Robert’s Ramblings

It’s cold down here, it’s dark down here, but it’s anything but quiet. Between the sound of my own breathing and my bubbles escaping to the surface, the water is filled with clicks and chirps and strange sharps noises not unlike forest insects on a warm evening.

As the light of my torch falls on this massive vertical rock wall I am astounded by the beautiful patchwork carpet of colour. Thousands of anemones in colonies of purple and red and yellow all with their tiny stinging tentacles, feed on plankton in the nutrient rich water.

Looking up I catch I glimpse of blue sky above and am filled with gratitude for this amazing magic carpet ride.


#scuba #diving #doulushead #cahershiveen #kerry #ireland #ocean #sea #inbhearsceinesac #anemone

I have just had another fantastic day diving with the crew from Inbhear Sceine SAC diving. This particular dive on Doulus Head was truly spectacular with cliff facing walls coming up from more than 30m below and covered in massive anemone gardens.

This moment captures our all important ascent with Richie being first to the boat and John ready to help us on board.

I am still getting used to the cold 10 degC water, and the crew here think I am crazy diving in a wetsuit, but it’s worth every moment diving in this beautiful part of the world.


#scuba #diving #rib #boat #doulushead #cahershiveen #kerry #ireland #ocean #sea

My discovery of Ireland’s beautiful place seems to have no end and despite previous trips here I’ve really only just started.
We are on the pier at Kells Bay, about to head out into Dingle Bay for a dive, and I just can’t begin to describe how amazing it is to be here.
The diving from here was stunning but to those that will never dip their head below the waves, just look around and enjoy our beautiful planet from what ever perspective you can.


#Kellsbay #tinyplanet #aerial #ireland #landscape #skyscape #tinyplanet

Living in Ireland has provided many firsts for me and my dives with Inbhear Sceine Kerry Sub Aqua have been no exception.
I’ve experienced new underwater sights and sounds with my favourite Southern Australian ‘usual suspects’ being replaced with an entirely new cohort of marine species I am eager to make my acquaintance with.

For the time being at least I’m acclimatising to the 10 degC water temperature, and still tuning my gear, but a couple more dives should see most of those issues sorted (aside from the cold).

For now at least I can share another first, it may not be anything spectacular but here is my first published image from under Irish seas, the Edible Sea Urchin (Echinus esculentus).


#Echinusesculentus #seaurchin #underwater #scuba #diving #ireland #kerry #critters #echinoderms #edibleseaurchin

Nearly seven years ago I got to circumnavigate the famous Skellig Michael off the south west coast of Ireland, symbol of the archangel Micheal and spiritual haven of the Mainistir Fhionáin monks that made this sacred rock their home.

I planned to return one day with the anticipation of climbing to its pinnacle.

Last Saturday was the reunion I never imagined.

We’ve been in living Ireland nearly four months now and like a fish out of water I’ve been pining to dive again, trading a South Australian sea for an Irish one. Considering the colder water and lack of familiarity with diving in Ireland I’d almost resigned to my first Irish dive being something simple and tame, a shake down and ‘get used to it’ dive.

Then I got a text from Micheal! (not the archangel, but can I really be sure?)
“Hi Robert, me and the lads are diving Skellig Micheal this weekend and we’d love to have you along.”

To cut the rest of my story short, my first Irish dive was anything but tame and simple, an adventure beneath Skellig Micheal.

Thank you Micheal, John, Richie, Ellie, Nigel and Gearóid of the Inbhear Sceine Kerry Sub Aqua Club for looking after me and making my first Irish diving simply extraordinary.


#adventure #crag #freedom #ireland #island #kerry #ocean #portmagee #skelligmichael #diving #travel

No one has actually seen a living Irish Elk for 8,000 years but once they were abundant here as well as on much of continental Europe. With an antler span of 3 to 4 m they would have been spectacular to behold.

Nearly 40 years ago, Cork artist Kevin Holland brought the great Irish Elk back to life as a bronze effigy overlooking the N20 road between Cork and Mallow. For twenty years I’ve been wanting to photograph that stag with never quite the opporunity.

Today I finally have.


#Kevinholland #ireland #cork #irishelk #sculpture #bronze #silhouette #aerial

On a recent ‘Create Day’ with the Mallow camera club we explored crazy things like photographing spilled ink in puddles of potcheen.

The process was very simple, pour the potcheen onto blotting paper (with optional nip when no one’s watching), place drop of coloured ink onto the wet and changing paper, take a photograph, pour again, have another nip and repeat.

The constantly moving patterns were quite mesmerising and the challenge was knowing when to stop.

Of the many weird photographic endeavors explored that day we only got a taste (no pun intended) of each but enough to wet the appetite to do it all again.


#Abstract #colour #patterns #mallowcameraclub #createday #potcheen #moonshine

This candid and beautiful moment between two sisters will be forever theirs and no one else’s. Whatever their thoughts, and wherever their hearts, the brightness of the world outside provides everything needed; hope, gratitude, family, friendship and comfort.

It’s not all about landscape, natural beauty and an unblemished world. The light comes first, the heart and mind are drawn to it, and momentarily we become part of the brightness of it all.


#Silouette #jennifer #susan #sisters #home #window #contemplation blackandwhite

I first photographed Dromaneen Castle on banks of the Blackwater river back in 2015. At that time, besides my camera, my most important piece of equipment was a solid pair of ankle high waterproof boots. Those boots were marginal dealing with the mud and the cow manure on route through the fields and knee high wellingtons would have been a better choice.

This time round, despite being in the midst of Storm Kathleen, I found a break in the weather to put my camera up where no cow patty could foul it and capture this birds eye view along side of the, ‘not so meandering’, Blackwater river just out of Mallow.

Dromaneen Castle is said to have been built by Caher O’Callaghan in around 1610 to replace an older tower fortification of the ancient O’Callaghan clan. However, it was soon lost to the English during the Eleven Years’ War (Cogadh na hAon-déag mBliana) and was never occupied by an O’Callaghan again.

To this day the O’Callaghan’s of Longueville House, on the other side of the Blackwater, have the ruin of their former castle remind them of Ireland’s, and their own, volatile past.


#Ireland #travel #aerial #dromaneen #castle #ruin #O’Callaghan #blackwater #river #tinyplanet #Longueville

Our Easter Saturday treat was witnessing this beautiful rainbow descent upon ancient Acha Dá Eo, ‘The field of the two yew trees’.

This place, now known as Aghadoe, is very old and dates back to pre-Christian Ireland. The Aghadoe church and cemetery as we see it now is a relatively young 866 years old.

From here the view is a breathtaking mix of modern and ancient humanity with the town of Killarney below, beautiful Loch Leane beyond and the distant Kerry mountains as a spectacular backdrop.

Even without the rainbow, this place is gorgeous.


#ireland #aghadoe #kerry #killarney #travel #history #ruins #church #cemetery #rainbow