National Potato Day

As sceptical as you might be about National Potato Day I think it is a good thing. Why not encourage the growers of our national foodstuff to continue producing this essential source of carbohydrates? 

Threatened by blight and the usual potato problems, there are also the cheaper imports to contend with, and I don't mean those lovely new Cyprus potatoes, there are far fewer fields turned over to growing spuds as there were when I was young.

Getting close to the action is sometimes necessary to get a better perspective when photographing, in any circumstances whether it be landscapes or street photos. In this case it involved getting wet feet, and a wet filter on the front of my lens.

The GPO or General Post Office (Ard Oifig an Phoist) is an iconic building in Dublin, and a place that almost all visitors have heard of and all Dubliners reference as a meeting place. The last of the great Georgian buildings of Dublin it became the central headquarters for the postal service now An Post from 1818. Interestingly it was designed by the architect Francis Johnston who came from Armagh, the other Georgian city of Ireland.

Kilkenny

Kilkenny, also known as the Marble City is situated on the banks of the River Nore, it lies only just over an hour southeast from Dublin has been voted the 9th friendliest city in the world by Conde Nast Traveller readers.

As a former haunt of mine, I can definitely agree. With friends I spent many great evenings wandering the streets of this small town; it is a city but really it's possible to walk from one side to the other in about 15 minutes.

At the present time, Dublin Bus drivers are on strike so there won't be the familiar yellow and blue buses on the city streets for the foreseeable. The strike began at midnight on Saturday and has been in place through Sunday and today, Bank Holiday Monday.

Dublin Photo Tours at the Coast

Leading photo tours around Dublin is interesting and often challenging, there are no two days the same. Despite visiting the same locations over and over again, it's hard to become tired of it. 

Croagh Patrick, Cruach Phádraig is Ireland's Holy Mountain and like many mountains in Ireland it is busy in summer with climbers.

However, Croagh Patrick is a mountain with a difference, home to a major pilgrimage every year on the last Sunday of July. I've partaken in this pilgrimage in July on many occasions and also throughout the year; but what better way to climb a mountain 764m high, than on a day, known locally as Reek Sunday, when up to 20,000 others are climbing it. There is a sense of camaraderie and the views can be stupendous. 

The Grand Canal

Ireland's Grand Canal runs from the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin all the way to Shannon Harbour in the west of Ireland, a distance of 131km. Begun in 1756 to carry cargo to and from Dublin it is now exclusively used for tourism purposes with plenty of barges making the scenic journey through the heart of Ireland every year.

Irish Bogs

Irish bogs are interesting places, sometimes thought of as barren wasteground and fit only for cutting for fuel or conversion to forest, they cover approximately 12,000km² of the country.

Two types of bog are found in Ireland, blanket bog and raised bog.

For many people Ireland is synonymous with sheep and lamb.

Travelling through the Garden County it is easy to see why, with sheep and lambs in spring on verdant fields or by roadsides grazing on heather.

Wicklow sheep were common throughout Ireland before the Famine and produced wool very suitable for flannel (as well as mutton for stews).