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BOATS AND PEOPLE ON A SUNNY DAY IN HOWTH

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I USED A SONY FE 85MM GM LENS

Howth is located on the peninsula of Howth Head, which begins around 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) east-north-east of Dublin’s GPO, on the north side of Dublin Bay. The village itself is located just over 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) by road from Dublin city centre (the ninth of a series of eighteenth-century milestones from the Dublin General Post Office (GPO) is in the village itself). The settlement spans much of the northern part of Howth Head, which was once an island but now is connected to the rest of Dublin via a narrow strip of land (a tombolo) at Sutton. Howth is located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin. The village is bounded by the sea and undeveloped land except along two roads, one rising towards the Summit, one running at sea level near the coast, towards Sutton Cross.

Howth is at the end of a regional road (R105) from Dublin. One branch of the DART suburban rail system has its physical terminus by the harbour, the other northern terminus being Malahide’s station, which is actually on a through line for mainline rail towards Belfast.[10] Under the bus route network for Dublin overseen by the National Transport Authority, Dublin Bus serves Howth with route H3, and the local route 290 which goes over the hill and through Sutton to Sutton DART station. For decades prior to 2021, Howth was served by the 31 series of routes. There was previously also a tram service.

Howth, in addition to its fishery harbour, hosts a substantial marina, and seasonal boat service to the uninhabited Ireland’s Eye. Howth is also a waypoint for aircraft approaching Dublin Airport.

COMPRESSED VIEWS OF TARA STREET TRAIN STATION

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I USED THE EQUIVALENT OF A 130MM LENS

The station was really busy because of the rugby match at Lansdowne Road. Five-try Ireland comfortably beat England 29-10 in a World Cup warm-up at the Aviva Stadium.

The station has two through platforms above street level with ticket areas and retail outlets at street level. The platform retaining walls, the stairwells and canopies were originally timber planking but upgraded to include escalators and fibreglass panels in the 1970s and 1980s.

More recent changes have seen new stairwells installed and platforms lengthened to reflect the increasing throughput. There are proposals to build in the airspace above the station and adjacent property has been acquired for this purpose.

The station opened on 1 May 1891.

It is on the ‘Loop Line’ which was constructed towards the end of the 19th century by the City of Dublin Junction Railway, connecting the Dublin & Kingstown terminus at Westland Row (now Pearse Station) and Amiens St (now Connolly Station) on the Great Northern Railway (Ireland), and linked into the Midland Great Western freight line, thus joining up all the main railways in Dublin.

The completion of the Irish Rail City Centre re-signalling project has seen an:

  • Increase in the number of Northern and Maynooth line suburban trains stopping at Tara street.
  • Trains from Newbridge also serving Tara Street station.This has been made possible by increasing the ability of the signalling system in the city centre to operate 20 trains per hour in both directions instead of 8.

The project began in March 2015 and was commissioned on 17 July 2016.

The future plans for Tara Street Station in Dublin include the construction of a 22-storey mixed-use development adjoining the station. The development, which has been approved by An Bord Pleanála, will include a 200-bedroom hotel, 430,000 square feet of office space, and a rooftop bar. The development is expected to be completed in 2025.

The development is part of a wider regeneration of the Tara Street area, which is also home to the new Metro station. The Metro is a planned underground rapid transit system that will connect the city centre with the suburbs. The Tara Street station will be a major interchange station for the Metro.

The redevelopment of Tara Street Station is expected to improve the connectivity and accessibility of the area, and to boost economic activity. The development is also expected to create jobs and to generate revenue for the city.

I used an 85mm lens on a Sony FX30 body which is equivalent to using a 130mm telephoto lens.

A telephoto lens is a type of camera lens that is designed to magnify distant objects. It does this by having a longer focal length than a standard lens. The focal length of a lens is the distance between the optical centre of the lens and the point where the light rays converge to form a sharp image. A telephoto lens typically has a focal length of 70mm or longer.

The benefits of using a telephoto lens include:

The ability to magnify distant objects, making them appear closer. This is useful for wildlife photography, sports photography, and other situations where you want to get close to the action without actually being there.
The ability to compress the background, which can make the subject appear larger and more dominant in the frame. This is a popular technique in portrait photography.
The ability to create a shallow depth of field, which blurs the background and makes the subject stand out. This is also a popular technique in portrait photography.
Telephoto lenses are not without their drawbacks. They are typically larger and heavier than standard lenses, and they can be more difficult to use. They also tend to be more expensive.

ACTUALLY IT IS A CANNON FROM THE 1853-56 CRIMEA WAR

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OUR PATRIOT AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM

The inventor of the first cannon made of cast steel, is reputed to have remarked that cannon guns were not manufactured for future generations of children to play upon in town squares.

About twenty guns captured after the siege of Sevastapol (formerly Sebastopol) in September 1855 are now on display in towns throughout Ireland and there is one at the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire and it does attract many children however when I visited a few days ago it was attracting many starlings (there were many at rest along the pier). Unfortunately they they refused to pose for me when I tried to photograph them.

The Crimean War was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Sardinia-Piedmont.

The common starling is stocky and dark overall. Short tail, triangular wings, and long, pointed bill. Close look reveals beautiful plumage. In breeding season, shows purple and green iridescence on body with yellow bill. In winter, bold white spots cover the entire body. Native to Eurasia; introduced in many regions worldwide, where it is now abundant. Often in large flocks. Makes variety of squeaky vocalisations, including proficient mimicry of other species. Inhabits a wide range of open habitats, often in very close proximity to people. Visits feeders, and is often aggressive.

DUN LAOGHAIRE BATHS AND THE ROGER CASEMENT STATUE

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AFTER TWELVE YEARS OF WORK ON SITE

I am a bit disappointed with the photographs and I cannot determine what caused the lens not to focus correctly.

In December 2022 the people of Dun Laoghaire witnessed the re-opening of the Dún Laoghaire Baths and it was a significant milestone for the Council and the people of the town. This well-known landmark has been an important part of the history and heritage of families all over the County.

The works included the refurbishment of the baths pavilion, the construction of a new 35m jetty with built in seating, the installation of the Roger Casement statue, a simple changing shelter, the refurbished Edwardian gazebo in the beach garden and a new walkway from Newtownsmith.

The former pavilion building has also been substantially refurbished to provide studio space for artists, as well as a gallery and a café with a spectacular view of Scotsman’s Bay. The café will have a terrace outside which will link across to the People’s Park as well as down to the sea. The pavilion building and café is now operational. There are also toilet facilities, including a “changing places” bathroom, which is for people with additional needs.

The finished results are the culmination of 12 years work at the site. The work has encompassed different phases – the design phase, the preparation of tender drawings and construction phase, which took five years to complete. Significant structural work was required to underpin and stabilise the main building when extensions were removed and to restore walls along the embankment at Queens Road. Additional challenges included the rocky coastline and proximity to the sea.

There are plans for a new walkway between Dún Laoghaire’s East Pier and the Dún Laoghaire Baths in 2023. The original plans did not include a swimming pool, but a future phase of development on the site can include an open seawater pool, subject to approval. During the construction, a rectangular concrete void was left below the surface of the amphitheatre area, with a concrete “lid” covering it, allowing for the inclusion of a tidal pool.

The project was mainly funded by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council with a contribution by the European Regional Development Fund. Final costs are estimated to be in the region of €18 million. There was an increase in the cost due to the significant structural work required to underpin and stabilise the main building and to restore walls along the embankment at Queens Road as well as the construction of the jetty.

BETWEEN DUN LAOGHAIRE EAST PIER AND THE BATHS

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THIS AREA HAS BEEN BADLY NEGLECTED

There are plans for a new walkway between Dún Laoghaire’s East Pier and the Dún Laoghaire Baths in 2023. Unfortunately, much of this area along Queen’s Road has been badly neglected for decades.

While I was in Dun Laoghaire I could see the Cruise Ship “Carinval Pride” at anchor in the the bay. Carnival Pride is a Spirit-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was laid down on March 30, 2000, launched on March 29, 2001 and completed and delivered to Carnival on December 12, 2001. She was christened by American scientist and astronaut Tamara Jernigan in Port Canaveral, Florida, on January 7, 2002.

Carnival Pride has 1,062 passenger cabins. She is currently based out of Tampa, FL.

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