Seen on the DART

Suppose we should be grateful that it's by artists and not the local literary society

The Bandstand

The East Pier, Dun Laoghaire, on a late summer's evening

Installation art in Ballybrack

For a limited period there is an installation at the Church Road-Killiney Avenue junction.

The rusting road roller, symbol of a modern Ireland obsessed with roads and cars, is slowly being absorbed by the natural untamed growth of weeds signifying the ancient Irish elements of fertility and death.

Limited edition prints signed by the artist are available on request.

Evening sun in Dun Laoghaire

High Ham Days

Back in Somerset from 19th to 23rd March, I took pictures one evening to refresh my memory.

The hydrants were painted every year on our road.

















The Victorian school was demolished in the '80s to make way for an excellent new place











The 'phone box still remains from the days when I used it




















The village church is originally Norman.














The soft stone doesn't weather well.


















On the few occasions I was at church, I used to sit and stare at this sculpture - I think it's Jesus!



















Looking eastwards - the rood screen is 500 years old















The east window










Looking westwards














The roll of those who fell 1914-1918











I used to think this was an old master!

Ballybrack twilight, 3rd March 2007

Mobile interruptions

There seems nowhere that one can go without the mobile phone cutting on, causing complete obliviousness to even having a camera a short distance away.

Irish Lights Boat

I loved seeing Granuaile when we lived in the North; her Tricolour flying at the stern being a reminder of a community and a country beyond ours, and her presence a reminder that our island was surrounded by seaways that went far beyond our horizons.

In fading memory

The Wilde family memorial at Mount Jerome is close to the entrance to the crematorium chapel. The front panel commemorates Sir William Wilde, the side panel his wife Jane.

The second child is "Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, Poet, Wit and Dramatist." The lettering is fading.

Dun Laoghaire, 3rd February

Saint Brigid's Day on 1st February marked the beginning of spring. Dun Laoghaire East Pier yesterday felt like summer.

Alpbach

We left Ireland for sunny Austria last week.

We thought the friend who told us that the plane flew down a valley to land at Innsbruck airport was joking









The valley was occupied not only by the airport, but also by a lot of buildings












The view from our balcony offered the prospect of a week of good skiiing












When I was a kid a view like this was only available on a muesli box












The Celtic monks revangelized this area of Europe in the Dark ages - the church is dedicated to St Oswald, a Northumbrian saint.
















The heavy grey clouds promised snow that never came












Christmas decorations remain in place until Candlemas - Saint Oswald's crib had some unlikely inclusions.











The ornateness of the early-18th Century church was enough to give a low church Protestant like myself palpitations!











Saint Oswald's shone out on the skyline at night


















Spring was in the air by the time we were leaving - unfortunately for the resort, winter had hardly arrived