Walking the snow covered Comeraghs

I went for a sketch walk with fellow sketchers yesterday, what a great day for a hike!

Visiting to UCD Centre of Experimental Archaeology

Guided tour of the centre by Prof Aidan O'Sullivan

The early medieval beehive hut

sketching the Mesolithic hut 

They lit a fire inside the beehive hut so we could chill out and soak up the vibe 

I spent the day yesterday sketching in the UCD Experimental Archaeology Centre, sketching there with Sceitse, was one of the coolest places I have sketched in. More about the UCD Experimental Archaeology Centre here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/286322324795899/

More about Sceitse here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sceitse/

From Laois to Caher Castle

Early medieval Aghaboe Abbey, with later additions

St. Ruadáns church, Lorrha, from early medieval to modern

Lorrha Priory, late medieval

17th Century Portumna castle

Caher castle: My Abode for the night! Had the top two floors to ourselves! 

Inside Caher castle

Inside Caher castle

Athenry castle

Much of Athenrys Medieval wall is still there

The mindblowing Clonfert Cathedral

On Saturday last, I took the long route and stopped in a few places between where I live in Waterford to Caher castle in Galway. Stopping in Aghaboe in Laois, then Lorrha, North Tipperary, Portumna, Galway before staying the night in Caher castle for my birthday.  The next day we went to see the amazing Clonfert cathedral arch and see Athenry

Exploring Southern Kilkenny

St. Mullins early medieval monastic site 

Graiguenamagh with the famous Duiske abbey beyond

Kilfane church

Cantwell fada

Gowran Collegiate Church

Tullaherin early medieval ecclesiastical site

Spent a full day exploring southern Kilkenny and a bit of Carlow for a day last week, looking for reference for future illustrations. Doing this sort of thing, is one of the nice parts of the job, especially on a nice day!

Sunrises and Sunsets

Just because this time of year is the best for sunrises and sunsets, here are some I have had the pleasure of witnessing over the last few months

Slievenamon Sceitse

The Cairn ontop of Slievenamon

What is probably a fake standing stone

Myself and other intrepid sketchers who walked Slievenamon in the snow

The sun occasionally popped out to say hey

Kilcash castle

Kilcash church romanesque early medieval door

High medieval door at Kilsheelan 

Myself and a few other intrepid sketchers climbed Slievenamon last Sunday. It was snowing ontop, talk about an amazing experience, I love walking on snowy mountains, its like being in another world!

After the mountain, we visited the nearby Kilcash castle and church and finished up in Kilsheelan

Limerick Sceitse

Photos from outside and inside King Johns Castle

St Marys Cathedral, a Medieval cathedral near the castle, with a lovely original ornate door!

Some of the many cool ancient things within the Hunt Museum

With some of my fellow sketchers from sketch adventure group a few weeks ago we spent the day around Limerick city sketching at King Johns castle, St Marys Cathedral and Hunt Museum, a nice day out, Limerick has much to offer, more than we could sketch in a day

Sketching on the river Lee with Sceitse

The impressive Kilcrea Abbey

Kilcrea tower house- I used this site as my exemplar when doing the tower house illustration

A post medieval manor house ruin nearby

The Scenically placed Carrigadrohid castle- sitting on a natural island between 2 bridges

Mullinhassig Woods

Mullinhassig waterfall- heavy rain makes for impressive waterfalls

On Sunday I went for a sketch wander around the river Lee near Cork city, we started the day at Kilcrea Abbey & Castle, popped over to Carrigadrohid castle perched on an island between 2 bridges and finished up with leisurely sketch stroll in Mullinhassig woods, a next relaxed day of chilling out, sketching and having a laugh