The chimney stacks of Poolbeg power station which have been a feature of the city skyline for over 30 years. The top of each chimney is painted red and white while the rest is a rusty color. The stacks have a strange beauty to them both from a distance and up close. I was lucky enough to take part in a photo tour of the station some years ago where we had plenty of time to learn about the station and take as many photographs as we could fit on our memory cards. Even back then the station was almost abandoned. Most of the generation is now automated leaving the large rooms and industrial areas strangely abandoned. While no official decision has been made about the future of the chimneys the station will be decommissioned next year and Dublin City planners have already rejected a proposal to put a preservation order on the chimneys.

The Customs House on the quays in Dublin. One of our more picturesque buildings. Perfectly located and well preserved despite it’s history when it was burned down during the War of Independence. Perhaps the only thing I would change about the Customs House location is to remove the train bridge that runs just to the left of the photograph and blocks the view of the building from the O’Connell street side of town. I like this photograph because I was lucky to catch it on a day when the sky was clear of clouds and the river was calm giving a lovely reflection.

Kilmainham Gaol is a historic jail that features prominently in Irish history. Opened in 1796 just in time for the 1798 Rebellion it closed in 1924 just after the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. Afterwards it was abandoned but former inmates later came together to renovate and restore the prison. In the 1980’s it was handed over to the OPW who now manage it on behalf of the State. Often full of tourists Kilmainham can provide lots of great photos but lots of frustration and ruined shots if you are ever taking photos there it helps to get ahead of the group or hang back behind but try not to get lost.

The Dublin Spire is the worlds tallest sculpture. It towers above the rest of the city including the 16 story Liberty Hall from which I took this photo. Some love the Spire, some hate it. I fall into the former camp. The Spire narrow and insignificant as it is on the Dublin skyline does finally give that skyline an icon that can be recognized as uniquely Dublin. I was lucky to get this shot, once a year Liberty Hall opens it’s roof top to the public and each group only gets a couple of minutes on the top to admire the view and take photos. I had to go to the back of the queue a few times to get some good shots but it was worth it in the end.

I saw a HDR photograph of one of the Guinness gates some years ago in a photo magazine and thought it looked spectacular. Now this isnt that gate, I’ve never found that gate but I’ve never really looked too hard. This is one of the other gates close to the visitor center. I love the brick work and cobble stones in the area around the Guinness Storehouse. Its probably the best managed tourist attraction in Ireland and since Guinness own the land around the storehouse they maintain a certain old style that would have been replaced with soulless apartments and glass fronted shops years ago. Thankfully the property crash came just as Guinness were thinking of moving away from the city center. Hopefully they will keep the old fashioned character of the area for another 250 years.