Ireland

Inis Tuaisceart (Inishtooskert) is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands off the tip of the Dingle peninsula in Kerry. From the shore, it looks like a giant lying on its back, hence its popular name of 'The Sleeping Giant'. In Irish, it's known as 'An Fear Marbh', which translates as 'The Dead Man'.

It's rarely photographed from the water, and early in 2020 I ventured out to do just that. Its northern tip has some of the most dramatic island scenery anywhere in Ireland, and I was delighted to work with it under brooding overcast skies - perfectly matching the moody menace of the cliffs.

Bray Head looms at the viewer on a beautiful spring evening. The cloudless sky contrasts with the surf pounding against the base of the cliffs.

The moon sets behind the Skelligs on a calm spring morning

Rarely seen, the hermitage clings to the narrow South Peak of Skellig Michael with a 700 foot drop on either side. The main monastery can be seen on the North Peak in the middle distance, and the Small Skellig and the Kerry coast lie beyond.

Photographing from Hag's Head for the first time, I discovered this canyon at exactly the right moment. The moon was just rising through the slot - a circumstance I couldn't have planned better.

Being mainly famous for its 6th century monastery, the dramatic island of Skellig Michael also boasts two lighthouses built in 1830. This image was made of the lower lighthouse from the road to the upper (which was discontinued and abandoned in 1870).
Made shortly after moonrise, the image shows the light in its new guise. Just a couple of weeks before this image was made, the old fresnel lantern was decommissioned and a modern LED lantern mounted on the balcony. In a large print, this new light can be seen illuminated. It has great advantages in cost of operation, but unfortunately means that the rest of the lighthouse complex is surplus to requirements and will be closed up. The end of an era, but on this trip I was fortunate enough to enjoy the hospitality of the lighthouse for possibly the last time ever.
This is one of my favourite images of recent times. I love the line of the road leading down to the light, and even more the evidence of nature's relentless assault in the cracked and damaged walls, and the overgrown road itself.

The Gap of Dunloe is perhaps the most iconic of the landscapes around Killarney. A dramatic, steep-sided valley with a narrow road winding torturously through it, it's endlessly scenic.
This photograph was made at sunset on a particularly beautiful November evening.

Muckross House is one of the jewels of the Killarney area. A stately home that is now open to the public, I wanted to capture it a little differently.
This was a beautiful clear Autumn night and the stars were shining brightly. I had the place to myself. The constellation of Aquarius can be seen just above the house.

Slea Head is by far the most iconic of Dingle locations. On the very fringes of our island, it's an incredibly rugged and wild place. Even the roads have difficulty here - a section of the nearby Slea Head drive slipped into the sea some years ago. The new section is a little further inland now!
This image was made shortly after sunset on a stormy December day. The clouds, which had been stubbornly persistent on the horizon, cleared for a few seconds to give a glimpse of the glorious colours behind them, before closing again just as quickly.
From left to right, the islands visible are, Inishvickallaun, Inishnabro and the Great Blasket.

A sheep greets the sunset at Ireland's most westerly point with the Blasket Islands in the distance.

On December 21, 2010 there was a total lunar eclipse which was visible from Ireland as the moon was setting just before sunrise.
That December was a brutally cold one in Ireland with virtually the entire country covered in snow - a rare occurrence. Braving the -15 degree (centigrade) temperatures I made this exposure from the driveway of our house. It pays to live in an area of natural beauty!

In it, the eclipse is nearing totality with only a small sliver of the moon in sunlight. The rest is a red colour as it has passed into the shadow of the earth.

A close in view of the lighthouse at the end of the Old Head of Kinsale on a beautiful Autumn evening. The golf course and clubhouse is visible in the background.

Dramatic fingers of rock reach out from Galley Head at sunrise.