Three Weddings

Here's a quick one from each of the last IWP weddings I've completed. They were in Kilronan Castle (pictured), The Bush Hotel in Carrick and the Slieve Russell . We're in the eye of the busy season now, and since these three I've had weddings in the Diamond Coast in Enniscrone, the Lough Erne Golf & Spa Resort and have been to the Clarion in Sligo twice. Tomorrow it's the Piker's Lodge in Cavan.

All Grown Up.

This is my gorgeous goddaughter Lucy, who was 18 last week, on her birthday. We all went out to dinner to celebrate and the very next morning she jetted off to Guadalajara for eight weeks. And I remember her in nappies as if it was only yesterday.....

Jimmy's Garden Party

After Fionnuala & Donncha's wedding in Marlfield House, we popped down the road to Ferrycarrig where it was my Uncle Jimmy's 60th birthday. My last visit was in 1976so things had changed quite a bit since then. Jimmy is a fine horticulturalist, so between the showers on Saturday evening I had a little stroll around his beautiful garden, before quietly celebrating the big birthday.

In gardens, I like to handhold the camera, get in close, and focus on details with a shallow depth of field - all things the textbooks on plant/macro photography tell you not to do.

Fionnuala & Donncha

With communions,confirmations and the start of wedding season, it's been a busy few weeks. After two IWP weddings in the Slieve Russell and the Bush Hotel, I headed to Wexford and the beautiful Marlfield House for Fionnuala & Donncha's wedding. I hadn't met them since ringing in the New Year 2008 in Abbeyglen Castle, so had been looking forward to this one. The rain almost held off, and though we didn't make the beach, it was a great day.

For anyone wondering about the hurlers, Donncha won a senior All-Ireland medal with Tipperary in 2001. He had another big win last Friday.