Horses having some exercise on Renmore Beach in Galway. I wish I could have stayed for longer and gotten closer but I was on my way to playing football. There’s something majestic about watching horses running I find.
the Galway International Rally was the first international rally to be run from the Republic of Ireland. Throughout its history it has attracted star drivers from all over the world. These photos are from the day before the rally, when rally cars register and fans mill around adoring the cars
It Just Feeds My Need For Speed are lyrics taken from the song 1320 by Megadeath
A man browses through some of the 2nd hand books on sale in Charlie Byrne’s Bookstore, Galway. This photograh sat on my hard drive for a long while. I always liked it but didn’t love it until I converted it to black and white.
Charlie Byrne’s is a famous bookstore in Galway and a lovely place to loose yourself and browse for a while.
Post title is a song title by Belle and Sebastian
I recently played Galway Bay Golf course, a very pleasant course even if tough. I played the best golf of my life with 9 pars(!) and 40 points (playing off a handicap of 18). It was a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky and summer weather even though it was only March.
The air was so still that there wasn’t a ripple in the lake and the trees were reflected perfectly. This was shot with a standard compact (Samsung WB2000). I included two photos but personally I prefer the first one.
Post title is taken from the song titled ‘Reflection’ from the album Inertia Creeps.
Three boarded up houses on Bohermore, Galway City. I prefer the black and white photo but posted up the colour version as well, which one do you prefer?
This for me is a good example of finding a photograph in something mundane, a scene most would just walk past and not give it a second glance. Some boarded up houses, not very interesting? But looking and thinking as a photographer it’s a different world. Here I saw a reflection of the economy, a pattern in the houses and like the lines (straight lines rock!).
Post title ‘Won’t Be Back’ is a song title from ‘Recovery’ album by Eminem (Marshall Mathers). I think it fits very nicely to this photo as it portrays a broken home and poverty.
Post title taken from the song ‘Here Comes Your Man’, another great song from the album ‘Doolittle’ by the almost impossibly fantastic The Pixie.
Long exposure shot at a fairground
Post title taken from the very catchy 80s’ single ‘You Spin Me Around (like a record) by Dead or Alive
This was taken from the 7th floor of The Savoy hotel in Limerick City. It’s a view of Limerick (or any city) that most people don’t see or, if they do, pay any attention to. It stands out to me as it’s the unseen side of a city, the ‘behind the scenes’ part without any shiny shopfronts.
On a vaguely related note I always pay attention to the condition of the toilets in any establishment. Sometimes you have an extremelly fancy restaurant/store but the toilets are very basic or even dirty. Which my mum always said to me is a reflection on the establishment overall. If they can’t bother to keep the toilets clean how can you trust them with the hygeine of your food, after sales service etc.
The second photo is just the original cropped and in black and white. I couldn’t decide which I preferred so I posted both.
The KLF sang that it’s grim up north but for Newcastle United it’s certainly not grim at the moment. They’re standing tall, 4th in the league and unbeaten in over 8 games. I was at their home game at Saint James Park where they beat Blackbun 3-0, with Ba scoring a hat-trick.
The G hotel is Galway’s only 5 star hotel. It was designed by Irish milliner Philip Tracey it oozes of luxury, modern design and is great to relax ‘away from it all’.
One of their main features in the hundreds of metal balls hanging from the ceiling in the main lounge room. It has floor to ceiling glass and overlooks Galway Bay. These are what I focused on here but I had to throw in one colour photo to show how loud, in-your-face one of the other rooms is (I call it the Alice In Wonderland room).
A man relaxing down by The Claddagh in Galway City. I’m beginning to convert a lot of photos to black and white, sometimes I wouldn’t have even thought about it if a photo is good but often they just look nicer in black and white. Maybe because there’s less colour to ‘distract’ your eyes.
Most photos I don’t frame online but this one just seemed nicer in a frame to me…
I’ve often walked past this music store in Galway City and thought to myself that the guitars sitting in the window would make a nice photo. So last week I popped in and asked the owner of this music store could I take some photos in his store. He said no problem and I spent a while snapping away.
Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral is situated in the centre of Cork City, Ireland. Designed by William Burges and consecrated in 1870, the Cathedral lies on a site where Christian worship has been offered since the seventh century.
Grace Cathedral Park is a song from the album Red House Painters (I) from Red House Painters
There's a massive flock doing 'their' dance very evening at the exact time. Fairly amazing to watch (but I have to shelter from their 'bombardments')
I can’t look at the rocket launch
The trophy wives of the astronauts
And i won’t listen to their words
’cause i like Birds
Post title is the name of a B side & more album from The Jesus And Mary Chain and contains one of my favourite songs “Don’t Ever Change’.
The wire takes away from the picture a lot but I like it a lot so decided to include it. Taken at Fota Wildlife Park in Cork. A great day out for the family.
subliminal advertising but not as intended- Change a child’s future now…or do nothing.
I was driving through Lackagh when I saw this cyclist coming towards me from out of the fog. I quickly pulled over, grabbed my camera and managed to snap him before he cycled past. I like the atmosphere that the fog adds to the picture.
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars burn below me
Are you all alone
Are you made of Stone?
Overhead wires. It reminds me of a maths question in school, if the angle of the isolysis triangle….
What Santa* got me this year (2009); the new pocket rocket Canon S90. (update- I’ve since sold this to help finance buying a Pentax K-X”
A memorial sculpture to all those from the area lost at sea from Dunmore East and surrounding area
Christopher Columbus prayed here in 1477 before setting sail for 'the New World'
CLAREGALWAY FRIARY
Claregalway Friary was founded by John de Cogan about 1250 and was richly endowed by the de Feoris or the de Bermingham family. The nave of this rectangular church has a north aisle of four bays. Here the sun shines through a window in the central tower. It’s a great ruin and ideally should be light up at nighttime.
A boat by Ashford Castle. Everyone else was snapping away at the castle, I like to hunt around beyond the obvious.
