Foreword by Neil Jordan

The tourist buses tend to turn right at Glengarriff and head on towards Kenmare. So the Beara Peninsula is often left unvisited, except by cyclists, hikers, druids, painters, poets, Dutch and German sean-nos singers, Tibetan Buddhists, reiki healers, shamans and the locals themselves.

There are none of these evident in Norman McCloskey’s photographs. No people at all, in fact. There is one single sheep. Maybe the odd wandering farmer, shaman or reiki healer would have spoiled the breath-taking compositions and the stark natural beauty he finds there. Or maybe it’s better to allow the landscape speak for itself. It tends to grow wilder the further south one travels, and I do notice the arrangement of his photographs seems to do the reverse. It begins in the Atlantic soaked Allihies, and moves backwards, towards the quiet forests around Poleen Wood.

It is a very particular, almost Nordic landscape. Stark black fissures of rock erupt out of fields of brown and maroon heather. Small outcrops of an island and ageing hulls of boats emerge out of the mists. Waterfalls trickle or cascade from the mountainous cliffs, depending on the rains. And there are a lot of them.

Rain, of course, rarely makes for a good picture. It, as well as the landscape, is an enduring feature of the Beara Peninsula. But what Norman McCloskey captures forever is that moment when the rain has stopped, and the familiar beauty emerges from the cloud. You had almost forgotten it was there.

Dursey IslandCahermore

Allihies

Reentrusk

Caherkeen

Eyeries

Ardgroom

Bere Island

Glenbeg Lake

Glanmore Lake

Kilmackillogue

Drombohily

Garanes

Inchiquin

KenmareIveragh Peninsula

Beara Peninsula

Atlantic Ocean

Sheeps Head Peninsula

Derryclancy

Adrigole

Poleen WoodGlengarriff

Rabhach’s Glen

N

S

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Introduction by Norman McCloskey

This is the place where it all began for me. A place that captivated me from my very first visit, and one which kept me coming back again and again until it was so ingrained in me that I found it hard not to end up here. The landscape of the Beara Peninsula has been a source of endless inspiration from the very first time I put film into a camera and headed out into the landscape. A rugged and wild finger of south-west Ireland jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, its spine of majestic and beguiling mountains have provided me with a never-ending list of beautiful locations to work in, which seem to change every time I visit.

It is truly a special place and somewhere that I have had a real deep-rooted connection to for over half my life, and so deciding to make this book was both an exciting and daunting task. I have set out to photograph both new and familiar locations, exploring the peninsula in greater detail while also exploring my own relationship with landscape photography.

I discovered a place that I feel instantly at home in, no matter where I am or what the conditions. I have many years worth of memories of both working here and enjoying incredible days and nights out, all enhanced by stories about people, places and history. I know this place, and I know how much it means to me.

I live on the peninsula opposite, and from my home, we look across at the mountains and light, and clouds passing over it. My first sight in the morning and last at night is towards the distinct outline of Knockatee and the Caha Mountains. As a landscape photographer, these mountains act as a constant lure, and it doesn’t take much to have me packing gear and heading across to them. A tantalising clear sky at night, a forecast for a still or misty morning,

or even just a fine dry day. You don’t rush, and never have to look too hard. It’s an instant hit as soon as you turn on to the winding R571 that forms a ring road around the entire peninsula. Rugged mountains, with their distinct folds and jagged lines, greet you instantly. The initial tree-lined roads through a thin strip of farmland give way to open expanses of bog and rock that stretch out to the sea. I have the same sense of anticipation and excitement every time I drive out on this road, while at the same time letting a familiar feeling of contentment, peace, and connection wash over me.

For over two years I made the short journey from my home to create images for this book. Mostly early in the morning, setting off in the dark to be there and present for that magical early morning light high up in the mountains or to witness the beginning of a new day reflected on lakeshores or over the sea. Always working on my own, I have spent countless hours in this incredible place, fully immersing myself in its beauty and in the time and space, it gifts to me.

I have not set out to make a definitive collection of images that represent every aspect of the Beara. Instead, this is my own personal take on a landscape that has inspired me and has, in fact, changed my life in more ways than I had ever realised.

1

A call to quiet

Twenty-six years ago I took my first landscape photographs on the Beara. I didn’t fully appreciate it then, but the place I had made my home was providing me with the antidote to an upbringing that was full of drama, chaos, hurt and noise. Nothing has been so effective in tuning out that racket, than immersing myself in a landscape that I find so captivating.

These images represent my deep connection with Beara that has given me real contentment, purpose, healing, and peace.

Norman McCloskey

Reentrisk

2 3

Lackabane Ardgroom

4 5

Allihies Wave

6 7

Uragh Stone Circle Baurearagh Mountain light

8 9

Derryclancy Bere Island

10 11

Allihies Walls

12 13

Bere Island / Hungry Hill Bere Island West

14 15

Crostera

16 17

Caherkeen Wall Rabhach’s Glen

18 19

Ballydonegan Beach Caherkeen

20 21

Knockatee Lough Fada

22 23

Beara Mountains

24 25

Bere Island Rock 1 Bere Island Rock 2

26 27

Shore Rock Allihies Wall II

28 29

Garranes, Lauragh Derryconnery

30 31

Coulagh, Eyeries Glenmore

32 33

Kilmackillogue Garranes

34 35

Lough Inchiquin Poleen Wood

37

38 39

Cloonee Lake (Previous) Baurearagh Eyeries (Above)

40 41

Glenbeg Lake

42 43

Baurearagh Sheep Dursey Island

44 45

Urhan Copper Mine

46 47

Kilcatherine Eyeries Coastguard Station

48 49

The Bull & The Cow Eyeries Village

50 51

Allihies Eyeries Storm

52 53

Healy Pass

54 55

Priest’s Leap Ardgroom Inward

56 57

Tooth Mountain

58 59

60 61

Coulagh Bay Winter (Above) Allihies Pier Light Poleen Wood Autumn (Previous)

62 63

Ballydonegan Beach Pulleen Harbour

64 65

Dinish Island Beara Blue, Kilcatherine

66 67

Glenarough, Garnish Allihies

68 69

Ballydonegan Beach Dinish Island

70 71

Keecragh Mountain Keecragh Mountain

74 75

Inchiquin (Previous) Adrigole Eyeries (Above)

76 77

Glengarriff Allihies

78 79

Lauragh Ardgroom

80 81

Allihies Bog Cotton, Ardgroom

82 83

Uragh

84 85

Glenbeg Lake Bunskellig

86 87

Crossterry

88 89

Cahermore Cahermore

Reentrusk Dursey Island

90 91

92 93

Glanmore Lake

94 95

Ardgroom Ardrigole

96 97

Drombohily Zetland

98 99

100 101

Derryclancy (Previous) Ardgroom (Above) Tuosist

102 103

Cleanderry Harbour Allihies Half Moon

104 105

I am the mountain. I am the sea. You can’t take that away from me.

Biffy Clyro

Trawler & Moon

106 107

P1. Reentrisk 50mm TSE 1/50 sec f/10 ISO 200

P2. Lackabane24mm TSE 1/320 sec f/3.5 ISO 125

P3. Ardgroom EF 16-35, 27mm 1/500 sec f/2.8 ISO 100

P5. Allihies Wave TSE 24mm 1.0 sec f/16 ISO 50

P6. Uragh Stone Circle TSE 24mm 1/100 sec f/10 ISO 125sec f/10 ISO 200

P7. Baurearagh Mountain light TSE 24mm 1/25 sec f/11 ISO 100

P8. Derryclancy 24mm TSE 1/10 sec f/16 ISO 125

P9. Bere Island 24mm TSE 1/800 sec f/3.5 ISO 125

P10 / P11. Allihies Walls 24mm TSE 1/30 sec f/11 ISO 100

P12. Bere Island West 24mm TSE 1/15 sec f/16 ISO 100

P13. Bere Island North / Hungry Hill 24mm TSE 1/5 sec f/16 ISO 100

P15. Crostera 135 mm TSE 1/90 sec f/5.6 ISO 200

P16. Caherkeen Wall 24mm TSE 1/25 sec f/5.6 ISO 100

P17. Rabhach’s Glen 50mm TSE 0.5 sec f/16 ISO 100

P18. Ballydonegan BeachEF 24-70mm 24mm 1.6 sec f/9 ISO 160

P19. Caherkeen 24mm TSE 1/15 sec f/16 ISO 100

P20. Knockatee 24mm TSE 1/20 sec f/11 ISO 100

P21. Lough Fada 24mm TSE 1/8 sec f/11 ISO 50

P22 / P23. Beara Mountains 24mm TSE 1/40 sec f/14 ISO 100

P24. Bere Island Rock 1 24mm TSE 1/80 sec f/11 ISO 125

P25. Bere Island Rock 2 24mm TSE 1/80 sec f/11 ISO 125

P26. Shore Rock 24mm TSE 1/6 sec f/13 ISO 50

P27. Allihies Wall 24mm TSE 1/30 sec f/11 ISO 100

P28. Garranes, Lauragh 24mm TSE 1/30 sec f/11 ISO 100

P29. Derryconnery 24mm TSE 1/200 sec f/3.5 ISO 100

P30. Coulagh, Eyeries 24mm TSE 1/15 sec f/10 ISO 100

P31. Glenmore24mm TSE 1/10 sec f/16 ISO 100

P32. Kilmackillogue 24mm TSE 1/20 sec f/14 ISO 100

P33. Garranes EF 24-70mm, 38 mm 1/320 sec f/2.8 ISO 100

P34. Lough Inchiquin 24mm TSE 1/6 sec f/16 ISO 100

P35. Poleen Wood 24mm TSE 1/6 sec f/16 ISO 50

P36 / P37. Cloonee Lake EF 85mm 1.2 USM 1.0 sec f/16 ISO 50

P38. Eyeries 24mm TSE 0.6 sec f/4 ISO 50

P39. Baurearagh24mm TSE 0.6 sec f/16 ISO 100

P41. Glenbeg Lake50mm TSE 30 sec f/16 ISO 100

P42. Baurearagh Sheep 24mm TSE 1/4 sec f/13 ISO 100

P43. Dursey Island 24mm TSE 1/1250 sec f/8 ISO 100

P44. Urhan 50mm TSE 1/125 sec f/8 ISO 100

P45. Copper Mine 50mm TSE 1/800 sec f/2.8 ISO 50

P46. Kilcatherine 24mm TSE 2.0 sec f/14 ISO 50

P47. Eyeries Coasguard Station 24mm TSE 0.3 sec f/14 ISO 100

P48. The Bull & The Cow50mm TSE 77 sec f/8 ISO 100

P49. Eyeries Village 24mm TSE 0.4 sec f/3.5 ISO 125

P50. Allihies 24mm TSE 6.0 sec f/3.5 ISO 160

P51. Eyeries Storm 24mm TSE 1/4 sec f/11 ISO 160

108 109

P77. Allihies 24mm TSE 1/5 sec f/13 ISO 100

P78. Lauragh 135mm TSE 1/11 sec f/11 ISO 100

P79. Ardgroom 50mm TSE 1/20 sec f/16 ISO 100

P80. Allihies EF 70-200mm 100 mm 1/250 sec f/3.5 ISO 100

P81. Bog Cotton, Ardgroom EF 50mm 1/640 sec f/1.2 ISO 100

P82 / P83. Uragh 24mm TSE 1/15 sec f/11 ISO 100

P84. Glenbeg Lake 17mm TSE 1/8 sec f/16 ISO 50

P85. Bunskellig 24mm TSE 1/30 sec f/11 ISO 100

P86 / P87. Crossterry 24mm TSE 1/15 sec f/13 ISO 100

P88. Cahermore 24mm TSE 85 sec f/16 ISO 50

P89. Cahermore 24mm TSE 71 sec f/15 ISO 50

P90. Reentrusk 24mm TSE 1/10 sec f/11 ISO 100

P91. Dursey Island 50mm TSE 1/40 sec f/16 ISO 100

P92 / P93. Glanmore Lake 24mm TSE 0.3 sec f/16 ISO 100

P94. Ardgroom 24mm TSE 1/40 sec f/16 ISO 100

P95. Ardrigole 24mm TSE 2.0 sec f/8 ISO 100

P96. Drombohily EF 16-35mm 1/30 sec f/11 ISO

P97. Zetland 24mm TSE 15.0 sec f/16 ISO 100

P98 / P99. Derryclancy 24mm TSE 1/13 sec f/11 ISO 100

P100 24mm TSE 8.0 sec f/16 ISO 50

P101. Tuosist 24mm TSE 1/13 sec f/3.5 ISO 100

P102. Cleanderry Harbour 50mm TSE 30.0 sec f/14 ISO 50

P103. Allihies Half Moon EF 16-35mm 20mm 10.0 sec f/6.3 ISO 100

P105. Trawler & Moon 50mm TSE 1/20 sec f/16 ISO 100

P65. Beara Blue, Kilcatherine 24mm TSE 126 sec f/16 ISO 50

P66. Glenarough, Garnish 24mm TSE 90 sec f/16 ISO 50

P67. Allihies50mm TSE 1/13 sec f/16 ISO 100

P68. Ballydonegan Beach 24mm TSE 15 sec f/16 ISO 50

P69. Dinish Island50mm TSE 4.0 sec f/16 ISO 50

P70. Keecragh Mountain24mm TSE 1/15 sec f/13 ISO 100

P71. Keecragh Mountain 24mm TSE 1/20 sec f/16 ISO 100

P72 / P73. Inchiquin EF 16-35mm 16mm 1/15 sec f/11 ISO 100

P74. Eyeries 24mm TSE 1/200 (ICM) sec f/3.5 ISO 100

P75. Adrigole 24mm TSE 2.0 sec f/8 ISO 100

P76. Glengarriff 24mm TSE 0.3 sec f/16 ISO 100

P59. Poleen Wood Autumn 24mm TSE 1.0 sec f/116 ISO 200

P60. Coulagh Bay Winter EF 16-35mm 30 sec f/11 ISO 100

P61. Allihies Pier Light EF 24-70 mm 24mm 6.0 sec f/6.3 ISO 400

P62. Ballydonegan Beach 24mm TSE 1.3 sec f/10 ISO 100

P63. Pulleen Harbour EF 16-35mm 1/160 sec f/2.8 ISO 50

P64. Dinish Island 24mm TSE 1/13 sec f/16 ISO 100

P52 / P53. Healy Pass 24mm TSE 1/10 sec f/11 ISO 100

P54. Priest’s Leap 24mm TSE 1/25 sec f/11 ISO 100

P55. Ardgroom Inward 50mm TSE 1/25 sec f/16 ISO 100

P56 / P57. Tooth Mountain 24mm TSE 1/10 sec f/16 ISO 100

110 111

Sincere thanks to the following for their help in making this book:

Lorraine, for all your love and support in keeping everything running smoothly when I’m off roaming the hills, for keeping my head up when times get tough, and for always encouraging and supporting me. I couldn’t do any of this without you. Not forgetting Finn & Emily for always making coming back home all the more enjoyable.

Neil Jordan for the lovely words in the foreword, Sarah Jordan, Conor Noone and Tracy Wade for getting it there. Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro for the kind permission to reproduce the lyric from Mountains, and Stacey Tang from Columbia Records and Paul Craig, Nostro Management for your help with that.

To all the wonderful people of the Beara Peninsula whom I met over the years and a special mention to the landowners who have facilitated the magnificent Beara Way walking route across their lands.

To all of you who have visited the gallery, bought a book, bought a print or just offered some kind words both in person or online. It is hugely appreciated and means so much to have your support over the years.

Thank You Norman McCloskey

Norman McCloskey has been photographing the landscape of Ireland, in particular, the south-west since 1992. Although he has travelled all over the world, it is the Irish landscape that he has a deep-rooted connection to and a passion for working in.

Having studied photography and worked in the editorial side of the industry for 18 years, he opened his gallery in Kenmare in 2015 which has been a great success. His work now forms part of private collections all over the world and has a growing list of commercial and private commissioning clients.

In 2013 he published his first book of photography, PARKLIGHT Images of Killarney National Park, the first book of its kind featuring Ireland’s premier national park.

“Working in the landscape is such a privilege, and I count myself very fortunate to do so on such a regular basis. The images I create are all centred around the beautiful array of light and weather we experience in this part of the world. I prefer to wait until the conditions are just right, rather than overcook images in post-processing. I strive to portray true reflections of the moments I experience in the landscape and a successful image for me is one that the viewer connects with more than just visual senses.” Norman Mccloskey

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Norman McCloskey Photography4 Main Street, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Ireland+353 (0)64 6648754

112

First published in 2018 by

Norman McCloskey Photography4 Main Street Kenmare Co. Kerry

www.normanmccloskey.com

© Norman McCloskey 20182nd edition printed 2019

Printed by Printer Trento, Italy

Norman McCloskey has asserted his moral right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000.

All rights reserved. The material in this publication is protected by copyright law. Excerpts as may be permitted by law, no part of the material may be reproduced ( including by storage retrieval system) or transmitted in any form or by any means, adapted, rented, or lent without the written permission of the copyright owners. Applications for permission should be made to the publisher.

ISBN No. 978-0-9926953-1-6

Design and layout by Anchor Studio (www.anchorstudio.ie)

Foreword by Neil Jordan

Introduction and text by Norman McCloskey

‘Mountains’ lyric reproduced with kind permission from Simon Neil, Biffy Clyro