Dr. Mary Hearn Memorial Park [Cork City]

Every time I visit this place I have problems. The first time I could not gain access. The second year it was full of drunks. This year it was full of over-friendly dogs [big dogs that kept getting in the way and one kept dropping a tennis ball at my feet and failing to engage was not an option]. To be honest, I enjoyed playing with the dogs. The owners were all East European and according to one of them this was a regular meeting place for them and their dogs.

Dr. Hearn was the wife of Robert T. Hearn a rector of St. Anne’s from 1905 to 1939. She was known in the area for her generosity to the poor by way of offering her services for free to those whom she knew could not afford it, and regardless of denomination.

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QUICK VISIT TO GLASNEVIN CEMETERY[SONY F2.8 70-200 GM LENS]

My favourite lens is a 70-200mm because it allows me to stand well back and take photographs without people being aware of what I am photographing. I had a Canon 70-200 lens and I really liked it when used with a Canon 5D. In theory the Canon lens could be used with a Sony A7RM2 [via a Metabones adaptor] but in practice I found the combination to be unusable. When Sony introduced the F4 70-200 I was considering getting it but by the time I had raised the cash  Sony announced an F2.8 70-200 so I decided to go with that instead.

There are a few downsides - such lenses are inclined to be very heavy and they do attract a lot of attention [especially if they are white or cream rather than black]. Today five people asked me about the lens and much to my surprise two of the people had Canon 70-200 F2.8 lenses. Also one can end up with photographs containing unexpected detail. For example while photographing in Glasnevin Cemetery today I managed to photograph in great detail the interior of an open family vault. I have never seen an open vault before and I was a bit surprised as it looked like a lockup containing a large number of coffins all of which were in very good condition [they looked new but they varied very much in size and style]. The vault was also packed with statues, wreaths, pictures and dried flowers.

I deleted the photographs as they were an intrusion into someone’s private life.

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