Rainbows. My one abiding memory of my holiday in Kerry this year.
We stayed in Banna Strand, a few miles outside Tralee. There is a marvelously long beach there, plus a swimming pool and kids’ activity centre so the kids could be entertained whatever the weather.
That’s not to say we couldn’t travel: there is so much to see in Kerry, it would be a pity to stay in one place all the time. We headed out to Ballybunnion, Dingle, Slea Head, Castlegregory, Killarney, Glencar, Crag Cave, and Fenit Harbour among many other places. All these places may be just names to you, but they are all spectacularly beautiful, especially when the clouds are changing the lighting so often.
This is the town of Dingle, or to be correct An Daingean – the government changed its name to its Irish form a few years ago resulting in widespread uproar. All over Kerry the name “Dingle” has been erased from roadsigns with white sticking tape..
A seagull by Slea Head, overlooking the Blasket Islands.
This guy is Brendan the Navigator, a Kerryman reputed to have travelled to Newfoundland and Iceland back in the middle ages.
This is the Gap of Dunloe: a deep glacial valley beside the Magillicuddy Reeks (Ireland’s highest peaks). The whole Killarney area is Ireland’s equivalent of the Lake District.
This is Ballybunnion on a freezing, stormy day.
You know it’s hard to photograph rainbows isn’t it.
Stunningly beautiful and fleetingly transient.
Ahhhhhhh what wonderful photographs! We used to spend childhood summer holidays in Banna Beach, staying in the bungalows at the Banna Beach Hotel. Fun times, and yes the beach is fabulous. It’s so long since I have been down that way but your photos have reminded me how beautiful it is, thank you!
Beautiful photos! I am a painter from Wisconsin and would love to paint the
Gap of Dunloe – I was in Ireland this April for the first time and drove through the gap while on a tour all through the upper 1/3 of Ireland.
I will be having a show of my paintings of Ireland in 2010 here in Sturgeon Bay. I would love to be able to correspond with you and will bookmark your blog.
Llet me know if I have your permission to paint this.
Thanks so much,
Mary McGinnis Bosman
Hi Mary,
Feel free! I am delighted that you would like to paint one of my photos. Thanks very much for the kind words. You are welcome to drop by any time.
Many thanks,
Colm
Hi Phil, I agree – rainbows are very difficult to photograph – I lost an opportunity here to do some time-lapse work. I never saw so many stunning rainbowes in my life.
Hi whoopsadaisy – also many thanks. I have lots of Banna Strand photos in reserve. I might post a few up on the website in over the next few days in my Photos section.
otherwie, if you want to swim, this map is really practical http://www.awaycity.com/wiki/Dublin/Swimming
Beautiful pictures, Colm.
Glad I went to Dingle while I still could spell and pronounce it…