On my drive/cycle to work each day I pass through Claregalway and the ruins of Claregalway Friary. On this clear blue sky morning I pulled in, walked downstream to this viewpoint. I’ve taken several photos of Claregalway Friary before but none from this angle; I like how the tree branches frame the friary and it’s a slightly different angle from where I’ve taken photos before.
Driving around Galway I’ve noticed a large amount of old, abandoned houses. Many of them are on the same grounds where the owners have built newer homes. Some appear to be in the middle of nowhere, hidden from the road behind a veil of overgrown trees.
As a project I decided to photograph a selection of the old, abandoned houses nearby Lackagh, where I live. This is the collage that I created; the first five houses are between Turloughmore and Abbeyknockmoy, the sixth on the N17 near Claregalway, the next two near Carnmore Cross and the last in Lackagh.
Yesterday I cycled to work instead of driving. As always I try to bring a camera with me whereever I go so I threw my compact into my rucksack. Everyday I drive past this ruined Friary in Claregalway and think to myself I should try to photograph it in the morning. But normally I’m driving on my way to work so don’t stop.
As the weather was perfect (blue sky, no shadows) and it was easier for me to pull I spent a few minutes and am very happy with the result.
The Claregalway Friary is a medieval Franciscan abbey. Today, the abbey buildings and grounds are open to the public free of charge.
In 1538, forces under the command of Lord Leonard Gray ransacked and looted the abbey while on march to Galway. In 1570, Queen Elizabeth I granted possession of the monastery to Sir Richard de Burgo. In 1589, the monastery buildings were turned into a barracks under the administration of the English provincial governor, Sir Richard Bingham.
During the reign of King James, Claregalway Friary was given to the Earl of Clanrickarde. By 1641, the Franciscans had reoccupied the abbey, but the building was in poor repair and the community lacked the ability to renovate it. The burial grounds surrounding the building are maintained and still in use.
A selection of abandoned houses on a drive from Kilkenny to just outside Galway (150km journey). I’ve often observed old, abandoned buildings when driving along the roads of Ireland. Normally I’m with my family so I don’t have the opportunity to stop multiple times and spend time photographing. Recently I was in Kilkenny for a weekend and drove down on my own. So I took this opportunity to stop and shoot any old building I drove past.
It was quiet a ‘funny’ drive; I’d be driving along keeping an eye out, spot an old house, glance in my mirrors and if the road was clear do a u-turn, pull in (safely somewhere), jump out, snap-snap-snap, jump back in and turn around again and drive on. It was fun for the first hour or so but became quiet repetitive and tedious towards the end of my journey but interesting to see the different states of ruin. Eventually they’ll all end up a bare skeleton of bricks overgrown by greenery.
Post title taken from the timeless classic ‘Everyday is like Sunday‘, taken from Morrissey’s debut solo album ‘Viva Hate’.