Think of the labor
Stone walls, Inis Meain, Ireland
Upturned boats
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Shed
Inis Meain, Ireland
Graveyard
In the late spring of 2025, I visited Ireland for the first time. I went to Dublin first, and then took a train to Galway. The weather in Dublin had been good, but it poured for the first couple of days that I was in Galway. That shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, and though I had the right gear to stay dry, I hadn’t really planned for rain.
Truth be told, I wasn’t really all that prepared for the trip at all. The idea to go to Ireland was a whim. I was in France to help my daughter move out back to the U.S. I had considered going to Morocco, where I’ve never been, either, but was dissuaded. (I’m stubborn as a mule about many things, but I’m easily talked out of things that I want to do.)
Anyhow. I was in Galway. In the rain. No car. Public transport is pooor. I was staying in university housing pretty far from the center of town. It looked like it might be a grim few days. The rain was one thing; the howling wind made it all the more dautning.
The town of Galway is lovely, but I’m not good at standing in pubs by myself. And though I love the idea of listening to Irish music, again, doing it by myself wasn’t all that enticing.
I did a tour of the Galway museum, which was fascinating, but my patience was worn out by loads of Spanish adolescents on a school trips. Many of them were plainly bored, and their teenage energy spilled over into rambunctious games that amused them, but made it tough for other museum goers to appreciate the displays.
I made my way to the exit, and found the tourist office right next door.
This cemetery is on the island of Inis Meáin, off the western coast of Ireland. The island is the second-largest (or second-smallest) of the three Aran Islands.
This cemetery is on the island of Inis Meáin, off the western coast of Ireland. The island is the second-largest (or second-smallest) of the three Aran Islands.
Celtic cross
Inis Meain, Ireland
The Atlantic
Inis Meain, Ireland
Tombstones
Inis Meain, Ireland
Ruined church and tombstones
Inis Meain, Ireland
Horse
Inis Meain, Ireland
Walls and ruin
Inis Meain, Ireland
Sheep
Inis Meain, Ireland
Church
Inis Meain, Ireland
Six candles and not a soul to be found
Inis Meain, Ireland
Churchbell
Inis Meain, Ireland
Church
Inis Meain, Ireland
Flowers, walls, and ruins
Inis Meain, Ireland
Not sure
Inis Meain, Ireland
Rocky road
Inis Meain, Ireland
Stony vista
Inis Meain, Ireland
Thatched-roof cottage
Inis Meain, Ireland
Thatched-roof cottage
Inis Meain, Ireland
Shed
Inis Meain, Ireland
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Dancin’ in the Street
O’Connell Street, Dublin
Dancin’ in the Street
O’Connell Street, Dublin
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Millenium Spire with gull
O’Connell Street, Dublin
Inexorable tree
Dublin
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Spheres
Dublin
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Garden of Remembrance
Dublin
The Children of Lir
Garden of Remembrance, Dublin
Exit
Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin
The price of insurrection: Stonebreaker’s Yard, Kilmainham Gaol
The cross marks the place where James Connolly, one of the leaders of the Easter Monday, was shot by a British firing squad
Kilmainham Gaol
Dublin
Spiral staircase, Kilmainham Gaol
Dublin
Kilmainham Gaol
Dublin
Spiked fence
In front of the Kilmainham Courthouse, Dublin
Cottage
Dublin
Heron
Dublin
Horse and carriage
Dublin
Waiting for the tourists
Dublin
Blue door
Dublin
Gates of perdition, for some
Dublin
Alley
St. Catherine’s Lane, Dublin
A moment of solitude
Peace Park, Dublin
How I feel about the world these days
Statue of Jim Larkin, one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party, in O’Connell Street, Dublin
Dusk
Liffie, Dublin
Pass Freely
A mural by street artist “Asbestos.” The lines are matches; each represents a Covid death.
The continual indignities of fame
Daniel O’Connell statue, O’Connell Street, Dublin
A fleeting moment of conscience
Dublin
Clouds on the Liffie
Dublin
Formal trading, on the other hand…
Dublin
Break time
In front of the National Gallery, Dublin
One way
Street sign in front of street art, Dublin
Ironman
Post with (apparently lost) jacket, south bank of the Liffie, Dublin.
