URBAN PHOTOGRAPHS

Urban Expression And Depression By Infomatique

pond

TURTLE ENJOYING THE SUN

by

ABANDONED TURTLE ENJOYING THE SUN – BOTANIC GARDENS

When I first noticed turtles in the pond at the Botanic Gardens in March 2019 I contacted management as I was concerned that they may have been abandoned.

Response From Botanic Gardens:
Hi William
Thank you for your concern regarding the turtles in the pond. They have been in the pond now for at least 4 years. They were abandoned there without our knowledge but they survive ok by themselves so seem to be quite happy there. They like to sun themselves at the edge of the pond when the weather is warm so they are more visible in summer.
Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.

Best regards
Visitor Centre
National Botanic Gardens

Two days ago I used a Sigma 105mm lens and when I got home I discovered that every photograph was fuzzy as if I was drunk when photographing. Today I decided to use a Sony 7-200 F2.8 GM lens and I could not get it to work at all and spent about two hours trying to work out what was wrong. In the end I decided to reset the camera and much to my surprise everything was perfect.

BLESSINGTON STREET BASIN

by

A VISIT TO BLESSINGTON STREET BASIN [Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Lens]

Blessington Street Basin is a drinking water reservoir in Dublin which operated from 1810 until the 1970s, serving the north city. It became a public park in 1994.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s day and normally I get to photograph the Dublin parade from the top of a bus after spending a night out with visitors from the USA. Last year the parade was cancelled with a few days notice. This year I knew that the event would not take place.

The problem is that I am now feeling bored after a year of not using my real camera and lenses and worse still I have have forgotten how to use my equipment. Since the beginning of last week I have started to wander around the local area for an hour or two using a different lens.

Today I used a Sigma 14mm f1/8 lens which I have had little chance to use as I purchased it not long before Covid-19 arrived. It is not an easy lens to use as lens flare can be an issue especially on a sunny day like today.

The Blessington Street Basin was built in the early 19th century by Dublin Corporation. Construction began about 1803 and finished in 1810, the plant was opened as the Royal George Reservoir, named in honour of King George III. The basin is rectangular, about 120 m long and 60 m wide basin took about 4 million gallons (15.1 million litres) of water. The water came from Lough Owel in County Westmeath, carried by pipe along the Royal Canal through a 3 km long pipeline into the basin at the western end of the Blessington Street. From its construction, the site was used as a public park.

By 1869, the basin was not large enough for purpose, and water collection moved outside the city. The basin continued to serve the Jameson’s and Powers’ distilleries until the 1970s, and then went out of operation as a reservoir. There were worries about the stagnant water creating a typhoid outbreak in the late 1800s leading to the corporation wanting to fill in the basin and the stretch of water connecting the basin to the canal, this connection was finally filled in 1956.

In 1993 work began on the restoration of the site following a rejected proposal to extensively refurbish it in 1991. The refurbishment was carried out by the Dublin City Council aided by FÁS, and with financial support from the National Heritage Council and A.L.O.N.E. It was reopened as a park on the 4 November 1994. The site also includes a lodge house built in a Tudor style in 1811, and another modern council building.

Since its restoration, the basin now serves as a bird habitat, with an artificial island and a number of fish. Amongst the birds that can be seen there are swans, tufted ducks, chaffinches, mallards and pigeons

A SECRET GARDEN FOR NORTHSIDERS ONLY

by

A SECRET GARDEN FOR NORTHSIDERS ONLY – BLESSINGTON STREET BASIN PUBLIC PARK

I am only joking about the park being for Northsiders only however unless you live in Phibsborough or Broadstone it is most likely that you will be aware of the little park. I live nearby and was surprised be the fact that not
one of my neighbours knew that there was such facility close by.

Blessington Street Basin is a drinking water reservoir in Dublin which operated from 1810 until the 1970s, serving the north city. It became a public park in 1994.

The Blessington Street Basin was built in the early 19th century by Dublin Corporation. Construction began about 1803 and finished in 1810, the plant was opened as the Royal George Reservoir, named in honour of King George III.[2] The basin is rectangular, about 120 m long and 60 m wide basin took about 4 million gallons (15.1 million litres) of water. The water came from Lough Owel in County Westmeath, carried by pipe along the Royal Canal through a 3 km long pipeline into the basin at the western end of the Blessington Street. From its construction, the site was used as a public park.

By 1869, the basin was not large enough for purpose, and water collection moved outside the city. The basin continued to serve the Jameson’s and Powers’ distilleries until the 1970s, and then went out of operation as a reservoir. There were worries about the stagnant water creating a typhoid outbreak in the late 1800s leading to the corporation wanting to fill in the basin and the stretch of water connecting the basin to the canal, this connection was finally filled in 1956.

In 1993 work began on the restoration of the site following a rejected proposal to extensively refurbish it in 1991. The refurbishment was carried out by the Dublin City Council aided by FÁS, and with financial support from the National Heritage Council and A.L.O.N.E..[6] It was reopened as a park on the 4 November 1994. The site also includes a lodge house built in a Tudor style in 1811, and another modern council building.

Since its restoration, the basin now serves as a bird habitat, with an artificial island and a number of fish. Amongst the birds that can be seen there are swans, tufted ducks, chaffinches, mallards and pigeons

%d bloggers like this: