Valentia Island, Bray Head South Slope.

 

Bray Head on Valentia Island is a popular spot for walks because of the great views to all directions and the high cliffs to the right and over at Portmagee. The signal tower is visited by many walkers every week.
However most people miss a very interesting irish heritage site.
Half the way up to the tower on the south side of the road
 are the remains of five drystone buildings.
One of them has some crosses and other geometrical shapes engraved in its walls.
The structure and shape of the buildings reminds me of the monastery on Skellig Michael and indeed they are just a few miles out in the sea. Maybe both settlements are made by monks in early christian times.
The buildings are surrounded by fields that have been farmed in the past as you can see very clear when the light is low.

Below the ruins is a nice slopy rock with some ponds and streams coming down from above. Be careful, it is not easy to get there and good walking boots are necessary. You are close to the sea, beware of the tide and waves.

Coonana Harbour, Cahersiveen

Coonana Harbour near Cahersiveen is a small fishing harbour facing the Dingle Bay. Just a few meter from the pier are some interesting rock formations and during  low tide they are easy accessible. Check the tide table before you go and be careful walking over the rocks with your camera gear. You need a tripod for the detail photos and maybe a polarize filter.
The triptych below was created in the lightroom print module.

Looscaunagh Lough near Lady´s View,County Kerry

51° 57′ 21.04″ N, 9° 37′ 17.56″ W

Ballaghbeama Gap, County Kerry

Road going through the Gap

Macgillycuddy Reeks still cloudy

Standing stone or landmark close to one of the lakes

Farmhouse in the Bridia Valley

Lough Brin on the left and road trough gap on the right

Ballagbeama Gap is a small road between the mountains and connects the Glencar region to the road to Sneem or Killarney or vice versa if you happen coming from the other side. I went there yesterday morning and parked the car right in the middle of the gap where the information display is situated. From there I walked up on the left hand side, or better north side of the mountain. The ground is still very wet and slippery but the climb was easy enough and the sun made it a joyful exercise. This is the great thing about Kerry, once you have a dry day it will be hard to beat with any other location by the beauty of its scenery. I went up Knockaunattin Mountain with a hight of 784 meter. I could see Kenmare in the distance sunflooded and the Macgillycuddy Reeks with  some wonderful clouds hanging at the top.
To my surprise there were a few lakes up there. One of them had what appears to me like a standing stone right next to it now leaning down. The blue of the sky was very intense and the farmhouses near Lough Brin and on the other side in Bridia Valley were well to spot. The air was clear after all the rain we had in the recent past. After lunch I started my way down which was a challenge and I ended up several times on the wet ground. The tripod did a good job  as walking stick but I still slipped and fell. The camera was well protected in my Lowepro flipside AW400.
The photos were taken with a 50 and 100 mm macro lens and polarizer filter all on tripod.

February 06 2012, 15°C Ballinskelligs

Marie is doing a week of work experience with me to learn a bit photography. The weather was just amazing today, considering that it is about 30°C less in Germany and other countrys in Europe at the moment. The last photo from Ballinskelligs towards Waterville was made with Marie´s lens which is not for full frame cameras made but I found the vignetting effect interesting anyway.