TWO VISITS TO BLACKROCK VILLAGE IN CORK AUGUST 2021 AND MAY 2022
George Boole, inventor of Boolean algebra (the basis of modern computer arithmetic) lived near Blackrock during his time as Professor of Mathematics at University College Cork. Boole is buried in the grounds of St. Michael’s Church of Ireland on Church Road.
Blackrock is a suburb, with a village core, in the south east of Cork City, Ireland. Originally a small fishing village about five kilometres from Cork City, the growth of the city over time has meant that the village has become incorporated into the city. It is home to Blackrock GAA club, Blackrock Castle, a weekly farmers market, and as of 2015 has seen some investment in regeneration projects for the traditional village centre.
My visit in 2021 did not go well as my camera was overheating and then, because of travel restrictions, I had to wait two hours for a bus back to the city centre. In May I had expected the bus service to be much better but when the 202 did not turn up as scheduled I discovered that I would have to wait an hour for the next bus to arrive so I decided to walk back to the city along the Blackrock Road which proved to be worthwhile.
The one thing that caught my attention in 2021 was that very few people, other than myself, were wearing masks.
A short distance from the village is Blackrock Castle. There has been a castle on the site since medieval times but the present castle was built in the mid 19th century in mock-baronial style. It now houses an observatory and planetarium.
The Marina, a tree lined avenue (not strictly a marina) runs along the southern bank of the River Lee from Blackrock Village past Páirc Uí Chaoimh and is a used for a number of recreational activities such as rowing, walking and cycling. The Atlantic Pond, in the shadow of Páirc Uí Chaoimh is also used by walkers and is populated by wildlife, mainly ducks and swans.
Dundanion Castle, overlooking the Marina but difficult to access, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It is from this spot that William Penn reputedly sailed on his first voyage to America in 1682 before founding the state of Pennsylvania.
Blackrock Village hosts a farmer’s market every Sunday morning in the village square. A pathway links the village to the relatively new development of Eden in Blackrock, which is a mix of apartments, duplexes and houses along with green spaces built on the former grounds of Blackrock convent. The village square and surrounding area were subject to a €2 million “rejuvenation” scheme between 2015 and 2017.
TWO VISITS TO DOUGLAS VILLAGE COMMUNITY PARK MAY 2022 AND AUGUST 2021
Amenities and green-spaces in the area include Douglas Community Park (a 5-acre park close to the centre of Douglas which includes a playground), and Ballybrack Woods (a wooded area south of Douglas village which is known locally as ‘Mangala’, ‘Mangola’, or ‘Mangla’.
In 2018 I attempted to walk to Douglas Village and went astray and then because of heavy rain I decided to return to the city centre by bus.
In 2021 because of Covid-19 restrictions public transport was not good but after I visited Finbarr’s Cemetery I waited a hour for a bus back to the city centre and when I boarded the bus the driver was interested in my camera and suggested that I should visit Douglas and assured me that there would be no problem getting a bus back to the city centre from Douglas Shopping Centre.
In August 2021 my camera overheated such an extent that it shut-down. Also, earlier in the day the 70-200 lens became detached from the camera body and as a result suffered some physical damage making auto-focus unreliable. The photographs from the visit were so under exposed that I decided not to use them but I recently purchased DX0 PureRawII and I pre-processed. Much to my surprise the resulting images were usable but a lot of time and effort was required.
I visited Douglas for the second time in May 2022 but as I was on my way the Passage I did not stay long. In 2022 I used adapted sigma 24-105mm lens which may not be as good as the Sony 70-200 but it was much more practical for street photography,
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