Manfrotto studio tripod and hydrostatic ball head – Michael Stephen Wills Photography

Dawson’s Magnolia?

A 2021 Blessing

May 10, 2021May 4, 2021 MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

The Magnolia genus has been around for eons, come characteristics are protective from beetles as they existed before bees and relied upon beetles for fertilization. Our’s may be the species Magnolia dawsoniana (Dawson’s Magnolia), it shares many of the published characteristics: among them tolerance to our hardiness zone 5, flower color and shape, tree growth pattern.

This was an exceptional year for blooms. starting late April, lasting into May. The fence around trunks is for protection against bucks (male deer), from rubbing their horns in autumn.

For most of these 2021 photographs I used the lens Canon 24 mm f/1.4L II USM, the one captioned 50 mm I used Canon 50mm f/1.2L USM. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV dslr with the Manfrotto Studio tripod with hydrostatic ball head for all.

The last great year was 2018……

For these 2018 photographs the Canon 24 mm and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L “Macro” lenses with Canon’s EOS-1Ds Mark III dslr.

Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Coolcreen View Six

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day 2021 “No Snakes”

March 23, 2021March 18, 2021 MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

Number six of six from the Kerry County side on the descent Healy Pass, R574. Here we move away from, say goodbye (hopefully, for now) to these marvelous views, our first sight of County Kerry.

Two more strange, conical hills come into view, repeating those in the distance. These have a long story.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Coolcreen View Three prime

Coolcreen Townland

March 22, 2021March 18, 2021 MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Number three of six from the Kerry County side on the descent Healy Pass, R574. I enhanced view three to level the horizon. A side by side comparison is provided, below.

It is possible to just make out several lake houses. Click me for more information about who live here during the early twentieth century.

Click me to learn more about the name of the lake.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Visible from this point on R574, Healy Pass, is Glenmore Lake, the Rivers Drunminboy, Glanstrasna flowing into a sheltered inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1911, the Irish National Census lists nineteen (19) persons of five (5) families listed with the names O’Sullivan, Sullivan and Shea. From this view this is a puzzle until the map is examined. The land transitions from this rock to a steep, then leveling slope down to Glanmere Lake and a stream running from the heights with plenty of reasonably level, fertile acreage. There is a glimpse of a lake. Like many of the Irish place names, Glenmore Lake has a connection to the Irish Language name, Loch an Ghleanna Mhóir. Roughly translated the name means Large Lake of the Glen. The names in use today, in English, are derived from the sounds of the Irish. It happens the Irish Ghleanna sounds link Glen (or in another version, Glan, roughly the same). Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

Coolcreen View Five

horizontal

March 19, 2021March 16, 2021 MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

Number five of six from the Kerry County side on the descent Healy Pass, R574. Less sky and more land in this horizontal aspect.

Lavender hedgerows drawn the eye to that conical distant hill. In the lower left the new rhododendron leaves are flower-like.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Coolcreen View Four

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2021March 15, 2021 MichaelStephenWills7 Comments

Number four of six from the Kerry County side on the descent Healy Pass, R574. Here I turn the camera on the Manfrotto studio tripod with hydrostatic ball head to the original view, a little less lit with a better leveling of the horizon.

A first glance, the rhododendrons in bloom are beautiful along the hedgerows and the foreground. Click me for our first encounter with this flowering plant. Later, during out stay at Ashford Castle, County Mayo, during kayaking on Lough Corrib, I remembered this scene and described it to my guide. He filled me in the rhododendron is a notorious invasive species. Click me for an interesting article with all the details.

Here is story of visitors LOST in a rhododendron forest.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Coolcreen View Three

Coolcreen Townland

March 14, 2021March 12, 2021 MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

Number three of six from the Kerry County side on the descent Healy Pass, R574. I turned the camera a few more degrees into the gathering darkness, under the cloud, for an almost complete view of Glanmore Lake.

It is possible to just make out several lake houses. Click me for more information about who live here during the early twentieth century.

Click me to learn more about the name of the lake.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Click photograph for a larger version.

Coolcreen View Two

Coolcreen Townland

March 13, 2021March 12, 2021 MichaelStephenWills7 Comments

Number two of six from the Kerry County side on the descent Healy Pass, R574. The dynamic range is a photographic challenge: the scene darkens as a cloud covers the westering sun, I turn the camera toward Glanmore Lake. The large, distant water is a bay on the North Atlantic named for the city at the foot, Kenmare.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Coolcreen View One

Coolcreen Townland

March 12, 2021March 11, 2021 MichaelStephenWills8 Comments

Number one of six from the Kerry County side on the Healy Pass, R574, descent. You can see the turnout we are using on the road below in this photograph Kerry View Seven. We have not travelled far, still in Coolcreen townland.

Here is a story collected by Shelia Sheahan from Mrs. M. Sheahan of Beal Middle, County Kerry. “The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0621, Page 413” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

There is a fort in Beale and it is supposed to be the principal resort of the fairies. One day as two men were drawing hay from Slios near Caill na calman, one went through the fields as it was shorter than to go by the road, and his brother drove the horse by the road to Slios. As he was passing this fort, a little boy came out of it and ran after the car and sat into it. When they were gone a short distance he offered the man some sweets but he refuse to take any. None of them spoke anymore until they arrived in Slios. Again the little boy offer the sheets to the second man who went through the fields. But his brother went behind the little boy’s back and grinned at the other man not to take the sweets, because he was about to take them. At this the little boy went into the fort and they saw him no more. Background: a fort, or rath, is a grassy, round mound. By emerging from the rath, the boy is identified as one of the Others (“fairies”). Accepting and consuming a foodstuff or beverage from the Others puts a human under their control. The second man did not know where the boy came from and was warned away by his companion, otherwise the story would be much longer.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Kerry View Seven

Coolcreen Townland

March 7, 2021March 10, 2021 MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

Number seven of seven from the Kerry County side near the top of Healy Pass, R574. Here is a brother to Number Six, being an improvement: the horizon is corrected. Can you make out the two sheep on the road?

Here is a story of the Caha Mountains, collected 1939. It was collected from a man living on the opposite side of Kenmare Bay, the water of the Atlantic Ocean glimpsed in the distance. “The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0621, Page 413” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Long ago a big worm was crossing the Caha Mountains when Saint Patrick met it. He made the Sign of the Cross over the worm and the worm was cut in two halves. One half fell at each side of the mountain. The worm was buried where it fell and it can be seen yet where it was buried in Coomnapeiste. This is a hollow on the side of one of the hills of the Caha Mountains and is visible from Blackwater Bridge National School playground. Situate opposite Lackeen other side of Kenmare Bay probably Tuosist Parish.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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Kerry View Five

Coolcreen Townland

March 5, 2021March 4, 2021 MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

You might say Number five of seven from the Kerry County side near the top of Healy Pass, R574 is the same as number four and not be far from correct. Indeed, while Number 5 is very different from View One, taken nearby, it differs from Number 4 in an improved orientation of the horizon.

The Mark III Canon dslr used here does not have a leveling guide, or if it does I was unaware. I perfected the orientation through several exposures, of which Number Five was one. Each photograph from this series provides a bit of information about the sight. Start with Number One and progress through each to obtain a full exposition.

Beara Peninsula, Coolcreen townland, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

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