Category Archives: Beautiful Ulster

Beautiful Ulster, Cars and Vehicles, Ireland, Travel

Slaght Crossing

Old Trackside Railway Hut

Around 2.30pm this afternoon, I was about to cross the Slaght Level Crossing, outside Ballymema, when this old trackside hut caught my eye, and I thought, “Ah ha! There’s an old trackside hut! Time to get the camera out.” I parked the car, and walked to a gate with a view of the track, and fitted a medium length zoom on the Fujifilm X-T4. (No, I wasn’t trespassing on the tracks.)

Fujifilm X-T4, F=200mm, f/4.8 @ 1/250th sec on ISO 1600.

I needed the faster shutter speed to steady the lens in the wind, – I should really have got the monopod out, lowered the shutter speed to 1/60th and the ISO to 400.

But then hindsight’s a wonderful thing!

Actually, a few days down the track (see what I did there) and I decided to take away that ugly sign in Photoshp. It probably improves the image significantly!

Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down, Ireland, Landscapes, Travel

Dark Mournes – Murlough Bay

Shooting into the Sun!

Shooting into the midday sun is never a great idea but the waves and the dark Mournes were irresistible today.

The image was captured today on Murlough Beach, a National Trust property, between Dundrum and Newcastle, Co.Down. The tallest peak is Slieve Donard, part of the Mourne Mountains range.

Shot on the Fujifilm X-T4, F=30mm f/20 @ 1/125th sec on ISO160.

Continue reading Dark Mournes – Murlough Bay →
Beautiful Ulster, Belfast

Jennymount Mill

Jennymount Mill

Jennymount Mill is a relic of Belfast’s Industrial Past, situated beside the busy M2 Motorway in North Belfast. Needless to say, to attempt to photograph the Mill from the motorway angle would be both illegal, and dangerous, probably fatal. But when one is in the passenger seat of a passing vehicle, with a camera and a clean window, it’s probably ok to get a quick snap – but don’t distract the driver.

Jennymount Mill, Oil Effect
Continue reading Jennymount Mill →
Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down, History, Ireland

Slidderyford Dolmen

Ancient Engineering at Slidderyford, Co.Down

Between Dundrum and Newcastle, Co.Down is this ancient Dolmen, a strange stone structure that stands out against the skyline.

Slidderyford Dolmen

It is generally supposed that these stone structures mark burial grounds, probably from around 3000-4000 BC. Who built them, or how they were built is a mystery, it seems, but they occur all over Western Europe. Notice how the heaven top rock seems to fit into ‘sockets’ on the supporting rocks, and marvel at ancient engineering skills! To visit the Dolmen take the A2 road from Dundrum to Newcastle, and on reaching Murlough Nature Reserve turn onto Old Road, The Dolmen is on the left. Be aware though, that the tomb is sited on private land, which often is sowed out in crops, and to cross over to the monument would be trespass. It’s wise to take a medium range zoom lens if you want to photograph the Dolmen, and work from the road verge.

I visited the Dolmen on a bright afternoon, so conditions for photography were not optimal. I had to overexpose by around 2 stops to bring out some detail in the stones, which left the sky overexposed. I’d no tripod with me, so no opportunity for a series of shots for HDR processing.

The images above was made with the Fujifilm X-T2, F=180mm, f/8 @ 1/250th sec on ISO250.

Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down, History, Ireland, Landscapes, Travel

Drumbo Round Tower

Between Carryduff and Lisburn, with views across Belfast and the Lagan Valley lies the hamlet of Drumbo, with its historic Round Tower, now situated the graveyard of the Drumbo Presbyterian Church.

Drumdo Round Tower, Fujifilm X-T30, F=24mm, f/13 @ 1/200th sec on ISO500

The tower is one of the oldest monastic monuments in Ireland, dating from around the early medieval period. It was around in AD1130 when records show that it was plundered by one Connor McLochlin.

Continue reading Drumbo Round Tower →
Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down, Ireland, Travel

The Lecale District #2

1 Comment

Ardglass in a Jamjar!

Why is Ardglass in a Jamjar? I’ve no idea! But I’ve heard that expression used by my late grandparents, back in the 1960’s. It was made famous by Van Morrison, the singer/sngwriter, who immortalised it in his song ‘Coney Island.’

…On and on, over the hill to Ardglass
In the jam jar, autumn sunshine, magnificent
And all shining through Stop off at Ardglass for a couple of jars of
Mussels and some potted herrings in case
We get famished before dinner…

Van Morrison
Ardglass Harbour
Continue reading The Lecale District #2 →
Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down, Travel

The Lecale District #1

1 Comment

Kilclief, Co.Down

Van Morrison (who I understand had a significant birthday yesterday) wrote a song called ‘Coney Island’ in which he mentions ‘the Lecale District.’ It’s that broad area that stretches along the Co.Down coastline between Killyleagh and Killough, and includes towns like Downpatrick, Shrigley, Strangford, and Ardglass. locale is (like Strangford and the Ards Peninsula), a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.’ – so it’s no wonder that when Van Morrison made his meandering car journey through it, he would wish that it could be like this all the time!

Fujifilm X-T30, F=21mm, f/5.6 @ 1/180th sec on ISO400

One of those outstandingly beautiful areas is the little hamlet of Kilclief, perched right on the edge of ‘the Narrows’ that bottle-neck of unpredictable tidal water at the mouth of Strangford Lough. Kilclief has an old castle, (Caislean Cill Cléithe) a state supported monument, a ‘tower-house’ built around the years 1412-1441, by one John Sely, the Bishop of Down, later defrocked for living at this castle with a married woman who went by the unusual name of Lettice Savage!

Continue reading The Lecale District #1 →
Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down, Travel

Driftwood

Newcastle Co.Down.

The recent storm (Ellen, I think) caused flooding in the seaside town of Newcastle as the Shimna River burst through its banks. The Shimna rises in the Mournes and meanders through forested areas on the sides of the hills. Wood swept down by the torrential currents ended up in the Irish Sea and washed up on the beach.

The dark hills in the background are the Mourne Mountains of Percy French fame, sweeping musically down to the sea. I like this image because of its contrasts, its light and shade, the textures of the driftwood and the deep shadow of the hills.

Fujifilm X-T2, F=18mm, f/6.4 @ 1/125th sec on ISO800.

The driftwood is quite bright – after all, it’s been washed clean by the sea, so I exposed for the wood, which cast the mountains into deep shadow, an effect I rather liked!