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Jess Leahy Photography, Cork (2026)

07/04/2016

A Splash of Spring Sunshine

On returning to the grassland at work this week, we were delighted to see hundreds of dandelions had appeared over the Easter holidays. For many people, dandelions are one of the most unpopular 'weeds' that grown in their gardens. They can be difficult to get rid of, and have some unpleasant nicknames (pissy-beds, for one!).

But these are very important wildflowers - they are one of the first to appear in the spring, making them one of the first plants to supply food to bees after a hard winter! And we all now how important bees are! So let's not chop down anything that helps the bees; let's leave those dandelions where they are!

14/03/2016

Green Glow

For this week, Blarney Castle, along with many other well known monuments around the world, is being lit up in green to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, having been a missionary and bishop in Ireland during the fifth century AD. One of the most famous stories about Patrick tells of how he banished the snakes from Ireland. However, scientists have shown that there were in fact never any snakes in Ireland for him to banish. So that one probably isn't true.

Another story tells of how his ash wood staff grew roots and turned into a living tree, because it took him so long to convert the people of a town (now known as Aspatria) to Christianity. I don't want to seem overly skeptical, but this story probably isn't true either.

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold dating from around 1466. It is one of Irelands most famous medieval structures, with thousands of visitors every year queueing to kiss the Blarney Stone, which is said to bestow the kisser with the gift of the gab. It is a gorgeous place to visit, the gardens are stunning, and there is even a poison garden, containing many deadly plants.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh!

28/09/2015

Lunar Eclipse, Cork, 2015

This is the best of my shots from last nights lunar eclipse, as seen from the centre of Cork city. This was taken at around 4am, just after totality.

I was lucky to catch this, as the moon was just about to pass out of view, behind a neighboring house. I have photographed the moon on many occasions but an eclipsed moon is a different story. My lack of a (decent) tripod made things difficult, but I'll chalk that down as a lesson learned, and be more prepared for the next lunar eclipse in 2018!

24/09/2015

Funky Fungi

I came across these beautiful mushrooms in the woodland at work today. Common puffballs are a familiar sight in Irish woodlands, being found in both coniferous and decidious forests.

The top is covered in spines which can be rubbed off easily. As the fungus matures, it turns brown, and releases spores in a puff when compressed, either by the touch of an animal, or falling rain.

Fungi are endlessly fascinating to me, especially at this time of year. There is such a variety in form, that I find a new (to me) species almost every time I step into the woodland.

13/09/2015

Workin' in the Rain

This was one of those 'the best camera is the one in your hand' kind of moments.

Taken on an iPhone 4 in Fota Wildlife Park this afternoon.

13/08/2015

Cute? I think so!

I had game of peek-a-boo with this little guy at a nature reserve recently. Every time I lifted my camera to my eye, he disappeared behind the stone wall, only to reappear somewhere else the second I put my camera down.

I debated for a while whether to post this photo or not, as I know lots of people have an aversion to rodents of any kind, but in an effort to de-demonize them, I decided to stick it up! I think it's pretty cute!

27/07/2015

Dolphins can Dance

During our trip to Di**le a few weeks ago, we took a walk out to the mouth of Di**le Harbour, hoping to catch a glimpse of their famous resisdent bottlenose dolphin, Fungie.

As we walked along the coastal path, we spotted the last of the dolphin watching tour boats heading in to shore, along with a group of kayakers paddling out for a sunset trip around the harbour. We spotted the dolphin at the same time as they did, surfacing pretty close to the opposite shore.

We sat down on the shore close to Husseys Folly, and watched jealously as the kayakers paddled around with Fungie the Di**le Dolphin. After a few minutes however, the kayakers left, heading out of the harbour to explore the caves around the harbour mouth.

As soon as he was left alone, Fungie began a spectacular aerial show, throwing his 250kg body out of the water with ease. It was a fantastic sight, and it felt like we were the only people witnessing it. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Fungie headed out of the harbour, and we headed back into town for a bit of trad. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

19/07/2015

Slea Head Sunset Spectrum

I'm just back from a lovely week spend wandering around West Cork and Kerry. We kayaked, snorkelled, swam, ate, drank, and slept, and it was perfect.

Though the weather wasn't the finest, with lots of grey skies, we had one fab evening, followed by a beautiful day. We took advantage of the break in the clouds, and headed out to Slea Head to watch the sun set. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky exploded into colour - a fantastic spectrum of reds, pinks, oranges, and purples.

There's nowhere else that does sunsets like the west coast of Ireland.

15/05/2015

Wide-angle West Cork Water

I have recently added a new wide-angle lens to my collection, and when we took a trip to West Cork, I found the perfect location to take it for a test run.

It was a very rainy weekend, the kind with a solid grey sky and perpetual drizzle, but even then, Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve was still a serious treat for the eyes (and the lens!). The heavy overnight rain had increased the volume of the Canrooska River, making the waterfall, and the river walk itself, particularly impressive.

Unfortunately, my time in the reserve was limited that weekend, but it is definitely a spot I will be returning to.

10/05/2015

Remembering

On the 7th of May 1915, at 2.10pm, a torpedo fired from a German U-boat struck the RMS Lusitania, sinking her 12 miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale, with 1200 people perishing in the cold waters off the County Cork coast.

On the 7th of May 2015, at 2.10pm, the MS Queen Victoria, docked in Cobh, sounded her whistle, signalling the beginning of a minutes silence, during which the hundreds of people gathered in the town paused to remember the tragic events of that fateful afternoon.

After the commemoration ceremony in Cobh, we drove to the Old Head, and watched the waves for a bit. It was hard to imagine the horror that took place just off the shore.

This photo, looking south from the Old Head, was taken last Thursday, May the 7th 2015.

01/05/2015

And now for something completely different...

Last week I was asked to take some promotional photos for the lovely Torcán boys. We took a spin out to Kilcrea Abbey, just outside the city and managed to catch a lovely sunset.

If anyone is interested in traditional Irish music, be sure to check out their page and have a listen to some tunes. They're a talented bunch.

19/04/2015

Pink Primroses

Almost everyone is familiar with the primroses that adorn our forests, gardens, and parklands at this time of the year. Those pale yellow blossoms are one of the surest, and most loved, signs that spring has well and truely sprung.

I was walking through Fota Gardens on my way home from work yesterday evening when this dusky pink patch caught my eye. Wikipedia has since informed me that pink primroses are quite common, but I had never seen one before and thought it was rather unusual looking, so I stopped to take a few snaps. It was a gorgeous little flower.

Jess Leahy Photography

07/04/2016

14/03/2016

28/09/2015

24/09/2015

13/09/2015

13/08/2015

27/07/2015

19/07/2015

15/05/2015

10/05/2015

01/05/2015

19/04/2015

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