I am lucky enough to have family living in Southern Ireland, so whenever I can, I nip over and see them. I’m only half an hour from Luton Airport and the flight is an hour, so I can be there in time for lunch on a Saturday! The photo of the cottage was taken early evening, I was mooching about the house when I noticed that there was a storm coming in, and that the light had turned wonderful.. I grabbed my camera and ran out of the house, determined to capture the light, somehow… My mum was astonished, and I can still hear her shouting, “but Elaine it’s going to rain!!”
My latest visit was for a bit longer than normal, and I was able to get out and about with my camera. There is something about Ireland, its landscape and community that is very appealing and I always thoroughly enjoy my time over there. This time I went to Killala Bay, and from there to Ross Strand where I discovered a derelict lifeboat station. Ireland has a wealth of run down buildings, not all accessible, but many are. I was very taken with this one, and took several shots, some of which I converted to mono.
Just down the road from the lifeboat station in Killala Bay, I discovered an old harbour. There didn’t seem to be any functioning boats there, maybe I just didnt see them or maybe they were out working, I don’t know. I found a row of disused old boats, some very badly needing repair. I sneaked a few shots of these, too, before I wandered off.
The next day, I was invited to go and visit one of my Mum’s neighbours, a man named Jimmy Joe. I’ve been fascinated by this man ever since Mum moved to Ireland, as he still lives the traditional Irish way. He has no electricity, no gas, no running water, no transport… I have no idea how he manages it. He has a donkey and raises some cattle each year which he sells for his only source of income. He cycles into town once a week to buy his provisions - he is 66 years old, and town is eight miles away. In the summer he cuts his own hay. He’ll cut it, fork it into piles to dry, and when it’s dry he will load the hay into his cart. He will then join the donkey in the traces, and help her pull the full cart up the hill to his barn, where he’ll unload it before going back down to the hayfield and start it all again.
His family have lived on the same plot of land for generations. They built their first house which comprised just two rooms, several hundred years ago, and seven people lived there. When they outgrew (!) this one, they built another, bigger, house, the family moved into the new house and their livestock moved into the old one. On Jimmy Joe’s land there are seven houses where the family had moved up as they grew in numbers. There is only a chimney stack left from original house, and all the others are in disrepair, in descending levels of decay. Jimmy Joe himself lives in the new house… built in 1921. Fascinating man, I spent all morning talking to him and could honestly have spent a lot lot longer.
