Dublin’s Walking Dead

Set on the Customs House Quays opposite Georges Dock and the Famine Museum is a rather haunting set of sculptures known as the Famine Memorial. I remember the first time my kids saw them, they were like ‘’look Daddy it’s the Zombie’s.’’ Guess they weren’t far off the money. A memorial to commemorate what is still called the great famine (1845-1849). The memorial was created by Rowan Gillespie in 1997. The sculpture features six life size figures dressed in rags, clutching onto their belongings and children. It’s believed that the population of the country was cut in half because of either death or emigration. Truth be known many of those that managed to escape on what became known as the ‘Famine Ships’, didn’t fair too well and vast amount of people died making the trip.

It still boils my blood something fierce when this is referred too as a Famine, because let’s be honest, it was not. As an Island, Ireland was always pretty much self-sufficient. We had been living here for thousands of years without any major issue. FFS we are surround by a sea and ocean full of fish, so how the F$%k could we starve? Ok there was a potato blight at the time, but what about all the other crops, the cows, sheep, chickens, pigs etc? Where did all that go? Well, you don’t have to look to far to find that out. For over 700 years Ireland was occupied by the a foreign nation. Its was these chaps who allegedly owned and the land.

It was made illegal for the locals who were mainly Catholic to own land. So, in order to survive they would lease small sections of land for farming from the landlords. See where this is heading. Long story short. The wealthy landowners took all the good stuff and all that was left was the potato crops to keep the locals sustained. Hell, the humble spud isn’t even Irish. I believe it was brought back from South America by that Walter Raleigh chap. So, when that crop failed, the people had nothing else to feed themselves with. Which kicked off the entire sh1t show that they refer to as the Famine. Don’t know about you, but I can think of a few better words to describe it?

The Triumphal Arch

Still on Georges Dock we come across what I guess you could call a Triumphal Arch. Its quite plain when compared to the more well knows Arches such as the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, in Paris or the Wellington Arch in Central London. Interesting fact, yes, this Arch is also connected to Wellington. But this was not its original resting place! So, they built this way back in 1813, it used to stand back down the river at the Eden Quay entrance to the customs house. It seems that is was built to celebrate Wellingtons victory against the French at the battle of Salamanca in 1812.

It was moved to its current location at Georges Dock back in 1998 as part of the redevelopment of the area. To the rear of the structure there is an inscription stone dated 2002, in the memory of a Pat O’Shea for his service to community development!

What makes these structures so interesting is that you don’t see them too often. They were a big thing back in the Roman Empire. It’s a nice way to impose your stamp on a place I guess. Plant a big old archway smack bang in the middle of something as a way of announcing your arrival. There were a few more of these in Dublin in times gone by. One was erected for Victoria, the other one of the Georges. Both are no longer standing. The only other one I know of is on the corner of Stephens Green. More on that in a later post.

Georges Dock

Still wandering around the IFSC/Docklands in Dublin. Adjacent the Ring of Stones– from a previous post is Georges Dock.  It was built back in 1821 and named after one of those German lads that sat on the throne over in England. Both the main Dock & the Inner Dock which was built three years late in 1824 are fairly dry these days. The wee pedestrian bridge is obviously a much later edition to the area and carries people and vehicles over what I can only describe as a lock, like what you might find at regular intervals along the canals. There is even a winding mechanism on either side, although I would not be too sure that they would still work. There is no sign of any recent use.

The Area around the docks is home to a number of other items of interest The Irish Emigration Museum in permanent residence. The local City Council have also used the area for various events including the annual Oktoberfest. There was even talk a few years ago of turning it into a white water rafting facility, but the council voted against the idea. That said it would be nice to see the waters return.

What’s in the Bag Ed?

Out and about doing my thing after work yesterday, got chatting as it happened to a fellow amateur photographer. We eventually got chatting about the age-old topic. ‘’What do you carry in your Camera Bag’’? So this morning I was still thinking about the subject. I’m only back shooting four to five weeks and the brand-new bag I got on Temu is already bursting at the seams. Do I really need to be packing this much luggage when I’m out shooting? Let’s address that at the end. So currently this is what I’m packing on a shoot.

Cameras:

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Back in the day I only had a Nikon D40, pretty storage bit of kit by todays standards but it served me well for many a year. Most of the images on my website were shot with the D40. Today in packing two Nikons, the D3000 & the D3100. And to be honest the only reason I’m doing this is because I despise having to change lenses outdoors. This means that I can easily switch between a standard or prime lense, jump to a Zoom and back again as needed. Works a bloody treat too. Especially out on the street where you need your wits about you and don’t want to be fumbling around. I guess these SLRs are outdated somewhat, but they do a great job for me and suited my budget at the time of purchase.

Lenses:

Almost have my dream set of lenses now. Got three in total. The standard kit Nikkor 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G VR. Then I acquired a tasty little zoom lense, turned out to be an absolute bargain. The Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED. The final lense was another budget buy. I had been on the lookout for a ‘Nifty 50’ (50mm prime lense) you know, something for portrait type work. Well I still haven’t found the one I want, but I did manage to pick up a rather tasty Nikkor AF-S 35mm F1.8G DX, which for now will tick the box in that regard.

Accessories:

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My Flash gun is a relic from the D40 days. A Nissin Di622 Mark II. Cheap and cheerful, but gets the job done. Actually, I clearly remember when I bought it, It was, at the time the most expensive item in my bag 😊 with that I have one of those little foldup soft box thingies, it’s probably a bit of a gimmick but Ill find use for it eventually. My Tripod, another relic, which to be quite honest I never really use is a Hähnel Triad 60 Lite. Memory cards, what can I say, I seem to collect them these days, but they always get used. Normally I have about 10 in my little travel case, raging from 4gb- to 64gb. I’m always swapping them out so I don’t loose all my work. Other than that, it’s a collection of Batteries, chargers, Lense hoods, A UV filter and a circular polarizing filter, various straps (my favourite is the slinger I recently got for about 10 euro) and a good cleaning kit, brush, blower, micro cloth and a leather chamois. Lat but not least is my trusty HP Pavilion 14SE, running latest version of Photoshop & Lightroom with the NIK software plugin. This looks after all my editing needs. On a separate note, Im not vibing all the AI that’s been sneaking its way into PS, maybe its just me?

Conclusions:

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So what do we really need to be taking in our packs? For me, I could probably do without the tripod on a daily basis. Laptop isn’t always required. If we were to rationalize, striping back to the bare minimum all we really need is a camera and lense! I mean there are some people out there with smart phones doing some great work. Then you got the new mirrorless models that essential can fit in your back pocket. Does this mean that the days of the big SLR are numbered? Can’t see this happening in studio environments. But out on the street or adventure settings, who knows? So what do you carry in your kit bag, are you minimalist or do you bring everything but the kitchen sink, (just in case)? I know I will be doing a clear out of my bag this weekend. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

A Discovery of Stones………

Next up on a walk about of the IFSC and Docklands in Dublin, I happened to come across a rather interesting structure for want of a better description. Straight away my mind wandered back to the numerous ancient Stone Circles that I have visited over the years. These were unique places that had an energy to them and were enjoyable to visit.

This structure is a lot more uniform, with each one of the 16 pillars placed at an equal distance in a perfect circle. Set in the middle of a small garden area with office blocks on three sides and George’s Dock on the other. Its quite pleasing on the eye and I will be returning for a night shoot. Light up, I reckon it would look even better after dark.

 Obviously, this was one of many Statue’s & Sculptures that scatter the now well-developed Docklands region. But too my surprise whilst every other structure has some degree of information available, this has nothing, which only stirred my interest. Despite spending almost, a week scouring I could find no mention of the stones. I have reached out to the IFSC, but as of today have not recieved a reply. Am I getting old and Rusty? Or is there something else too this story?

Things got even stranger, when exploring the area on Google Maps, the shape of the pathways around the structure jumped out at me. They appear to be extremely similar to several different well-known symbols! Go on, have a look for yourself. Are we looking at a modern version of a Victorian era folly? Or is this something else? Tell me in the comments what you see. Or if you can shed any light on the structure itself, please feel free to share in the comments.

The Harbour Master

We as promised in my last post, I finally bit the bullet and hit the streets with my camera. Its been just over five years since my last posts from Kerry with the Darrynane Ogham Stone, a revamped Website & the Ringfort near CastleCove. And even longer since my last Ruinhunt expedition. So last Friday after work I stopped of in Dublin City center and took a good walk up along the North quays towards the Docklands. Not necessarily a Ruinhunt, I’d describe it more as Street photography perhaps?

Well, there was plenty that caught my eye, and no doubt there will be plenty of further trips around Dublin this year as I explore what’s on offer. For the moment, the days of driving all around the country are no more.

First port of call was The Harbourmaster Pub & Restaurant. Not very Ruins? I hear you say! Well, that may be, but it does have a cool history. Set in the heart of Dublin’s Financial Centre, this repurposed building was once, as the name suggests the old Harbour master’s Office for the Docklands. The original structure is said to have been built back in 1830. Then back in 2000 it was developed for its current use.

Just of Georges Dock, sitting right beside the inner dock, this unique structure really stands out despite its surroundings. For me it’s the three-level clock Tower that makes it so eye catching. I didn’t get a chance to stop off for refreshments this time, but I have enjoyed both the drinks and food on a few occasions. The inside contains both a bar & restaurant still retains an old-style interior. It gets quite busy as you can imagine but is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

GPC National Powerlifting Championships 2024

”Now let me see if I can still figure out how to do this blog thing”

Has it really been that long?

Those of you whom followed my Ruinhunting exploits back in the day might remember that I went through a number of unexpected life changes. But we have kept moving forward. If memory serves me correctly, my last event to shoot was Tallaghtfest back in 2015. This was where my trusty Nikon D40 sadly passed away halfway up St Maelruains Tower. Since then I relied on my reasonably sized archives to keep things going. Eventually all good things must come to an end and despite a small revival with a new website and the odd Ogham Stone & Ring Fort things finished up for me five years ago.

”Cmon Ed, Get too the Point”

So fast forward to 2023, Id been doing the ‘Gym Thing’ for a while when I happened too cross paths with a World Champion Powerlifter. Long story short, I was taken under the wing and taught the ‘Ways of the Powerlift’. All joking aside, I got to train with some of the best people around, and after a year & a bit, a few competitions, countless hours of training I’ve come to a place were parts of my old life and new have come together.

So last week I went out and acquired a new DSLR so I could take some shots for the Powerlifting Website that I try to help out with. Long story short, I went into this years National to compete in Equipped Bench and qualify for something later on in the year and I think I may have rekindled my buzz with photography. Got to shoot most of the day except when I was lifting. 1400 shots had to be whittled down to a respectable 305 🙂 You can check out the full Powerlifting gallery HERE.

Now I aint going to make any promises, will the Ruinhunter make a return? I cant say just yet, but I do reckon there will be more photography content in the not so distant future. Let me know what you think?

Cathair na Stéige

Kerry or ‘The Kingdom’ as it is also known, is a place very close to my heart. Having recently spent a few days down there. Eventually the plan is for the Ruinhunter to relocate to Kerry on a permanent basis. Aside from personal reasons, Kerry is also a Ruinhunter’s paradise. There are literally hundreds of fantastic monuments and ruins scattered across the landscape just waiting to be explored. And I am already plotting numerous sites to explore on my next trip. The last place I visited was a first of a kind for me. A Stone fort which is believed to date back to the Iron Age circa 300-400AD. Having only seen images of these stone forts previously, I was damn excited as we approached.

Located just off the Ring of Kerry not too far from CastleCove.  The fort resides at the head of a valley on the Iveragh Peninsula, and certainly did not disappoint. On the path which leads up toward the Fort there is a gate with two rather amusing signs, instructing that all visitors must pay a Trespass fee to enter. 😊 At some stage a rather clever individual left a response in permanent marker on the notice. Now I never condone such acts of graffiti. My motto has always been ‘Leave nothing behind but footprints’. But the message does raise a rather interesting point. But that’s an argument for another time. As we approached the fort it was obvious that there were some repair works going on. And it looked like we might not have been able to get inside this magnificent structure. But Ive never been one to be deterred so easily and we proceeded up to the entrance. There was a wooden gate blocking the doorway with a site notice. The bolt was unlocked, so as my SAFE pass is still in date I didn’t see any issue in entering and we closed the gate behind us.

Once inside its amazing, you can almost visualize what is was like to live here 1600 years ago. There are signs outside the fort of a fosse and external bank which would most likely have been protected by wooden fencing. The Lintelled doorway leads you into the fort which walls are extremely impressive. There about 4 meters thick and are said to have been 6 meters in height although not all of the wall currently reaches this height. Built entirely from uncoursed stone, no mortar was used in the construction. There are two small chambers built into the walls, most likely these would have been used for storing foods etc. around the inside of the wall are a few twin stairways which lead up to the top of the rampart. The Fort itself is about 30mtrs in diameter and would have contained within its walls, a number of smaller structures and dwellings which sadly no longer exist.

I’m afraid my images really don’t do this site justice, I must invest in a drone for visiting these types of monuments to show how amazing they really look. Best I could do was a panoramic video from inside the fort which you can see HERE. Its generally believed that this would have been a defensive stronghold for a local chieftain. It certainly would have kept him and his clan safe from the wild beasts that once roamed these lands and from and would be attacks by other clans. But there is more to this story, nearby there is strong evidence to suggest that copper mining took place in the surrounding area. Was this the home of these miners? That’s one thing that intrigues me about these places. A lot of our answers are just guess work. It could to be honest served as a place of worship, a trading post, observatory or a defensive outpost. The truth is we just don’t really know.

For these and more of my images, why not visit my Website 

Ruinhunter 2.0

After some recent unplanned Ruin hunting down in Kerry, I have finally caught the bug again. Since my last post on the Ogham Stone at Derrynane, I have been spending alot of time working on a new website. The old Ed Mooney Photography site is no more and currently resides in a recycle bin somewhere. So I got to start from scratch and went for a cleaner look. Its focused solely on my Ruin hunting activities with less clutter, although I will update as I continue to visit new sites over the coming months. Over the last few years I have had quite a bit of interest in selling prints, so in a few weeks once a suitable supplier is found a selection of my images will be available for sale from the website. Which should go somewhat towards financing further explorations along the West coast of Ireland. So without further adieu, I am excited to introduce to you the new and improved Website, I hope you like it 🙂

Diary of a Ruinhunter

Darrynane Beg Ogham Stone

On a recent trip to Kerry I got the opportunity to do a little sightseeing and temporarily resurrect ‘The Ruinhunter’ 😊.  I’ve missed exploring over the last few years and although I have no immediate plans to resume on a regular basis, the passion is still there and I wanted to share my experience with you. I will eventually return too my endeavors but current circumstances don’t afford too many opportunities. So, until this changes I will endeavor to post when and where the opportunity arises. First up was a rare favourite find of mine, An Ogham Stone, at Derrynane in Co. Kerry, also known as the Caherdaniel Ogham Stone, or by its Gaelic name Cloch Oghaim Dhoire Fhíonáin Beag, it is said to date back to 500 – 550A.D. This is only the 3^rd, well fourth Ogham stone I have encountered if you count the two found in Ardmore. The first I found way back in 2014 at Donard.

Ogham is basically a 25-letter alphabet which is said to be based on the Roman alphabet. It is believed to be the earliest known form of writing in Ireland, which dates to approx. 4th century A.D. and was in use for around 500 years. This alphabet is made up of twenty-five characters which are represented by a series of straight or slanted lines. In early Christian times the Ogham Stone appear to have been used as commemorative stones, normally to mark someone’s final resting place or as boundary marker. Interestingly Ogham is sometimes referred to as the “Celtic Tree Alphabet” as many of the characters relate to the sacred trees of Ireland. Want to know more?  Check out a fantastic piece ogham-the secret code of our ancestors by fellow blogger Ali Isaac.

According to the National Monuments Service the stone was uncovered under water on the Derrynane strand before being moved to its current location by the Office of Public Works back in the 1940’s. It’s quite easy to find the stone and is clearly signposted from the road. The stone itself as you could imagine is extremely eroded, no doubt from spending who knows how long submerged under water. The stone stands at over 2 meters in height and is made from Sandstone. Sadly, erosion makes it almost impossible to decipher the inscription, however having read the stone, R.A.S. Macalister in his (Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum, 1945) gives us the following ‘ANM LLATIGNI MAQ M[I]N[E]RC M[UCOI] Q[…]CI’. As you can see much of the inscription was missing even back then.  The only translation I managed to find was from Wikipedia as follows, (“name of Llatigni, son of Minerc, of the tribe of Q…ci”).

Despite the fact that this sheds no light on the historical significance of the stone, it still remains for me a fascinating piece of our heritage and history. Which is now thankfully subject to a preservation order.

For these and more of my images, why not visit my Website