Talking Pictures

Talking Pictures
The Mischievous Irish

Shutterbug Staff  |  Dec 1, 2003

The Photographer's Travel Guide

© 2003, Fred M. Lowery, All Rights Reserved

I have had the good fortune to travel to Ireland on several occasions. I spied this Volkswagen hiding behind a tombstone almost by accident. It was a chilly (cold, actually) November day and I had spent several pleasant hours at Kilkenny Castle, the Kilkenny Design Center, and the Black Abbey. It was getting late and I began walking toward Tynan's Bridgehouse Bar for a wee bit of Irish whiskey to take the chill away. Kilkenny's main street meanders erratically and has several names, calling itself variously Castle Road, The Parade, High Street, Parliament Street, and Watergate. I got a little turned around and found myself in the back of an old church, possibly St. Mary's (built in the 13th century). I was immediately drawn to the prominent "No Cars" sign and the old VW. The temperature had fallen and there was a fine mist in the air (what the Irish call a "soft" day) so I made a quick exposure and regained my bearings. To me, the picture reflects the humor and mischief of the Irish that has survived a melancholy past.
--Fred M. Lowery Garland, TX

Technical Information:
Leica M6, 50mm Summicron, exposure on Ektachrome 100 not recorded.

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