River Liffey

TWO BOATS AND A BARGE

September 24, 2023 by infomatique

SAILING DOWN THE RIVER LIFFEY

The Liffey rises in the Liffey Head Bog between the mountains of Kippure 742 metres (2,434 ft) and Tonduff 642 metres (2,106 ft) in the northern section of the Wicklow Mountains, forming from many streamlets near the Sally Gap. It flows for 132 km (82 mi) through counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea at its mouth at the midpoint of Dublin Bay, on a line extending from the Baily lighthouse to the Muglin Rocks.[citation needed] It crosses from County Wicklow into County Kildare at Poulaphouca and from County Kildare into County Dublin at Leixlip, with the greatest part of its length being in Kildare.

The catchment area of the Liffey is 1,256 km2 (485 sq mi). The long term average flow rate of the river is 18.0 m3/s (640 cu ft/s).

EVERYONE PHOTOGRAPHS THIS BRIDGE BUT USUALLY NOT WITH AN 85MM LENS

August 20, 2023 by infomatique

THE FAMOUS HALFPENNY BRIDGE

I could no think of anything new to say about this bridge so I asked Google’s BARD AI why do so many people photograph the Halfpenny Bridge and it replied as follows [it made at least one major error]:

There are many reasons why people photograph the Ha’penny Bridge. Here are a few of them:

It is a historic landmark. The bridge was built in 1816 and is one of the oldest bridges in Dublin. It is also the only pedestrian bridge across the River Liffey in the city center [Note: not true].
It is a beautiful structure. The bridge is made of cast iron and has a graceful arch. It is a popular subject for photographers, especially at sunset or sunrise.
It is a popular tourist destination. The bridge is located in the heart of Dublin and is easily accessible. It is a must-see for many visitors to the city.
It is a symbol of Dublin. The bridge is often used to represent Dublin in photographs and paintings. It is a reminder of the city’s history and culture.
It is a romantic spot. The bridge is a popular place for couples to take photos. It is said that if you lock a love lock on the bridge, your love will be eternal.
No matter the reason, the Ha’penny Bridge is a iconic landmark that is sure to capture the attention of any photographer.

Here are some other reasons why people might photograph the Ha’penny Bridge:

To capture the hustle and bustle of city life. The bridge is a busy crossing point and is often full of people, making it a great place to capture the energy of the city.
To create a visual metaphor. The bridge can be used to represent a variety of concepts, such as love, unity, or change.
To simply enjoy the beauty of the bridge. The bridge is a visually striking structure and can be enjoyed simply for its aesthetic qualities.
Ultimately, the reasons why people photograph the Ha’penny Bridge are as varied as the people who take photos of it. But one thing is for sure: the bridge is a popular and beloved landmark that continues to inspire photographers from all over the world.

WOOD QUAY AND NEARBY

June 10, 2023 by infomatique

O’DONOVAN ROSSA BRIDGE – WOOD QUAY – UPPER ORMOND QUAY

The date-time camera settings were incorrect as this this photograph was taken in June 2023 rather than June 2022.

O’Donovan Rossa Bridge is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland, which joins Winetavern Street to Chancery Place (at the Four Courts) and the north quays.

Replacing a short-lived wooden structure, the original masonry bridge on this site was built in 1684 as a five-span simple arch bridge, and named Ormonde Bridge. In December 1802 this bridge was swept away during a severe storm.

In 1813 construction started on a replacement bridge – the current structure – a little further west to the designs of James Savage and was opened in 1816. It consists of three elliptical arch spans in granite, with sculptured heads, similar to those on O’Connell Bridge, on the keystones. The heads represent Plenty, the Liffey, and Industry on one side, with Commerce, Hibernia and Peace on the other. The balustrades are of cast iron.

Opened as Richmond Bridge (named for Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland), it was renamed in 1923 for Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa by the fledgling Free State.

THE RIVER LIFFEY 15 APRIL 2023

April 15, 2023 by infomatique

I USED A OLD SONY NEX-7 CAMERA

A few days ago I discovered that I had a Sony E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS lens which I do not remember buying and what is even more confusing is that I do not purchase anything other than full-frame lenses. Sony describes the lens as follows: This G Lens for E-mount cameras delivers stunning still or movie imagery with the flexibility of 6x power zoom. Maximum aperture is a constant F4 from 18mm wide angle to 105mm medium telephoto, with excellent resolution and contrast throughout. A lever and ring on the lens barrel allow zoom speed to be freely adjusted as required while maintaining a sure, stable grip.

When I used the 18-105mm lens with my FX-30 camera [APS-C sensor] I was very disappointed with the results as many of the images had focus issues or suffered from motion blur. I could not decide if the lens was the problem or if there was something wrong with the camera body so I used a Sigma 14mm lens yesterday and the results were more than acceptable. However, before concluding that the lens was substandard I decided to try it with my very old NEX-7 body [purchased Christmas 2011].

The Sony α NEX-7 is a digital camera announced 24 August 2011 by Sony. It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and as such inherits a smaller body form factor than a traditional digital single-lens reflex camera, while still retaining the sensor size and features of an APS-C-sized model. It is targeted at experienced users, enthusiasts and professionals. It is replaced by the ILCE-6000 (α6000). At the time of its release, the Sony Alpha NEX-7 had the best image quality among any mirrorless interchangeable-lens compact camera which had been tested by DxO Labs and also the best APS-C Sensor camera from Sony. Sony α65, Sony α77 and NEX-7 have similar sensors and received DxOMark Overall Scores of 74, 78, and 81, respectively. The image quality of NEX-7 can be comparable with Nikon D7000 (score 80) and Pentax K-5 (score 82).

I failed to reach a conclusion but I do like using the NEX-7 even though I need to bring at least four spare batteries with me.

The Ha’penny Bridge, known later for a time as the Penny Ha’penny Bridge, and officially the Liffey Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge built in May 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. Made of cast iron, the bridge was cast in Shropshire, England.

The Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland, joining Eustace Street in Temple Bar to the north quays. The bridge was installed in December 1999 to commemorate the approaching new millennium in 2000. It was prefabricated in Carlow, 80 km from Dublin, as a portal frame structure made up of a slender steel truss and resting on reinforced concrete haunches. The bridge was designed by Howley Harrington Architects, with Price & Myers as consulting engineers. The concrete base and steel structure for the bridge were provided by two firms from Carlow: Formwork 2000+ and Thompson Engineering respectively. The Millennium Bridge is neighbour to the much older pedestrian Ha’penny Bridge to the east, and Grattan Bridge to the west [where I was located in order to photograph this scene].

THE LINESMAN BY DONY MacMANUS ON CITY QUAY

March 25, 2023 by infomatique

THIS IS A FAVOURITE OF MINE

This bronze sculpture, by Irish artist Dony MacManus, commemorates the tradition of docking in the area, which disappeared with the containerisation of shipping cargo. Located on City Quay, it was the winning entry in a public art competition organised by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to celebrate the new life of the quayside or campshires, along the River Liffey.

I worked for a shipping company back in the late 1960s and we employed people to do this sort of work but I not sure that we referred to them as linesmen and it may surprise many to learn that they were better paid than other dockers.

At the time we were in the process of switching to containerisation and reducing the number of casual workers which was bad news for many living in the area and it was especially difficult as nearly all the dockers employed by the company were, to some degree.family members [I was the only exception].