Masters of the Domain
The third of three views of a pastured ridge on Healy Pass featuring graving sheep.
Clashduff townland, Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Peace and Light
The second of three views of a pastured ridge on Healy Pass featuring graving sheep.
Clashduff townland, Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Slow reveal
The first of three views of a pastured ridge on Healy Pass featuring grazing sheep.
Clashduff townland, Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Here is the press release text: “The American Irish Historical Society is placing its present headquarters at 991 Fifth Avenue on the market. The building, which has been the society’s headquarters since 1940, was designed by James R. Turner and William G. Killian in 1901 as a private residence and has had three previous owners. Before moving to 991 Fifth Avenue, the Society was based first at the old Manhattan Hotel, then the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and then at 132 East 16th Street.
“The AIHS is a cultural and scholarly organization devoted to making better known the history of the Irish in the United States as well as celebrating the riches of Irish culture globally. The decision to place the building on the market has been made in order to best enable the society to pursue its cultural and scholarly mission in a sustainable manner. The society has selected the firm of Brown Harris Stevens (broker, Paula Del Nunzio) to represent the sale of the property.”
My son and I attended the 2002 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, taking a station outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here are some shots of 991 Fifth Avenue. The building is 25 feet wide with an elegant facade and interior. The VIPs on the balcony made a huge contribution for the honor according to the Society’s web page. There is a virtual tour of the interior as well.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Hairpin turn coming up
Healy Pass, R574, negotiating the ridge above the Adrigole River valley. The photographer’s vehicle and Pam are visible in a turnoff. Her red raincoat stands out among the green.
We took this dangerous road slow, the tight corner up ahead is suggested by the roadway, just visible on the ridge ahead. Here I climbed the rocks with a tripod mounted dslr for this an other photographs shared here.
Clashduff townland, Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
The Land Remembers
Negotiating the ridge above the Adrigole River valley with a distant glacial scoured peak of the Caha Mountains.
Clashduff townland, Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Cropped close by hungry sheep
Looking down Healy Pass toward Adrigole. Beara Peninsula, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Post script: digging out of the February 2/3 snow storm that hit upstate New York, a bit of the wild brushed by me as I finished up the drive way at twilight. A scraggly fox, travelling along the ploughed road, passed not 10 feet away making steady progress. I said, in a quiet voice,” its all right,” and it (he/she?) walked a bit faster. I watched as it stopped briefly to sniff a snow clump and continued.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Far and Near
A wonder of capturing a voyage through photography is the ability to look back and better understand what was experienced. On January 20th I published the following photograph from Healy Pass. The dramatic elements, the waterfall and distant glacially striated mountain, draw away from the distant ridge on the right.
The ridge marks the col used by the pass road: starting from the right follow the ridge down to the col.
Here is a pasture on that ridge, taken from the same road. The road is not visible in the first photograph.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Enjoy the slide show January retrospective
Here is a show of the Ireland photographs shared so far in January, as I prepared them for publication. Enjoy!!
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Inisheer Welcomes Their Champions
After we passed the Killeany bouy on our ferry trip, on the Queen of Aran, (click the link to see this posting) from the harbor of Inis Mor to Doolin, the ship made four, yes four, dockings before arriving at Doolin: three on Inis Meáin and one on Inisheer.
A few days prior the Gaeltacht held the annual Irish football championship the weekend of May 21 through June 1 in Moycullen, County Galway. It was the Three Aran Islands (Oileaín Árann) team who won the 2014 championship. Sunday, June 1, the weekend of their victory, the cup was presented to Inis Mór, the largest Aran island and the one furthest into Galway Bay.
The team on Monday, June 2, the day of our trip, was on Inis Meáin, in celebration mode. Some of them were waiting for the ferry when we pulled into the dock of Inis Meáin, the second largest Aran island between the other two.
The first of the previous three photographs is of the waiting team members who boarded and we left for Inisheer Island, the smallest of the three and the closest to Galway City. The Queen of Aran was well out of the harbor when I imagine the radio in the pilot house said, “Come back, there are more team members on the dock.” So we turned around, docked and several more came on board.
In way once again, well away from the harbor, the ferry turned around for a second time for a third landing at the Inis Meáin dock. With the full compliment of champions on board the ferry turned out of the harbor a third and final time for the last leg of with Silver Cup’s tour of the islands.
The population of Inisheer is about 250 souls. It seemed all were waiting to greet the team.
A large bon fire blazed as the Queen of Aran approached.
People lined the dock from beginning to end.
Calling out, waving their arms.
Standing and smiling. Here is a flock of fans, from Galway apparently, very pleased at the sight.
The team was on the upper ferry deck. I turned around and was lucky enough to capture the team captain (Not sure, but who else would it be?) holding the silver cup for all to admire. Theirs for a year.
The crowd welcomed their own back home.
Surrounded the team and walked them grandly to town.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 