Dublin used to be one of my favourite cities when I worked there around the Millennium. The new century has seen it turn into a parody of itself. Then what else could have happened? We can never really preserve the past . Travelling on a preserved railway can never give you the same experience as travelling in the 1930's or even the 1970's for that matter.
Every time I go back to Ireland the things I used to love seem to be harder to find: the music, the bars, the rural villages and even the people
So whenever I travel there I try and photograph houses that will soon be renovated or replaced
Here is a selection of this year's photos.
Despite travelling by rail down to Kilkenny I didn't take many railway related shots, but here are a few, beginning with a couple of waggons from the old copper mines.
Really fascinating photos! Dublin has changed so much over the last few years and I agree generally about Southern Ireland. I find that the people are still for the most part really lovely, but visiting Kerry recently I was disappointed to see yet more redevelopment and commercialisation. I am keenly interested in the copper mines...you have sent me scurrying for my reference books :-) The deserted station photos are also rather intriguing. I was just looking at one of the old Guinness locos in Tywyn museum on Friday!
ReplyDeleteIain, I guess we should just enjoy what is left of old Ireland whilst we can. I just wish the standard of food would increase in proportion to the prices they charge. The copper mine was at Tankardstown and was once a massive site, If a rainstorm hadn't been heading my way I would have explored a lot more. The deserted station is Kilkenny, still partially in use but the section under the covered roof is fenced off.
ReplyDeleteThank you, James. I shall have a good look at Tankardstown on my next trip. Yes, the food is a bit of a lottery, isn't it! I suppose I should be grateful the appalling roads around Kerry have improved, but that in itself is an agent of change I guess.
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