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HOLIDAY COMPANY TOPFLIGHT has been searching for Ireland’s top travel photographers.
And they haven’t been disappointed.
There were over 4,000 entries to the company’s Travel Photographer of the Year competition.
24 were picked to be exhibited in the Gallery of Photography in Dublin’s Temple Bar until the end of this month.
This image captures the picturesque village of Doolin, Co Clare in all its glory. Seán Haughton’s photo of his home village scooped joint-second place.
“I had been hoping to get this particular photo for some time,” said Seán. “The window of opportunity is small due to the sun’s location at this time of year. But on St Patrick’s Day 2016 everything came together perfectly.”
Ian Hennessy snapped this puffin in the Saltee Islands, off the coast of Wexford.
He visits the islands every year, he said – but this particular photo was taken in July 2015, when the puffins were flying in with their beaks full of fish to feed their young.
Another shot from the Saltee Islands that caught the judges’ attention was Andy McDonnell’s Gannets Playtime.
Andy took the photo in June 2010 and said that the two birds played with the feather for several minutes, unaware that they were being watched.
Martin Molloy captured this ethereal photo of Ballyalla Lake, just a short drive from Ennis, Co Clare.
The lake is located on the River Fergus and is often used for fishing and water-sports.
Gerry Enright captured this photo of what he describes as “three old pals having a dip on holiday in South Kerry”.
Declan Keane, from Co Louth, was awarded first prize for his photo Stars Over Manarola.
The image captures the small fishing village of Manarola at night.
Shiva Sreenivasan captured this shot while on holidays in Trinidad and Tobago in December 2015.
The subject of the portrait was a vendor known locally as “Horsey” who was selling aloe vera massages.
“This photo depicts a young boy desperately collecting rain water in Stonetown, Zanibar” said photographer Robert O’Neill. The photo was taken at the start of the rainy season, after months with little rain.
“Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice, the reflection of the sunset against the icebergs resembles fire at a first glance” explained photographer Jason Keelan.
He took the photo in Iceland in April 2015.
Ger Power took this photo in August 2014 during a trip to Morocco. He came across a young woman observing a pre-wedding ritual of a bull being slaughtered and a crowd marking themselves with the blood.
This photo captures Brian Barry’s journey through the Sahara Desert on camelback. It was taken during Barry’s trip to Morocco in 2015.
This photograph of a Balinese lady working in a shack was taken in Balangan Beach on the Indonesian island.
“She had the look of someone who has seen a lot over the years” said Davey.
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Can’t be expected to bring yer own cup everywhere with you. On the go and sometimes just want a coffee…..
@declan benson: bought a coĺlapsable cup which is handy but yes its hard to remember it always but could but couple keep in bag and/or car?
@declan benson: So, stop for 10 minutes, take a well earned break, and have a cup of coffee!
@Lydia Mcloughlin: we should be allowed to get a disposable coffee if we like.
@Sean oSuilleabhain: Why?
@Sean oSuilleabhain: disposable coffee, yes. Disposable cups, no.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: I agree but it’s hard to get a normal size cup in most cafes
@Sean oSuilleabhain: Because we want to.
@michael graham: Are you saying the cups are too big or too small? Without mentioning names we all know whete you can get a double handled monstrosity which hilfs half a litre of (vile) coffee!
@Roy Dowling: more of an Ace of base fan myself.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Because for some of us, it’s a spur-of-the moment treat.
A week or so back, I went into town with my mum, and on a whim mentioned I’d buy us a couple of hot chocolates from the place we like best. This is a take-away only place, so disposable cups are necessary.
This was the third, maybe fourth time this year we’ve done this. We aren’t coffee drinkers. We don’t need reusable cups with us, because we use them so infrequently.
@declan benson: It’s a learned habit. Remember the plastic bags in the shops?
@Siona F: Yes you do need reusable cups, to stop using yhe ‘single use’ version! What a waste of resources! If this is the 4th time this year, that will be 8 times in a full year, so 16 cups in total!! By reusable ones!
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: I wouldn’t buy disposable coffee. I would much rather drink it.
@declan benson: “In order to insure no patrons are turned away, customers can purchase a reusable cup for a €2 deposit which is refundable when the cup is returned at any of the participating locations.”
@declan benson: sorry hit return too fast, meant to say if deposit scheme was in place it would solve that issue.
@declan benson: you can !
All they have to provide is a hot rinse and drain bongo clean reusable stainless mug.
Or just ensure they only use the compostable cups. Lots of large companies are already using these for their staff.
@mark daly: compostable cups could be great, but without on street public compostable bin infrastructure they just end up in land fill.
@Stuart Boyle: True, but they would degrade to a better form than plastic. So should still be a better option overall.
@mark daly: biodegradable will degrade eventually in any surroundings whereas compostable requires a specific environment so biodegradable might actually be better in this scenario – though either is preferable to plastic
Someone i usually never want to agree with, as he just says whatever in the most dominating tone is Piers Morgan. Points out the other day CORRECTLY that everything and anything will be monitored in the west in the name of climate change while the Chinese regime continues to be responsible for over 30-33% of emissions. Imagine Just stop oil zealots heading off to China, or Iran to protest> AS IF.
@Sean oSuilleabhain: why would you take Piers Morgan’s word as being sacrosanct? He’s not a scientist or a geographer or a climatologist! Basically, he’s just a loud mouth
@Shelley Keary: because the point above that he just reiterated is scientifically factual
@Sean oSuilleabhain: China? Ok, then start to produce chemical, mineral, domestic products, clothing… in Ireland, see how your carbon emissions is, good luck with that
@Ní neart go cur le chéile.: CHY NA
@Sean oSuilleabhain: Conspiracy theories about climate change by Pier Morgan or any other nutter with a platform is not scientifically factual.
@David Guiney: It is factual and the journal is unwilling to let me post my reply. stop calling people who arent conspiracy theorists that just because you have a limited grasp of vocabulary.
@Sean oSuilleabhain: Why would they go there to protest, they could could be harmed. Everywhere needs to cut down, China and Ireland included, are you arguing that we should somehow force China to cut its emissions more?
Nothing but another money grab under the guise of saving the planet, they know full well people will not be carrying around a cup with them so they’ll squeeze the extra money out of them
@retro sun: If people want their money grabbed, they won’t take a cup with a cup with them. We managed with shopping bags …
No, but people who bring their own cups should get their drinks cheaper.
@Seán Flanagan: they do
@Sean oSuilleabhain: Not everywhere has that policy
@Monika B K: :( if anyone will ditch it I assume Starbucks did?
@Seán Flanagan: A better option would an extra charge (tax) for buying a disposable cup. Like how they did it with the plastic bags back in the day. Getting companies to volunteer to a discount is like p*ss*ng in the wind.
@David Guiney: anyone who REQUESTS further taxation in a country where this money is overwhelmingly squandered by parasites in power, is beyond help
Heres a novel idea… why dont people stop buying takeaway coffee?
You would save money, and help the environment.
Everytime I see somebody with a takeaway coffee I think, theres another victim of consumerism. Thats 3 Euro you are never getting back.
@Pat Mcleran: I don’t buy takeaway coffee.. but I buy the occasional takeaway hot chocolate. So far, I’ve bought 3 or 4 this year. Not very frequent and usually on a total whim. I generally prefer making my own at home, but hey, the odd treat is nice.
The place I go to when I do want one…only does takeaway. No sitdown space.
@Pat Mcleran: I agree with you. If I stop at a coffee shop, I make a point to sit down and enjoy it onsite. It’s not always practical though. Some coffee places operate out of a food truck. I do have a reusable cup. But I mostly use that when I make my own coffee at home and take it in the car or on the train/bus.
3 euro for a cup of coffee is a total rip off with or without your own cup.
You could buy a whole jar of coffee for that price.
It makes no difference one way or another, these are just silly little things of no importance.
Compostible all the way. Just back from France ans they have reusable plastic holders for chips and chicken nuggets..
stayed safe did you? you maybe werent in one of Macrons peaceful major towns and cities
@Sean oSuilleabhain: no need, it’s all quiet at the moment, it’s been too hot. On the subject of reusables and compatibles, France has been doing this for years. For me it’s more a question of respecting the planet than climate change.
@David Stapleton: so true, plus it would be nice to take a walk on Tramore beach and not see disposable coffee cups blowing around, climate change or no climate change.
Absolutely disposable cups should be done away with , complete waste. Not to mention the amount of litter they generate
I was in La Rochelle last uest. No disposable cups used in the city , drink your coffee in the coffee shop or bring your own mug. Did not see any body carrying bottles water either . And as far as I know chewing gum is also banned..
As a member of our local Tidy Towns , I cannot wait for the introduction of the levy on plastic bottles and cans , the ban on the sale of coffee in disposable cups.
Irish people do not see litter and would step over it or around it, rather than do something about it
Introduce a co2 allowance for everybody, when u use it up you pay through the nose for somebody else’s spare co2, if that doesn’t solve the problem then start on the endless list of tiny adjustments. Why stop an ordinary Joe soap enjoying a coffee when someone is driving past them in a Range Rover on the way to the airport for their umpteeth flight this year to another holiday or shopping trip in New York. Saving the planet shouldn’t be based on wealth in terms of who does it
@Eddie Garvey: You’d fit in well in China with that attitude.
These single-use wooden stirrers bug me. It seems such a stupid waste. I ask for a metal spoon.
What’s next from the new religion? the new “Climate Cult”
It shouldn’t ban it or stop using it. Nothing wrong with it. It’s the people! People should have the awareness, do not dump it anywhere as continuance for them.
Educating people is what we should be doing as a society so they can make the right decisions. Not banning things for the sake of it. Also on the topic of looking after the environment, is there not some tasks that could be given to local teenagers during the summer holidays to improve the environment and the appearance of many estates? A day or two a week litter picking or painting walls or cutting grass wouldn’t be much to ask.
@DublinDan: So pay the people who want to do a summer job. Why decide that teenagers should be the ones to clear up without payment? Do they have fewer rights than other people?
Anything that reduces waste is good as far as iam concerned
I want to combat climate change but I want others to take action, I want others to pay, I want others to take responsibility, I want others to suffer the current an future effects …
I think it should be mandatory to carry a reuse cup.
Just like a Driving License
In fact, one can put a PSC Chip on the side of it, and make it mandatory you have it everywhere you go (including to the bathroom)
Regina Doherty can be drafted in to implement it.
She can come up with one of her witty quips like “its compulsory but not mandatory”.
Yes bring own cup and charge at least a euro less for a cupa coffee or tea
Is there an option for “I really don’t give a f”
@Anna Carr (Morrigan_Dubh): We’ll pass that idea on to our investors. And your children.
No. This will cause a collapse in coffee buying. Instead, I would suggest a levy of say 1 Euro on single use cups.
They could start by using smaller cardboard cups for take aways
Coffee tastes terrible out of plastic cups.
@Kevin Dillon: I use a ceramic cup, but obviously it’s bulky to carry around.
We are pleased to note the lack of initiative of the individual. You would rather we produce endless throwaway products to generate profits for our industry and so that they either end up in landfill, the side of the road or better still, in your lungs once incinerated. We are are delighted that rather than take said personal initiative to just bring your own cup, instead of being lazy and ignorant, you would rather bicker like a bunch of rats about your right to produce needless waste or be legislated to do what simply requires your own initiative (to bring your own reusable cup or bottle). We are further delighted to note that while you think a cup may be “disposable”, they still require plastic coatings adding to the already asinine levels of plastics (and micro-plastics) in the environment that end up in your food and finally, being found in the human placenta. These weak synthetic estrogens which you so wilfully bathe in are for your greater good.
have your say