Photographs from "The Irish Light"

The finest lighthouse on the Irish coast, the Fastnet stands proud on an unusually calm fine Summer's evening.
A granite tower constructed of interlocking blocks, it's a virtual monolith which presents itself like the bow of a ship to the incoming Atlantic swells, dissipating their energy before they reach peak force.
So effective is the design and construction that it has survived the worst the Atlantic can throw at it for over a century with nary a scratch. In 1985, it was struck by a 48m rogue wave (the same height as the focal plane of the lantern). This stove in the glass of the lantern room and overturned the vat of mercury on which the lantern turns, but the structure took no other damage.

Inch Beach is beloved of anyone who's holidayed there - and indeed many families return year after year.
I've long wanted a photograph of it, but it had always eluded me until this one. I chose an elevated viewpoint so you can see the shape of the beach itself and the matching shapes of the waves as they advance in from Dingle Bay.
In a large print, you can see individual surfers in the water, as well as people enjoying their time on the beach on this early Spring day.

The Conor Pass is the highest mountain pass in Ireland and offers the most dramatic way to enter the western part of the Dingle peninsula.
On the eastern side, an incredible narrow and winding road clings to the cliff face making it interesting for the unwary when meeting traffic coming the other way!
Once at the top of the pass, the views are quite literally breathtaking. This image was made as the sun was rising on a Summer's morning. Brandon Mountain (Cnoc Bréanainn) shows off its rugged eastern face across the Owenmore (An Abha Mhór) valley. The lakes visible are, from left to right, An Loch Geal, Loch Uí Fiannachta and Loch Neil Phádraig. Loch Cruite is just visible nestling at the base of the mountain. Brandon Bay can be seen in the right of frame in the distance.
It's from Brandon Creek on the western side of the mountain that St. Brendan is said to have begun his legendary voyage to America around the year 512 AD.

Torc Waterfall is one of the jewels of the Killarney area. A majestic cascade through a leafy valley, it's a place of wonderful calm.
Photographed here on an overcast day, the colours and tones of the scene really shine through.

Ross Castle is one of Killarney's most popular tourist attractions. Probably built around the 15th century, it was restored in 1979 and is open to the public.
Seen here from Rien Pier by the Workmen's Rowing Club boathouse on a fine summer's morning, it's easy to see why it's such a popular place to visit.

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.

Morning mists rise above a calm Gougane Barra.

White Rock Beach on Killiney Bay is an extension of Killiney Beach, but is cut off from the main strand at high tide.
This swimming platform has been carved out of the rock, and is largely exposed at low tide. Taken here with a long exposure at high tide, it seems to be floating in a sea of mist.

The view from Geokaun Mountain on Valentia Island is second to none, in my opinion. This image looks out over Valentia Harbour and Doulus Bay, with the lighthouse at Fort Point in the bottom centre of the photograph. A squall is passing over Cahersiveen in the distance as the clouds are tinged pink with the sunrise.

Ventry Harbour is a large natural shelter on the south side of the Dingle peninsula. Seen here at dawn from near the summit of Mount Eagle, Dingle Harbour is visible in the distance.
Boats shimmer at anchor in the harbour while the morning mist rises from the farmland in the foreground.

An Searrach (The Foal) is a sea stack just outside Dingle Harbour. Visible from the Conor Pass, I'd been meaning to find a good vantage point for it since I first saw it some years ago. Just recently while returning from business in Dingle town shortly after sunset, and in miserable weather I found this spot. Made with a long lens over 30 seconds, I believe it captures the mood of the scene very well.

The Fastnet Lighthouse is one of Ireland's engineering marvels. There are several other images on this site which capture it from the air, the sea and from the rock itself, but this is one of the more unique. Made from inside the rotating lantern assembly itself, the strong graphic forms of the fresnel lenses combine with the diagonals of the ladder and other structures to show off the magnificent beauty of this early 20th century industrial masterpiece.
As I was composing the image, I noticed that every now and then a rainbow was projected on the pole to my left by the lenses. I made several exposures attempting to capture this split-second occurrence, and this one was successful.

Valentia is a large island just off the north coast of the Iveragh peninsula. Connected to the mainland by a bridge, it's a lovely place to visit and has some stunning scenery. This image was made while returning from the abortive attempt to land on Inishteareaght and shows the north coast of the island being battered by a storm.
It's a rare privilege to see this kind of weather in action from the air, so I'm pleased to be able to share it with you.

The sun rises over Gougane Barra lake on a fine spring morning.