Connemara or Conamara

The western part of County Galway, situated west of Lough Corrib, is known as Connemara.

It's a land of bog, mountains, sea and sky. This image is taken from a single track bog road on the way to the edge of Ireland, the edge of Europe on the Atlantic Coast.

As I made my way across the bog towards the small lake pictured in this image, I was shadowed by the vertical flight of the skylark hovering in the clouds above me, warbling its distinctive call.

I'm not boasting but Ireland is surely one of the best countries to live in. It's scenic, there is no doubt, it's compact and easy to get around.

There is nowhere better to be at sunset than the west of Ireland, the mountains and valleys soak up the low rays of sunshine coming from the Atlantic.  

Ballymoe is a typical rural Irish village, a sleepy backwater, lying in the east of County Galway in the province of Connacht. It has developed around the traditional crossing point over the River Suck that forms the boundary of counties Galway and Roscommon.

Surrounded by bogland in the midlands of Ireland, it has a typical mixture of colourful houses, pubs, shops and a Catholic church on its long main street.

Providing services to local residents and as a through road for travellers heading between Roscommon and Galway, Ballymoe certainly doesn't see much action, you know, it's the kind of place that has a few tractors parked outside the butcher's shop or Post Office.

On a recent evening spent photographing in 'the West', that's the west of Ireland, Connemara to be exact, after sunset I was looking for something extra to capture. A small babbling brook, or something other than the scenic landscapes that had made up the bulk of my subject matter hither to.

I happened upon a small harbour on the edge of a lake, with a boat moored and some great reflections but I thought this location would be best photographed in the morning and it was now 22:00 in late June, bright but with no direct sunlight.

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How can Polar Bears be of Irish Ancestry?

An interesting story in the press recently deals with the threatened polar bear (Ursus Maritimus) of which there are 20,000 left in the wild. Recent studies analysing DNA from brown bear bones found in Irish caves reveal that modern polar bears have a maternal Irish ancestor. So it would appear that it isn't just the descendants of the Irish diaspora who can trace their ancestry to Ireland.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Daffodil Day here in Ireland. Raising awareness and funds for the Irish Cancer Society, the daffodil has come to symbolise the fight against cancer.

The heart of Dublin's patron saint, St. Laurence O'Toole (LorcánUa Tuathail) has been stolen from Christchurch Cathedral in the heart of the city.

A recent trip took me to Collooney, a village in Co. Sligo on Ireland's west coast. Now, Collooney is a place that many people bypass while travelling along the N17 from Galway to Sligo and Donegal.

During the winter months, the long and varied coastline of Ireland becomes a main focus for the landscape photographer.