Brú na Bóinne

Our trip to Ireland ended where civilization on the island began -- Brú na Bóinne, a World Heritage Site and the largest Megalithic site in Europe, dating back to the Neolithic period.

The walk from the visitor center to the tram that takes you to the actual site was picturesque in its own right, with a lovely view of the River Boyne.

According to Wikipedia, the mounds, chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures date back to the 35th century BC.

The monuments of Brú na Bóinne are associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of supernatural beings who according to tradition ruled Ireland before the coming of the Celts and afterwards retreated into the fairy mounds and forts.

It's easy to understand why someone would want to build and live at this location.  From the top of the main mound at Knowth you've got a pretty sweeping view of the surrounding countryside.

The site was built with sophistication and a knowledge of science and astronomy, which is most evident in the passage grave of Newgrange.  The beam of light that penetrates the chamber at dawn at the winter solstice reaches the floor just below a tri-spiral design on the back of the chamber.

Knowth has about 45% of all the art known from Irish tombs and nearly 30% of all the megalithic art in Europe.  Many people suggest that some of the spiral and concentric circles represent the movement of the sun and stars, a fascination with the changing seasons and how the cycles related to their own lives.

A final shot of Ireland with some of the elements of the country I'll never forget -- rolling green hills and beautiful fluffy clouds.

An incredible two weeks made even more special by getting to share it with my family.  Truly a trip of a lifetime!

Dunluce Castle, Portrush Coast and Derry

Our final Sunday on the island of Ireland was actually spent in Northern Ireland, which is variously described as a country, province or region of the United Kingdom. I didn't know what to expect from an area that until fairly recently had been embroiled in civil unrest and strife between its Protestant and Catholic communities.  But it had elements that were just as captivating as what we experienced in the Republic.

A visit to Giant's Causeway took up most of our day, and the chance to see that natural wonder was a main reason why we booked this particular trip.  Those images merit their own separate post, which I hope to get to soon.  Along the way we passed the ruins of Dunluce Castle, which dates back to the 14th century and has a magnificent location on a basalt outcropping overlooking the North Atlantic.

Dramatic views of the ocean marked the entire area, including this spot along the coast near the town of Portrush.

We spent the afternoon in Derry, or Londonderry depending on whether you're Catholic or Protestant.  The city was a focal point of Northern Ireland's civil rights movement, and the place of the tragedy immortalized in the U2 song Sunday Bloody Sunday.  The Catholic population was long segregated to this slum area, known as Bogside.

The city boasts an impressive Victorian Guildhall, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks.  It's actually been destroyed twice -- by fire in 1908 and bomb attacks in 1972 -- but rebuilt both times.

The building has 23 stained glass windows, most of which represent groups such as carpenters, fishmongers, painters, musicians and glaziers.

The Guildhall has a massive pipe organ with more than 3,100 pipes.  As I was processing this picture I inadvertently rotated it 45 degrees and found the diagonal lines made it much more interesting.

I couldn't help but be saddened by Derry's recent history, but also hopeful for its future as relations between the two factions have improved considerably since the end of "The Troubles" in the late '90s.  Christianity has enough problems.  It doesn't need open combat and bloodshed between different denominations to further undermine its primary message of salvation.  The fact that very thing has occurred so often -- not just here -- shows how imperfect people truly are and how powerful and insidious Satan can be.

Clonalis House, Carrick on Shannon and Drumcliffe

Heading for the home stretch of our Ireland vacation saw us continue to explore the northwestern part of the country, with three more stops.

First was Clonalis House, an historic manor built in 1878 by the O'Connor family, direct descendants of the last High Kings of Ireland.

The house is filled with historical correspondence, heirlooms, objet d’art and portraits.  We were led on a lovely guided tour, but Taryn and I quickly lost interest.  So we headed outside to wander the grounds a bit.

No pictures were allowed inside the house, which is too bad because it did have some interesting rooms and items.  But the outside of the Victorian structure also has visual appeal.

Next was Carrick on Shannon, where many members of our group decided to take a river cruise.  We opted instead just to hang out in town, grab some lunch and relax.

The River Shannon runs right through town, at 224 miles the longest river in the country.  It's named after Sionna, a Celtic goddess.

Our final stop was St. Columba's Church of Ireland church in the small town of Drumcliffe, final resting place of the poet William Butler Yeats.  This isn't his grave; it's just one I thought looked especially interesting with the moss and other plants growing on it.

A sculpture of a crouching man and a memorial with a line from Yeats' poem "Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" can also be found at the site.

This cat had the right idea for how to spend the afternoon -- napping in a warm window, where she could reflect on the world outside if she chose.

A Celtic high cross on the site reportedly dates back to sometime between the ninth and 11th centuries.  It depicts Adam and Eve, Cain slaying Abel, Daniel in the lion's den and Christ in Glory on this, its east face. 

Galway Coast

On July 4 and 5 we stayed at the Connemara Coast Hotel just 10 minutes from Galway. The property is terrific, and as its name implies it's located right on the rocky North Atlantic coast. So each evening there found me out with my camera capturing the scenery.

Our first evening was pretty uniformly overcast.  There was an abundance of gray rocks, gray clouds and grayish-blue water, which led me inevitably to go with black and white for shots like this 2.5-second exposure of the tide coming in.

I also really wanted to bring out the texture and patterns in these rocks.  No beach here!

It wasn't all gloomy, though.  This seaweed was so vibrant it was nearly electric.

It's quite a rugged area.  Again, no sandy beach.  Just rocks, waves and some patches of grass eking out a living just about the high tide line.  I love areas like this that are so completely different from Colorado.

The following evening I had more favorable conditions at sunset -- enough break in the clouds for the sun to peek through and provide some gorgeous color.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The show for a photographer does not end when the sun dips below the horizon.  When you stick around, you can often be rewarded with more stunning color and less contrast with the foreground.  So I wholeheartedly recommend it whenever you're out shooting at sunset.

I know this shot isn't that different from the previous one.  But I loved the cloud reflection in the tide pool of this one.

Then you get that glorious final burst -- that beautiful, fleeting blast of vivid hues that light up the whole sky, then quickly fade to dusk.

I'm absolutely delighted with the shots I got the second night here.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

Kylemore Abbey, Lough Inagh and Connemara Marble

Day 9 of our Irish trip involved a beautiful drive through some of the country's wildest terrain -- Connemara.

Somewhat unexpectedly, our primary destination in this rugged, mountainous area was a gorgeous Victorian building -- Kylemore Abbey.  We arrived around the same time as another rain shower.

The mist-enshrouded view from the abbey across Pollacapall Lough.

I love the mix of sharp and shrouded textures in this shot.  So much so that I decided to take the color out so those textures can be the focus.

But as you can see, the scene in color isn't exactly unappealing.

Water droplets on flower petals have a special appeal.  Enough that again I didn't wanted color to detract from those textural elements.

I never made it around the lake to a Gothic church on the grounds, but did get a good look at it from afar.

As the rain stopped and the clouds lifted a bit, the view of the abbey got much more vibrant.

I mentioned the wildness of the Connemara countryside.  It was so captivating that we convinced our tour guide to stop the bus in an area of no particular significance just so we could all get out and take in the natural beauty, like in these cascades running down the hillside into Lough Inagh.

On the way back to our hotel we made a brief stop at Connemara Marble, where Stephen Walsh and his family have worked the beautiful, green marble for which the area is famous for three generations.  More than just green, though -- the marble in the area comes in a wide variety of colors, all of which were on display.

Another memorable day in this wonderful country!

Adare, Cliffs of Moher and Rathbaun Farm

Our eighth day in Ireland was packed with three separate stops, each offering something special and unique.

First up was the town of Adare and its Holy Trinity Abbey, which is nearly 800 years old.  I liked the sense of anticipation of the empty chair and the bit of trepidation from the confessional booth.

I love the story implied in this scene.  What brought this elderly gentleman here?  Was it a one-time thing or a regular occurrence?  I wish I could say the depth of field was intentional, and meant to convey the need to focus on God rather than oneself.  But that part is just a coincidence. :)

Next up were the Cliffs of Moher.  Our weather so far on the trip had been absolutely fantastic, but here we got our first taste of "true" Irish weather.  It rained, and it rained hard.  Undeterred, Zak and I headed out to get soaked and take in their beauty anyway.

And they were gorgeous.  The rain and clouds added an air of mystery to the scene, and we loved our time there.  The hearty bowl of Irish stew Zak and I shared in the cafeteria before we left didn't hurt.

Our final stop was a charming little place -- Rathbaun Farm.  We were greeted by Pippa, who wisely sat close to the turf fire.

The 80-acre farm has a variety of livestock, and shrewdly keeps babies like this miniature horse on prominent display.  How about the eyelashes on these two?

Still a bit wobbly, but undaunted.

Speaking of babies, an inquisitive lamb seemed happy to see our tour group.

Fintan Connolly demonstrated sheep shearing technique.  But these sheep weren't being raised for their wool.

Bottom line: Don't get too attached to any of the sheep.

What is it with baby animals trying to stare me down?

I absolutely loved this old boot that had been turned into a flower pot.  I wish I'd taken the time to compose my shot of it a little better so the other flowers in the upper right weren't distracting from the subject.  Maybe I'll get another shot someday!