Geograph IrelandLatest Images by Mike Shinners
https://www.geograph.ie/
2024-03-29T09:12:38+00:00text/html2008-02-10T12:04:56+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners53.966357 -10.187678F5604 : Keem Bay, Achill Island Co. Mayo, Ireland
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/683771
Keem Bay on Achill Island, (Acaill, Oileán Acla) County Mayo in Ireland is a perfect horseshoe bay containing a popular Blue Flag beach at the head of a valley between the cliffs of Benmore to the west and Croaghaun mountain on the east. At the southern end of the valley, the beach is sheltered to the west by Moyteoge Head, while at the northwestern end of the valley the cliffs of Benmore connect with the spectacular mile long promontory of Achill Head. This spar is the most westerly point on Achill and tails off with two sea stacks called Gaoí Saggart and Carrickakin. Keem is accessible for cars via a clifftop road that was constructed in the 1960s along the route of an older track. This road also crosses a local geological boundary, exposing a seam of amethyst quartz in the cliffside. Amethyst is a semiprecious stone with a magnificent purple to violet colouration, said in folklore to have a number of properties including as a love charm, as protection against thieves and drunkenness, and as an aid to sleep. Keem Bay was traditionally used by fishermen on Achill Island and is undoubtedly the location of the artist Paul Henry's famous painting 'Launching the Currach' (1910, on display in the National Gallery of Ireland). Until fairly recently the waters of Keem Bay were home to the basking shark as well as grey seals and numerous varieties of fish. In the 1940s and 50s the basking shark was hunted by local fishermen at Keem Bay using traditional canvas covered curraghs and directed by spotters situated on the cliffside on Moyteoge Head. The oil of the basking shark was extracted for export as a fine grade lubricant for the aerospace industry. The largest specimen of the porbeagle shark caught by rod-and-line in Irish waters was caught off Keem Bay by Dr. O'Donnell-Browne in 1932. It weighed 365lbs. Croaghaun is the most westerly peak of Achill Island and stands at 664 metres. On the northern slope of the mountain lie the highest sea cliffs in the country and also the highest in Europe. The cliffs are part of a vast array of sheer rock faces which start south of Keem Bay and loop around Achill head onwards to Slievemore, dropping almost vertically into the pounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean.text/html2007-06-20T11:20:38+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners53.881244 -9.945853L7294 : Carrick Kildavnet Castle
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/471756
Carrick Kildavnet (or Kildavnet) Castle is a late 15th century fortified Tower House set at the water's edge with remains of a boat slipway which ran from the back of the castle. It is associated with the famous sea-pirate Grace O’Malley (Granuaile) and was probably built by one of her ancestors. It is about four storeys high and stands to full height. There is no stairway from the ground or first floor levels and access to the upper storeys is not possible. It is vaulted above the first floor and a hole at the corner of this vault is the only access to the higher levels. There appears to be a small mural chamber at the first floor. The tower has a machicolation at roof level in the middle of the three walls on the landward side. At one corner is the base of a short stretch of bawn wall with remains of a round flanking tower. The castle has many small defensive loops with larger windows at the higher levels, including one over the doorway. Some of the loops have slopstones which are visible from the outside. text/html2007-06-02T12:25:58+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners53.115870 -9.149029M2307 : Irish Road Sign in Ballyvaughan
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/452604
Ballyvaughan is a small harbour village in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is located on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. It is also known as The Gateway to the Burren; the Burren is an area of great rocky expanse, considered by many to be a unique landscape.
text/html2007-05-28T18:57:33+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners53.666352 -9.780925L8269 : Doolough Pass, the Gem of Mayo
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/447610
Glencullin Lough and Doolough (Black Lake)(Irish: Duloch) photographed from the Dhulough Pass Road. The Irish Potato Famine lasted from 1845 to 1849 and saw Ireland's population halve due to deaths and emigration. In March 1847, a large number of starving people gathered in Louisburgh to seek assistance from the relieving officer. He told them that they would have to apply to the Board of Guardians who were to meet next day at Delphi Lodge. This was ten miles away across some of the most remote and mountainous countryside in Ireland. They spent the night in the open, and started to walk to Delphi the following day. When they got there, the Board of Guardians were at lunch and could not be disturbed. When they finally did meet with them, the people were refused help. That day it rained and snowed and there was a piercing wind. On the return journey to Lousier, over 100 of the starving were blown into Doolough by the fierce wind where they died. The memorial commemorates those who died at this point. The inscription reads: TO COMMEMORATE THE HUNGRY POOR WHO WALKED HERE IN 1849 AND WALK THE THIRD WORLD TODAY FREEDOM FOR SOUTH AFRICA 1994, HOW CAN MEN FEEL THEMSELVES HONOURED BY THE HUMILIATION OF THEIR FELLOW BEINGS. MAHATMA GANDHI IN SOUTH AFRICAtext/html2007-01-28T18:47:49+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners51.484353 0.223722TQ5478 : Gateway/Clocktower at Purfleet
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/323278
I have seen this Gateway/Clocktower many times but I don't know anything about it. Can anyone shed some light on its history or purpose etc?text/html2007-01-05T14:46:38+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners52.668335 -8.623058R5757 : St Marys Cathedral, Limerick
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/305007
View of St Marys Cathedral taken from Merchants Quay, Limericktext/html2007-01-04T17:41:28+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners51.624349 0.822959TQ9595 : Town Sign
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/304449
Old Automobile Association Burnham on Crouch town sign showing distances to Althorne, Southminster and London. The sign is located in the Cabin Dairy Tearooms in Burnham on Crouch.text/html2007-01-04T17:30:19+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners51.616684 0.733418TQ8994 : Parish Church of St Nicholas Canewdon
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/304441
Panoramic view of the Church of St Nicholas, the Parish Church of Canewdon and the Old Vicaragetext/html2007-01-02T20:59:34+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners52.667396 -8.628928R5757 : Treaty Stone and King Johns Castle, Limerick
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/303274
Panoramic view including Thomond Bridge, King Johns castle, the River Shannon and St Marys Cathedraltext/html2007-01-02T17:23:02+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners52.667396 -8.628928R5757 : River Shannon at Limerick
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/303091
Panoramic view of the River Shannon between Sarsfield Bridge and Thomond Bridge taken from Arthurs Quay looking across to Clancy Strandtext/html2007-01-02T13:13:18+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners52.669917 -8.628077R5757 : Treaty Stone
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/302971
The Treaty Stone and King Johns Castle taken from Clancy Strand, Limericktext/html2007-01-02T13:00:58+00:00https://www.geograph.ie/profile/5580Mike Shinners51.600179 0.316857TQ6091 : Autumn Colours
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/302966