1. 28 December; taking the train from Cork to Dublin Hueston to meet my brothers and have a short holiday with them.
2. Snow on the Gaity Mountains seen from the train at Limerick Junction.
3. My reserved place with even my name above the seat. It was pretty luxurious which was pleasant for a journey of 2.45hrs.
4. Dublin Hueston. Now it is just waiting for my brothers to pick me up with the car which they rented at Dublin airport.
5. Bridge over River Liffey near Hueston Station.
6. View in direction of Dublin city center from Hueston Station.
7. Dublin - Christmas tree at O'Connell Street just next to The Spire (a very high column at the crossing of O'Connell Street and Henry Street).
8. Dublin - Christmas tree at O'Connell Street, coloring white, blue and red.
9. Dublin - Christmas decorations at Henry Street.
10. Dublin - O'Connell Street.
11. Dublin - Ha'Penny Bridge crossing River Liffey.
12. Dublin - The Bank of Ireland.
13. Dublin - Trinity College.
14. Dublin - Trinity College.
15. Dublin - Christchurch Cathedral.
16. Dublin - Christchurch Cathedral.
17. Dublin - Crossing of St Patrick street and High Street next to the cathedral.
18. Dublin - Crossing of St Patrick street and High Street next to the cathedral.
19. Dublin - The Temple Bar in Temple Bar district.
20. Dublin - The Oliver St. John Gogarty Bar in Temple Bar district.
21. Dublin - Custom House.
22. Dublin - My brother Ruud making a picture of the Custum House across the river.
23. Dublin - living room in Charleville Lodge where we stayed for the night.
24. 29 December; Dublin-Waterford - in the bogs just south of Dublin on the R115 we came across the first snow on the Wicklow Mountains.
25. Some snow in the bogs at the R115.
picture by Ruud
26. A few kilometers before Sally Gap we suddenly drove on black ice, we were forced to go back after the car stopped on the hill. My brother Ruud and I went outside the car and were not able to cross the road without falling, so on my bottom or on all fours we helped my other brother Martin to turn the car.
27. After the difficult turn, some cars also tried to head to Sally Gap. These Frenchmen were able to turn fairly easily.
picture by Martin
28. We are waiting for the three cars to turn and head to safer roads, thereby skipping Sally Gap, Laragh and Glendalough.
29. The Irish Sea near Mizen Head with an icy wind.
30. The Irish Sea near Mizen Head with an icy wind.
31. The Irish Sea near Mizen Head with an icy wind creating nice waves.
32. The Irish Sea near Mizen Head with an icy wind creating nice waves.
33. My brother Ruud in the icy wind on the for the rest deserted beach near Mizen Head.
34. The foam on the beach near Mizen Head is blown away by the strong wind.
35. Dunes near Mizen Head.
36. The River Slaney between Enniscorthy and Wexford - water bursting the banks as I have seen many times before in the preceding months in Ireland due to unusual heavy rainfall.
37. A one-lane bridge crossing the River Slaney to the N11.
38. The River Slaney between Enniscorthy and Wexford.
39. The River Slaney - the water level is almost equal to the road level.
40. 30 December; Waterford - when we arrived last night it was raining too hard to walk around but luckily the weather was good enough to have a look at it in the morning - Clock Tower at Coal Quay.
41. Waterford - a crane at The Quay.
42. Waterford - boats in the harbour at the River Suir.
43. Waterford - The Quay.
44. Waterford - Reginald's Tower; notice the size relative to the car.
45. Waterford - Christchurch Cathedral; with only hours between 3 and 9.
46. Waterford - remainders of the city wall.
47. My brother Ruud driving the car on the N24 near Kilsheelan.
48. A narrow road just south of Clonmel connecting this town with the R678.
49. A one-lane road just south of Clonmel connecting this town with the R678, as this was the fastest route according to our navigation device.
50. Our car.
51. View from R678 on the snow covered Comeragh Mountains.
52. Snow on the mountains and a road covered in the remainders of a layer of snow.
53. Rain and temperatures above freezing make the snow disappear fast - with the solid ice sheet fresh in our minds from yesterday we stopped here to have a look at the road further uphill.
54. We're coming from there.
55. And we decided to continue on here.
56. Nice views from our stop on the Comeragh Mountains.
57. Nice views from our stop on the Comeragh Mountains.
58. Huge amounts of water drop down from the mountains.
59. The road is getting worse just before the crossing of the R678 with the R671.
60. At this point we decided to go back as it wasn't safe anymore to continue the R671 via Glendalough and Ballymacarbry back to Clonmel.
61. The Comeragh Mountains at the point of turning around the car.
62. The road about 100m further uphill - a wise decision to go back as it is almost impossible to drive here.
63. My legs in the snow at the end of the footsteps in the previous photo.
64. My footprints deep in the snow.
65. Cahir - Cahir Castle in the rain which pored down almost continuously this day.
66. Cahir - the River Suir carrying huge amounts of water.
67. Cahir - the River Suir carrying huge amounts of water.
68. River Aherlow in the Glen of Aherlow outside the village Lisvarrinane south of the R683.
69. River Aherlow in the Glen of Aherlow outside the village Lisvarrinane north of the R683.
70. Gaity Mountains from the R662.
71. Gaity Mountains from the R662.
72. Gaity Mountains from the R662.
73. Gaity Mountains from the R662.
74. Gaity Mountains from the R662.
75. The River Blackwater near Ballyduff.
76. The River Blackwater near Ballyduff - again swollen outside its banks.
77. The River Blackwater near Ballyduff - again swollen outside its banks.
78. 31 December, after two days of almost non-stop rain finally a dry day - birds at Cork Lough.
79. Sea-gulls at Cork Lough.
80. Two pigeons at Cork Lough.
81. A crib at Cork Lough.
82. A goose at Cork Lough.
83. Two gooses at Cork Lough.
84. Birds at Cork Lough.
85. Birds foraging at Cork Lough.
86. Birds at Cork Lough.
87. Cork - River Lee South Channel near Grand Parade.
88. Cork - Grand Parade.
89. Cork - River Lee North Channel from St Patrick's Bridge towards the east.
90. Cork - St Patrick's Street.
91. Cork - a sign of Glendalough after we had missed the towns twice in two days due to the ice and snow on the roads.
92. Cork - part of the quay at Grenville Place was destroyed during the flood.
93. Cork - part of the quay at Grenville Place was destroyed during the flood.
94. Cork - sandbags at Grenville Place in front of the Mercy Hospital UCC to prevent further damage to the quay.
95. Cork - University College Cork, Main Quadrangle with a full moon just peeping above the building.
96. Cork - University College Cork, Main Quadrangle.
97. Cork - University College Cork, North Wing of Main Quadrangle.
98. Cork - University College Cork, Crawford Observatory.
99. Cork - University College Cork, Crawford Observatory.
100. Cork - University College Cork, East Wing of Main Quadrangle.
101. Cork - University College Cork, West Wing of Main Quadrangle.
102. Cork - University College Cork, Main Quadrangle.
103. Cork - University College Cork and Honan Chapel.
104. 2010! After a dry New Year's Day 2010 started beautifully sunny - in the afternoon we visited the coastal and picturesque town of Cobh.
105. Cobh - the harbour.
106. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral above the town against a perfectly blue sky.
107. Cobh - harbour and islands.
108. Cobh - harbour and islands, the big cruise ships in summer rise to the top of these houses.
109. Cobh - in the distance Roche's Point near Crosshaven.
110. Cobh - harbour and islands.
111. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral.
112. Cobh - a very steep street towards the harbour.
113. Cobh - a very steep street towards the harbour.
114. Cobh - view over the very steep streets towards the harbour.
115. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral.
116. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, a wedding ceremony has just finished.
117. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral.
118. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral.
119. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, the nave.
120. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, stained glass windows.
121. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, the Pulprit made from Austrian Oak.
122. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, High Altar.
123. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, crib.
124. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral.
125. Cobh - St. Colman’s Cathedral, The Lady Chapel.
126. Cork - St Patrick's Street in the fog on the first of January.
127. Cork - City Hall.
128. Cork - Holy Trinity Church.
129 Cork - view over River Lee South Channel from Holy Trinity Church.
130. Cork - St Finbarr's Cathedral in the fog.
131. Cork - St Finbarr's Cathedral with the almost full moon.
132. Cork - St Finbarr's Cathedral.
133. Cork - St Finbarr's Cathedral.
