Golf and all...
The end at the beginning. Here we are again. I've been taking these shots now since i've been 18. At an airport with those that i love saying goodbye for a ridiculous amount of time. No doubt i'll be taking more and more of these for the rest of my life. In my 38th year, it is almost exactly 20 years to the day when i took pictures of myself going off to England for the first time. And now i have two beautiful sons - a part of that journey which began so long ago.
Ma and Pa, we smile bravely for the camera.
Lough Keys is an adventure park in Co Cavan - i think it's Cavan anyway. The castle far away is a folly that was built 200 years ago. The island known as the Rock or Castle Island, was the entertainment centre of the clan which lived in the area. The McDermotts or something like them. I love this photo cos it shows Pa, Oisin and Ghin in thier three sizes.
And here's Pa at his merry best...
Isn't that just typical of him?
Ghin sits in his buggy and eats cold chips from The Yellow Door in Portadown...
This is one of my all time favourite photos cos it captures perfectly the essence of Ma - with the choo choo, outside a charity shop, smiling - slightly sheepishly as if she's been caught at her favorite guilty pastime....
At this point the more Northern Irish amongst you will wonder, why are they in Portadown, not Armagh? I must let you know, to exonerate myself that i tried to get them to Armagh, but they were not having any of it. Portadown looks like a really nice place, they told me, we want to stop here. And so, i gave in. OK, let's go to Portadown. I've never walked around the place, i told them, so don't blame me if you think its naff. And they didn't. They LOVED Portadown. Clearly the past 30 years meant nothing to them and Portadown was the place to be. The shops, the cleanliness, the friendliness of the people...they absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED it.
It was a lesson in not having preconceived notions about anything. My parents live in the moment, that's why they're so cool.
Ghin and his Thomas bag which we got in Ards Shopping Centre. That was my last week in Northern Ireland. A grand tour of all the shopping centres within a thirty mile radius of where i stayed.
Ah Portadown...what a great time we had.
Nature boy...bathing in the stream in the Mournes.
On top of Slieve Donnard.
Where we found a ladybird!
It's looks pretty high up huh?
On top of Sileve Donnard. Oisin climbs the highest mountain in Norn Iron at the age of 8!
At the carpark in New castle. Co Down. Just before we set off.
At the Nick Faldo designed golf course at Lough Erne. What did i think of it? Hmmm...it was pretty awful. See, unless people are going to do an eco build, its much better that they don't do anything in a place that is really, really beautiful. The vandalism that's taken place in Ireland is exemplified by this place. Huge holiday homes on badly landscaped ground on freezing cold lakes which i know will be gone in ten years time.
When will we ever learn? In the meantime, i just switched off and enjoyed the family. And there was so much to enjoy...
Here's Pa at hole 18...
This was taken in the three minutes of sunshine which blessed us on the day.
Ma checks that Ghin's head was put on correctly this morning.
See that expression on her face...it says it all.
Here's Nick Faldo. How does he live with himself eh? I am the man who spoiled some of the most incredible landscape and wildlife sites in the world. Look at this naff statue. It just about sums up the whole place.
Scenic vistas...honestly, this view isn't great because it's a flat landscape. What made it beautiful was the peace, the silence, the sacredness of the place - which was of course ruined when they made this golf resort. Why can't golfers go to really horrible places and do them over. Like Lake Victoria which has been polluted by all kinds of industry. At least they would be making an improvement to the place.
Comments