On my recent trip to Sligo I hoped to take some nice photos of Ben Bulben, the county's spectacular tabletop mountain.
William Butler Yeats is buried at its foot in the graveyard at Drumcliffe.
Table of Contents
Ben Bulben - Sligo's Spectacular Mountain
This lovely photo above is a sample of what I dreamed of shooting.
This is my best effort.
Alack and alas the weather did not cooperate.
Perhaps I shouldn't blame the weather, only my own misguided optimism after a glorious sunny few hours on the first day of my trip.
On the Banks of Lough Gill
I spent my first afternoon on the banks of Lough Gill taking sunny lake photos. On the way back to Sligo I drove around a bend to behold a magnificent view of a sunlit Ben Bulben.
The sharp bend of the road made me think twice about stopping, so I drove on a little until I found a spot to park my car. Out I popped and snapped a few shots of Sligo town with the mountain of Knocknarea in the distance.
Delighted with my photos, I considered driving towards Ben Bulben to find a spot to go snap happy.
Looking at the beautiful blue skies I grew optimistic about the infamous Irish weather. Instead of pressing on with my photo shoot plans, I made the decision to explore further the next day.
Wrong choice!!
Bad decision!!
The next day dawned gray and cloudy. The wind didn't "bundle up the clouds, high over Knocknarea".
Instead Atlantic mists blanketed the bay, the mountains and the town.
Fat rolls of fog furled and curled and rolled down the steep slopes of Sligo's lovely mountains.
And the moral of my story is ....
.... never bank on two sunny days in a row in Ireland. If the sun is shining then keep taking photos, until the sun sets and says goodnight. The sun calls it quits, not you.
In Ireland, you can never be assured of mother nature's cooperation. It could take her days or even weeks before letting the sun peep out, to once again illuminate Ireland's spectacular scenery.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
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Pat F.
Glorious pictures as usual ! Thanks!
Irish American Mom
Thanks Pat. Sligo is a gorgeous county even in the fog, but when the sun shines it is one of the most beautiful spots on all the earth.
Best wishes and have a lovely weekend.
Mairéad
Jenn Ross
I think your pictures are lovely! Ben Bulben was my grandfather's favorite mountain. When I see your pictures, they remind me of him. Here is a picture from my mom took; we were lucky to catch it on a good day! http://www.jamesonstories.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-st-paddys.html
Irish American Mom
Jenn - Your mom's photo is spectacular. She really got a good angle to capture a long portion of the mountain. What a gorgeous clear day to picture your grandfather's favorite Irish mountain.
All the best,
Mairéad
Aimee
The sunny pictures are beautiful, but I think it's nice to see things how they usually are as well. Thanks for sharing!
Mariana
I agree.
Irish American Mom
Thanks, Mariana.
Irish American Mom
Aimee - I'm afraid foggy and rainy days outnumber sunny ones on the Emerald Isle. But that's Ireland's weather! Tourists should be prepared for some rainy days for taking photos.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Aimee
I love rainy days! The more the merrier. 🙂 Other peoples sunny days, that make them feel happy and energetic are my cloudy/overcast/rainy days. We get more of those here in KY than we ever did in CA and it's lovely.
Irish American Mom
Aimee - I confess I miss rain when we get long dry spells. Luckily Kentucky gets a good rainfall amount each year. There are plenty of happy, soft days in Ireland.
Mairéad
brian@irelandfavorites
Hi Mairead, something magical about a fog covered mountaintop even more so when that mountaintop is flat, beautiful images as always thanks,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Brian - I took some rain drenched photos of Glencar Waterfall too, which I'll have to share next week. My poor camera needed its own umbrella.
Take care,
Mairéad
Peggy Hopes
The pictures are awesome; sunny or misty and cloudy, you're showing Ireland's beauty. We tend to see more cloudy days than sunny ones in Ohio also.
Peggy
Irish American Mom
Peggy - Cloudy and foggy is just the way Ireland is, and I agree with you, Ireland looks beautiful even when shrouded in mist. Just like Ohio, we get quite a bit of fog here in Kentucky too. On our way to school one day, the trees were covered in fog. My little boy shouted out "Look Mom, it's the Smokey Mountains." I think Ireland has plenty of "Smokey Mountains" too.
All the best,
Mairéad
Peggy Hopes
The things kids come up with; mine were/are always keeping me on my toes.
Peggy