancer societies.
