Irish prairie

Today was more like an April day than a February one, with glorious uninterrupted sunshine and clear blue sky from dawn to dusk. I couldn't let it all go by, so I was actually up and about before 8.00 am and worked through until lunch time, at which stage I decided I deserved some blip time in the open air. Where to go, though? I've been to Clontarf and Dollymount and St Anne's Park and Malahide and Howth over and over again, so I felt like a change. Back in August when my wrist was still in plaster one of the guys from the Music Group very kindly took me out for an el fresco lunch at a hotel at Donabate Beach, north of Dublin. I didn't have the camera with me that time, so I decided to make up for it today and head back there.

My sense of direction is not the best, as anyone who knows me will vouch for, so instead of getting back to the scene of the August crime I actually ended up at Portrane rather than Donabate. It didn't really matter, since there were plenty of blipportunities to be had. I even ventured quite a bit along the cliff walk which possibly connects the two spots, and enjoyed it all thoroughly. It was absolutely glorious, and I had great fun playing with my wide-angle lens adapter from time to time. The sun was quite low, which was both good and bad in terms of the shots I took. Other ones I liked along the cliff walk were this one of the cliff edge and some rocks, and these rock pools. There was a sign at the beginning of the walk which warned of dangerous sections ad told me I was using the path at my own risk, Sure enough, there were steep drops in spots, but it was the wall on the side of the path away from the sea which seemed to have suffered most, with lots of places where it had collapsed or gaps had formed in the wall itself. Other walkers were obviously intrigued each time I pointed the camera away from the sea and at three shapes and a gap instead, or spotted a different view of the same thing through a hole in the wall, or just liked the play of light and shade at another wall hole. The sun was setting by the time I turned round and made my way back to the car, feeling on top of the world and nicely revived by my unaccustomed breath of fresh air.

It was at the start of the photo session that I shot the only real alternative to the blip I finally chose. One of the many Martello towers which line the coastline around Dublin is located at Portrane, right beside where I parked the car. There's a little cove below the tower, and I took a few shots there. As I climbed up towards the tower itself I noticed a rusted plate fixed to the wall of a disused boatshed beside the gate into the Tower grounds. I was leaning over getting a closeup when a guy approached me from inside. I thought he was about to shoo me away, but instead of that he actually asked me if I'd like to come inside to get closer to the plate on the wall and get a better angle. I thanked him, he opened the gate, we chatted for a bit and he told me 'they' were about to embark on a major renovation project which would take a couple of years. I'd earlier noticed a camera crew in action around the garden and he told me they were beginning a documentary which will record the renovation project. I must keep an eye out for the finished product.