Cobh’s Deck of Cards: Why the Famous View Isn’t Always the Best Photograph

I photographed the street on a private photography tour, my first visit to the seaside town since before lockdown began in March 2020. We had stopped to photograph two of Cobh’s best-known features: the colourful hillside houses known as the Deck of Cards and the lofty Saint Colman’s Cathedral.

Within moments, it became obvious that something had changed since my previous visit. Several houses had been repainted, and the street had lost much of the colour that had made it such an appealing subject.

The yellows, oranges and reds that contrasted with blue and turquoise a few doors away had given way to grey, beige and other muted shades. To my eye, those houses had become almost indistinguishable in colour.

I think it’s a shame. The bolder colours were a large part of the appeal of this particular view, especially with the cathedral rising behind the houses. At least the owners of the blue house had repainted their varnished door in a new shade of blue.

The repainting certainly hadn’t discouraged visitors. As we photographed here, more than ten people arrived with cameras pointed towards the houses and Saint Colman’s. Anyone expecting the bright colours of the familiar postcards would have found a rather different scene.

Even Tourism Ireland posts images of the Deck of Cards approximately once per month on its social media channels, using photographs showing the older, more colourful versions.

The Deck of Cards is a row of 23 houses on West View, built in the 1850s, with each house set at a different level on the hill. The name comes from their resemblance to a house of cards, with the familiar suggestion that removing the bottom one would bring the whole row tumbling down.

Knowing when the postcard view is no longer the strongest image in town is part of the job. An iconic location builds its reputation on photographs made over years, sometimes decades. The light in a favourite photograph might last only twenty minutes on an October morning. Scaffolding goes up. Colours change. Parked cars fill the foreground. The image that circulates is not necessarily the scene you find when you arrive.

So would I photograph the Deck of Cards again? Yes. Would I have made a detour specifically for it on that visit? No. It was worth a stop while we were in Cobh, but the changed colours made the view less rewarding for me. There were still compositions to explore, although in flat light the muted houses stood out much less than before. I’d go back out of curiosity, too, to see whether the bolder colours return.

Why Cobh is still worth photographing

There is plenty more to photograph in Cobh. The harbour, the Victorian and Edwardian architecture and the narrow streets climbing away from the waterfront can easily occupy a few hours with a camera. There are smaller details, too: bollards, painted ironwork and tide-marked stone, as well as the changing light on the water.

Saint Colman’s Cathedral dominates the skyline and is worth photographing both from a distance and close up. Moving through the town gives you different views of it, with streets, rooftops and the harbour providing plenty of possibilities for a foreground.

I’ve also found people in Cobh exceptionally friendly. A chat and a warm welcome add to the enjoyment of spending time in a place with a camera.

Cobh’s history gives you plenty to think about as you walk along the waterfront. It was the Titanic’s last port of call and the departure point for millions of Irish emigrants leaving during the Famine and the decades that followed. Known then as Queenstown, it was also where survivors and many of the dead were brought ashore after the Lusitania was torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915. Knowing something of those journeys changes how you look at the harbour, once the last view of Ireland for so many people.

Photographer’s note

The Deck of Cards is still worth seeing. Give yourself time to explore beyond the familiar viewpoint, though. Look at the light, try another angle and decide what catches your attention on the day. Sometimes the photograph you enjoy most is one you hadn’t planned to take.