GREEN WASHING BIRD FEEDER BY ANITA REYNOLDS

30/09/2022

Anita's artwork is an interpretation of Irish heritage in clay and textiles. 

She has five ranges of framed textile art: Irish Birds,  Irish Heritage, Landscapes, The Seasons and Carved in Cloth.

She also creates a range of ceramic Love Birds that are suitable for the garden and has just introduced a new range of ceramic birdhouses. 

Her ceramic Woodland Angels are lanterns. They come in Oak, Ash, Beech, Hazel, Meadow and Birch. She presses leaves from her garden into the clay to create pieces that are touched by nature.

BOTANIC GARDENS IN LATE AUGUST 2022

29/09/2022

At the end August 2022 I visited the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and the weather was really beautiful. I used a very old Canon 1Ds MkIII body and a manual focus Voigtlander 40mm pancake lens. The lens worked very well but not long after I got my hands a Canon 5D MkIII which is much more modern but using the Voligtlander was a total waste of time.

Voigtländer is a very old optical company based out of Vienna and to the best of my knowledge it  was established  in 1756 however it isn’t a wholly independent manufacturer today.

HUMMING BIRD BY RAY DELANEY

29/09/2022

Ray Delaney joined Cast Foundry in 1990 where he began his career as a Sculpture Technician and Fine Art Patinator. He is a self-taught sculptor specialising in bronze sculptures. 

Ray has exhibited at the RHA, the Botanic Gardens Sculpture in Context show,  the Solomon Fine Art Gallery CAST 25 Show, Vanishing Art Exhibition at Carton House and more recently at The Kildare Gallery and Bloom Sculpture Garden. 

Ray obtains inspiration from nature and aims to capture a snapshot of movement in his work, which encompasses large garden sculptures as well as indoor pieces, in limited editions and awards. 

CAPEL STREET 26 SEPTEMBER 2022

26/09/2022

I have lunch here on a regular basis as there is now an amazing selection of restaurants. The street has been named as one of the coolest streets in the world in a survey by global travel magazine Time Out. It ranked 22nd and was noted for its “whirl of culture” with “some of the best food in Dublin”.

Capel Street is a street in Dublin, Ireland. On May 20, 2022, it was made traffic-free, following a campaign by people who wanted to improve the quality of life on the street. It is now the longest traffic-free street in Dublin. 

Capel Street is named after Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1672–1677. Historically, it was the site of the chapel of St Mary's Abbey. The street was laid out by Sir Humphrey Jervis in the late 17th century on the Abbey lands he purchased in 1674. He also built Essex Bridge (today Grattan Bridge), and the street was known for its mansions and a royal mint. In the 18th century, it became a commercial hub, with two-bay buildings replacing most of the "Dutch Billy" houses. The Capel Street Theatre also stood there in the 18th century.

The Torch Theatre operated on Capel Street in 1935–41. The street declined in the 20th century, before a revival around the 1980s. Today it is known for its variety of restaurants, shops, cafés and pubs; as Panti, the owner of Pantibar put it, "You can buy a lightbulb, sexual lubricant, Brazilian rice, get a pint and go to a trad session." Louis Copeland's tailor is another notable business.

A MURDER OF CROWS

26/09/2022

A group of crows is called a “murder.” There are several different explanations for the origin of this term, mostly based on old folk tales and superstitions.

I am back using my Sony A7RIV rather my recently purchased Canon 5D MkIII [a very old camera] and it takes much longer to process the images.

THE SOULS OF THE TREES - EBONY AND OAK

25/09/2022

Born in Barcelona, Mercè Cañadell studied Ceramics and Sculpture in Massana School of Art & Design from 1990-93. 

Since then she has continued studying different techniques and the use of different materials, covering mould making, sculptural ceramics, carved wood and painted textiles. 

She has been in Ireland since 2002. 

An important part of her artistic development involved metal work and casting bronze in Barcelona and in Dublin. She is an artist that enjoys working in different media. Her sculptures in bronze and ceramics have been exhibited regularly in galleries throughout Ireland and Dublin.

THE MOMENT BY GERALDINE CARLA MURPHY

25/09/2022

I am now publishing photographs of the Sculpture In Context 2021 Exhibition a year after the event as I had believed that I had lost most of the originals due to a disk failure. However I recently discovered that I had a backup. I also had a problem as I had dumped the catalogue and was not in a position to identify the artists.

Geraldine started designing and making jewellery in 1998, setting up her  business in 2003. At that time the main focus was on creating a collection that was all about our love of animals and the bonds we have with them. In a nutshell, animals are her religion. 

HYBRID BY MICHELLE MAHER

25/09/2022

Michelle is an award-winning Ceramic Artist in practice since 2003, who lives and works in Castleknock, Dublin.  She regularly exhibits sculptures in gardens and public spaces all over Ireland and her work is held in the collections of numerous public buildings.

Her ceramic sculptures are an exploration of colour and texture.

DELIQUESCENCE I

25/09/2022

As you may have guessed I like this.

Back in 2021 I had difficulty identifying the artists and I had other technical problems [including a crashed hard drive] buy recently I have recovered many of the files and the opportunity to reprocess the images. It should be mentioned that I used a variety of Cameras and lenses.

Ayelet is a Dublin-based Irish artist. She specialise in decorative and colourful sculpture and graphic art: ceramic and bronze figurative sculpture, print and painting. Art and creativity have always been an intrinsic part of her life, and her work is inspired by the female form, joy and life. 

She works in a variety of media and scales. Her artwork and designs are available to purchase in the shop, and she welcomes commission enquiries, so get in touch.

REMNANT ECOLOGIES BY JONY EASTERBY

24/09/2022

Today I attended two "culture night" events. The second one was at 8PM in the Botanic Gardens and it was a light show and it was difficult to photograph as I was not permitted to use a tripod of a flash. 

The event was presented by Dublin Fringe Festival in partnership with National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and axis: Ballymun. With support from the Welsh Government Office in Ireland.

This meditative and immersive night-walk will guide you through a series of light and sound installations, exploring Dublin’s iconic Botanic Gardens as you have never seen them before.

Responding to our relationship with the natural world, these intimate artworks explore the cultural remnants humans have created through our love of nature. Empty bird cages, a playful song, the insides of cuckoo clocks and fragments from botanical dictionaries are intertwined, telling their story through unforgettable sound and light installations in the serene surroundings of the gardens after dark.

This is one artist’s attempt to make sense of a world, in which a passion for nature is mixed with an anxiety for its future.

CASCADE BY CONLETH GENT

21/09/2022

SESSION ONE: CANON 5D MkIII

SESSION TWO: iPHONE 12 PRO MAX

I have always liked Conleth's sculptures.

Conleth Gent was born in Newbridge, Co. Kildare and studied at U.C.D. University College Dublin. His love of wood and working with wood can be clearly seen in each of his unique pieces. He is concerned mainly with personal expression through the use of figurative elements and occasionally abstract forms. His approach is individualistic, communicating something of the character of the particular piece of wood and his interaction and relationship with it.

BOTANIC GARDENS 20 SEPTEMBER 2022

20/09/2022

At the moment Sculpture In Context 2022 is ongoing at the Botanic Gardens but there is another event that I plan to photograph and it is described below:

For the nature lovers and night owls, Dublin Fringe Festival teams up with the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and axis: Ballymun for the opening up of Ireland's premier city garden at night, for the first time, in the spectacular Remnant Ecologies by Jony Easterby.

A large-scale outdoor light and sound installation across a 1.3km route that will give thousands of visitors exclusive access to the Botanic Gardens after dark. In this rare feast for the senses, the artist tries to make sense of a world, in which a passion for nature is mixed with the anxiety for its future. Expect empty birdcages, playful songs, the insides of cuckoo clocks and fragments from botanical dictionaries and illustrations are all intertwined through a series of works, their story winding through the sublime location.

Performances 21 - 25 September, 20:00 – 22:30, various times, €12

Venue National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

BEYOND THE STILE

19/09/2022

A stile is a structure or opening that provides people passage over or through a boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps. Stiles are often built in rural areas along footpaths, fences, walls, or hedges that enclose animals, allowing people to move freely.

As there was a stile at the Mill I decided to cross and explore the surrounding area but as there was no obvious destination I decided to return to the mill.

SAINT JOHN'S GRAVEYARD DUBLIN ROAD KILKENNY

17/09/2022

When I first visited this old graveyard I noted that the colour of the gravestones was different to what I normally see in Irish graveyards [orange/brown rather than grey/white]. I assume that  gravestones were covered in what was an orange algae, lichen or fungi however this visited I noticed that, in many cases, the orange material had been bleached pure white

Official Description: “A picturesque graveyard forming an appealing feature in the streetscape on the road leading out of Kilkenny to the south-east. Having origins in a fourteenth-century leper hospital the grounds are of special significance as the location of a seventeenth-century Catholic chapel, thereby representing an early ecclesiastical site in the locality: furthermore it is believed that fragments survive spanning the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries, thereby emphasising the archaeological importance of the site. The graveyard remains of additional importance for the associations with a number of Kilkenny's foremost dignitaries or personalities while a collection of cut-stone markers displaying expert stone masonry identify the considerable artistic design"

WATERFORD ROAD IN KILKENNY

16/09/2022

This was my first time to visit Waterford Road in Kilkenny. There are many attractive houses in the area and according to estate agents the average price is €315,000. However one property did sell for €1,550,000 in may 2022.

M. Larkin & Sons is a convenience store in Kilkenny located on Upper Patrick Street. M. Larkin & Sons is situated nearby to Boyle Sports, and close to Delaney's Bar & Grocery.

Lidl first opened on  Waterford Road in 2004 and they recently obtained final planning permission to demolish and rebuild its store. The investment is  €9 million and according to a the company spokesman, alongside an environmentally friendly Lidl store, the development includes the construction of 13 two-storey homes adjoining the new store.

Aldi’s has five [with one more under construction] in  Kilkenny, with operations on Waterford Road and Hebron Road in Kilkenny Town, Graiguenamanagh, Ferrybank and Callan.

Saint Joseph's Girls Convent School in Located on Waterford Road: Occupying the site of a medieval (pre-1700) deanery a very well composed substantial range accommodates a convent together with an associated private chapel in a wholly-integrated design centred about a courtyard. Representing a characteristic of the period of origin the combination of a number of materials in the construction produces a lively polychromatic visual effect enhancing the presence of the site in the streetscape: elsewhere fine detailing identifying the rich architectural design aesthetic of the composition includes limestone dressings exhibiting high quality stone masonry with particular emphasis on the openings to the chapel. However, despite the retention of most of the original composition attributes the external expression of the complex has not benefited from the inappropriate replacement fittings inserted to the openings.

BLAA BLAA BLAA IN KILKENNY

11/09/2022

NOT BLAH BLAH BLAH AS ASSOCIATED WITH GRETA THUNBERG

A bla, or Waterford Blaa, is a doughy, white bread bun (roll) speciality, particularly associated with Waterford, Ireland. It is currently made in Waterford and South Co. Kilkenny.

Blaas are sold in two varieties: "soft" and "crusty". Soft blaas are slightly sweet, malt flavour, light but firm in texture and melt in the mouth. Crusty blaas are crunchy at first bite, then chewy with a subtle malt taste and a pleasing bitter aftertaste from the well cooked, dark crust.

Eaten mainly at breakfast with butter, they are also eaten at other times of the day with a wide variety of fillings (including a type of luncheon meat often referred to as "red lead"). The breakfast blaa (egg, bacon rasher and sausage) is more common than the breakfast roll in Waterford.

A combined 12,000 blaas are sold each day by the four remaining bakeries producing blaas: Walsh's Bakehouse, Kilmacow Bakery, Barron's Bakery & Coffee House and Hickey's Bakery. Of the four remaining bakeries, only two remain in Waterford City. Blaas quickly lose their freshness and are best consumed within a few hours of purchase.

Some sources report that the blaa was introduced to Waterford at the end of the 17th century by the Huguenots. This theory is disputed because although white flour existed in the 17th century, it was not widely used until mass production of the industrial revolution.

Blaas are sometimes confused with a similar bun known as a bap; however, blaas are square in shape, softer, and doughier, and are most notably identified by the white flour shaken over them before the baking process.

On 19 November 2013, the Waterford blaa was awarded Protected Geographical Indication status by the European Commission.

KELLY'S EYE CLUB BINGO HALL

09/09/2022

COLLEGE STREET BELFAST 15 MAY 2018

Was located at the corner of College Street and Queen Street in Belfast.

Queen Street is in the heart of Belfast City Centre a short walk from City Hall and the main shopping and restaurant areas and this Victorian warehouse was purpose built in 1890 for R Carswell & Son printworks, bookbinders and stationers.

Comprising a large block fronting Queen Street, College Street and College Court, the Victorian red brick warehouse is being restored, and will connect with a new build element, providing seamless floorplates that wrap around a central atrium and cobbled courtyard. The building was purchased by Angus Properties in 2019 and the current extensive refurbishment and restoration will bring the building back to its former glory and ensure its preservation for the next 130 years.

Note: Kellyseye is the leading supplier of bingo tickets, fundraising supplies, scratch and match cards, cleaning and bar supplies to the licensed retail trade in the UK. But, 

MARIAN GROTTO NCR LIMERICK

09/09/2022

I was aware of this Marian Grotto but could never find it until today when I came across it by accident when I noticed a lady bring some flowers up a narrow path.

It is located at the entrance to the Limerick Educate Together Secondary School on the North Circular Road. Initially I thought that it was on private property but there does appear to be separate public access.

The North Circular Road, often referred to as NCR, is a residential road on the northside of Limerick. Historically one of the more sought-after addresses in the city, house prices on the North Circular Road have declined since the Celtic Tiger though it remains one of the more prosperous areas of the city.

John F. Kennedy Memorial School, a primary school for boys, and Salesian Infant School Fernbank for girls are located on the east side of the North Circular Road, as is the large public secondary school for boys Ardscoil Rís. Salesian Secondary School was a public secondary school for girls previously situated on the North Circular Road. However, in 2015, Salesian merged with St Nessan's Community College and formed Thomond Community College, based at St Nessan's former location in Woodview, Caherdavin. The North Circular Road is also home to Villiers School, a private, Protestant secondary school.

Educate Together is an educational charity in Ireland which is the patron body to "equality-based, co-educational, child centred, and democratically run" schools. It was founded in 1984 to act as the patron body for the new multi-denominational schools that opened after the establishment of the Dalkey School Project. As of 2019, Educate Together is the patron of 90 national schools in Ireland. In 2014 three Educate Together Second Level Schools opened in Dublin 15, Drogheda and Lucan along with the first Educate Together school outside Ireland, in Bristol in the United Kingdom. In joint patronage with Kildare and Wicklow ETB, Educate Together opened another second-level school, Celbridge Community School, in 2015.

Limerick ETSS is Limerick's newest Secondary School. The school opened its doors in August 2018 to its first cohort of 55 students and 12 staff. The school, based in Limerick City, is currently using the old Salesian's Secondary School in Fernbank as a temporary home.