Nigel Borrington

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Sunlight in the Glen , Sunday evening Poem by : Jan Allison And Mel Merrill

Cahirabbey woods, Cahir, County Tipperary
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

This evening I went for a Sunday walk in Cahirabbey woods, county Tipperary, the evening light was shining through the trees in the glen and it reminded me of the below poem that I found recently.

Sunlight in the Glen

Collaboration Poem By Jan Allison And Mel Merrill

Dappled sunlight dancing among the trees in the wooded glen
Lingering amongst the wood where it has ancient been
She dances fast, and sometimes slow, the tempo ever changing.
Gentle breeze she stirs the trees; the mood is scintillating

The crystal clear water sparkles with a silvery light
Like diamonds splayed on velvet, or a starry, starry night
Shafts of sunlight fall on the crumbling old stone wall
Shedding light on these, the wall and trees, near brook and waterfall

Nature’s beauty, boundless, in this timeless timid wood
We walk the paths so often trod where ancient feet have stood
Each scattered ray comes out to play in primordial den
How privileged I, that I could spy, this sunlight in the glen

Posted by nigel borrington | June 22, 2014 | Categories: Gallery, irish woodlands, Landscape, Poetry Gallery | Tags: Cahir, Irish photography, Jan Allison, Landscape Photography, Mel Merrill, Nigel Borrington, poems, poetry, Sunday, Sunlight in the Glen, Tipperary | 1 Comment

Celebrating Mid summers day 2014

Mid summers sunset over Slievenamon, county tipperary,
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

Mid summers day 2014

Happy Mid summers day !!!

This mornings sunrise over slievenamon county Tipperary was at 04:57am and by the time it sets again on the other side to the west the time will be 21:57 , thats seventeen hours of sun light and the most anyone can witness during the suns movement across the sky during any one year.

Today is also called the Summer Solstice

Solstice, or Litha means a stopping or standing still of the sun. It is the longest day of the year and the time when the sun is at its maximum elevation.

Wiccan blessing for Summer

As the sun spirals its longest dance,
Cleanse us
As nature shows bounty and fertility
Bless us
Let all things live with loving intent
And to fulfill their truest destiny

This date has had spiritual significance for thousands of years as humans have been amazed by the great power of the sun. The Celts celebrated with bonfires that would add to the sun’s energy, Christians placed the feast of St John the Baptist towards the end of June and it is also the festival of Li, the Chinese Goddess of light.

Pagans are in awe of the incredible strength of the sun and the divine powers that create life. For Pagans this spoke in the Wheel of the Year is a significant point. The Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. For some Pagans the Summer Solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and see their union as the force that creates the harvest’s fruits.

This is a time to celebrate growth and life but for Pagans, who see balance in the world and are deeply aware of the ongoing shifting of the seasons it is also time to acknowledge that the sun will now begin to decline once more towards winter.

Lugh (Celtic) god of the summer soltice

Similar to the Roman god Mercury, Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. He is associated with midsummer because of his role as a harvest god, and during the summer solstice the crops are flourishing, waiting to be plucked from the ground at Lughnasadh.

Posted by nigel borrington | June 21, 2014 | Categories: Gallery, Landscape, Nigel Borrington, Poetry Gallery, Slievenamon, The Celtic year, The Pagan world | Tags: 21st june, Ireland, irish landscape, Irish photography, Lugh, Mid summers day, Nigel Borrington, Pagan, pagan calendar, Summer Solstice, sun, Tipperary | 14 Comments

The Harbour, Poem By : Winifred Mary Letts

The Harbour, Poem

By : Winifred Mary Letts

I think if I lay dying in some land
Where Ireland is no more than just a name,
My soul would travel back to find that strand
From whence it came.

I’d see the harbour in the evening light,
The old men staring at some distant ship,
The fishing boats they fasten left and right
Beside the slip.

The fishing boat rests along the shore,
The grey thorn bushes growing in the sand,
Our Wexford coast from Arklow to Cahore –
My native land.

The little houses climbing up the hill
Sea daises growing in the sandy grass,
The tethered goats that wait large -eyed and still
To watch you pass.

The women at the well with dripping pails,
Their men colloguing by the harbour wall,
The coils of rope, the nets, the old brown sails,
I’d know them all.

And then the sun- I’d surely see
The disk against a golden sky.
Would let me be at my rest.

Posted by nigel borrington | June 20, 2014 | Categories: Gallery, Landscape, Nigel Borrington, Poetry Gallery, Travel Locations | Tags: fishing boats, Ireland, Irish photography, Irish poetry, Landscape, Nigel Borrington, poems, poetry, The Harbour, Wexford coast, Winifred Mary Letts | 2 Comments

The Foxglove bells, a poem By : Mary Webb

The Foxglove bells

By : Mary Webb

The foxglove bells, with lolling tongue,
Will not reveal what peals were rung
In Faery, in Faery,
A thousand ages gone.
All the golden clappers hang
As if but now the changes rang;
Only from the mottled throat
Never any echoes float.

Quite forgotten, in the wood,
Pale, crowded steeples rise;
All the time that they have stood
None has heard their melodies.
Deep, deep in wizardry
All the foxglove belfries stand.
Should they startle over the land,
None would know what bells they be.
Never any wind can ring them,
Nor the great black bees that swing them–
Every crimson bell, down-slanted,
Is so utterly enchanted.

Posted by nigel borrington | June 19, 2014 | Categories: Gallery, irish woodlands, Landscape, Nature and Wildlife, Nigel Borrington, Plants and herbs, Poetry Gallery | Tags: Foxglove, Ireland, irish nature photography, Mary Webb, Nigel Borrington, poems, poetry, The Foxglove bells | 10 Comments

The Wonderful landscape and cities of Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia Today.

Stikovica village, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington

The Wonderful landscape and cities of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

Yesterday my posts related to some of the war damaged and effected areas within the now independent states of Bosnia and Herzegovina along with Croatia.

In today’s post I just want to share some images that I feel show just how wonderful these nations are today, these include images from the city of Dubrovnik and the landscape of the Dalmatia coast line.

This is a wonderful part of the world with many great places and welcoming people, if you ever get the chance I would highly recommend a holiday here as you will always look back with fond memories.

Gallery

Posted by nigel borrington | June 18, 2014 | Categories: Cityscape, Gallery, Landscape, Nigel Borrington, street photography, Travel Locations | Tags: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Dalmatia coast, Dubrovnik, Nigel Borrington, travel photography | 21 Comments

War Graves at Metkovic, lost lives of 1993

War Graves , Metkovic, Croatia
Photography : Nigel Borrington

On our way to Mostar we stopped off at the town of Metkovi/Metkovic, Croatia. The bus station is next to a cemetery in the centre of the town.

As Cemeteries go it was very open to the street , feeling more like a town park. I walked in and sat for a while to eat some lunch, afterwards I walked around and had a look at all the grave stones.

I often do this in Ireland or the UK as its a great way to learn local names and family history.

The main thing that I noticed in this Metkovi cemetery however was that all of these grave stones have one year of death on them (1993), all of them !!!

It was a while before the bus left to Mostar, so I just sat back on the seat and took sometime to take in what must have happened here in this small town some 21 years ago.

Posted by nigel borrington | June 17, 2014 | Categories: Cityscape, Forgotten places, Nigel Borrington, Travel Locations | Tags: Croatia, Croatian war, Metkovi, Nigel Borrington, travel photography, War | 1 Comment

The Mostar bridge, Recovering from war.

The Old Bridge of Mostar Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

The New and Old Bridge of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

The Mostar bridge, Recovering from war

A little time back on a holiday to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I visited the town of Mostar and took the following images of the Famous Bridge here.

The History of this bridge and its story both during the savage war in Bosnia, then after it is one of the most amazing in the modern history of the country.

The new Bridge of Mostar is located in the centre of Old City of Mostar. It was built in 1566. This arch construction connects the left and the right side of the Neretva River. Arch is 28.7 wide and 21m high compared with summer level of the river. From the highest amplitude in July every year jumps are held.

Mostar was named after the wooden bridge (mostari – bridge keepers) which was on that place before it was rebuilt in 1520 into stone one. Bridge survived Ottoman period, Austro-Hungarian era, World War II, and in the war 1992 – 1995 Mostar was badly damaged and the Old Bridge of Mostar was entirely destroyed.

The Old Bridge was reconstructed and totally renovated in 2004. Materials used for renovation are stones from the original one pulled out from the river.

The Old Bridge of Mostar is inscribed on World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2005. Arrival on the Old Bridge will offer memorable view of river Neretva and surrounding antiquities.

Mostar and its Bridge are marked with a brutality of war and bad history, but it is a true testament to the courage and persistence of inhabitants of this city.According to UNESCO, “The Old Bridge area, with its pre-Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and western European architectural features, is an outstanding example of a multicultural urban settlement. The reconstructed Old Bridge and Old City of Mostar is a symbol of reconciliation, international co-operation and of the coexistence of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities.” (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/946)

Image Gallery

Posted by nigel borrington | June 17, 2014 | Categories: Cityscape, Forgotten places, Gallery, Landscape, Travel Locations | Tags: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian war, fujifilm x100s, Mostar, Mostar bridge, Nigel Borrington, Recovering, travel photography, War | 1 Comment

A walk along the Donegal coast line at Slieveleague

Landscape view of the Coast line , Croaghlin , Slieveleague , County
Irish landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington

We all have our favourite walks , places we come back to in our minds and the walk along the coast line of Croaghlin, Slieveleague, county Donegal, for myself personally is one of the best walks in Ireland.

The views south towards the mountain of Benbulben in North County Sligo are just breath taking here. If you are visiting county Donegal and the weather allows, you simply must visit and walk these coastal paths , a car park is very close to the start of the walk and the path surface is excellent.

Gallery