Ireland XII (Muckross Abbey to Staigue Ringfort, Ireland)

Digital infrared original

Muckross Abbey is one of the major ecclesiastical sites found in the Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland. It was founded in 1448 as a Franciscan friary for the Observantine Franciscans by Donal McCarthy Mor. This was the last infrared image of the trip, as shortly after this, my IR camera stopped working...ultimately it was an inexpensive repair, but it was really upsetting at the time.

Digital original, 12 frame exposure blend, 8 image stitch

The cloister at Muckross Abbey was really interesting to photograph; most of the cloisters I have photographed in the past were ornate and breathtaking to behold; the cloister at Muckross was quieter, timeworn and understated. I made several compositions from different corners of the cloister, but this one is my favorite.

Digital original

The drive around the Ring of Kerry was made on a strikingly beautiful day - the sky was clear and bright, and the landscape of South-Western Ireland was breathtaking to behold.

Digital original, 2 image stitch

Loher Stone Fort is beautifully situated overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay. Built in the early christian period as a defended farmstead, it was recently reconstructed. The circular outer walls are over 2 metres high.

Digital original

Skellig Michael is an island (the larger of the two Skellig Islands) in the Atlantic Ocean, 11.6 km west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. A Christian monastery was founded on the island at some point between the 6th and 8th century, and was continuously occupied until its abandonment in the late 12th century.

Digital original

Staigue is a partly ruined stone ringfort three miles west of Sneem, on the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The fort is thought to have been built during the late Iron Age, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 AD, as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king.