“I am Mayo through and through, and that'll never be gone. There's a Mayo flag outside my house,” says Castlebar raised Marc Jennings. However, he has been living in Galway for a while now, but that won't harm his growing fame as a photographer.

His social media accounts 'Up in the Eire' have fantastic shots to offer. A couple picnicing in front of Gaelic football posts in the evening, with the moon between the two uprights. Green grass and hills in the background, this photo depicts a scene of rural Ireland.

Marc Jennings with his camera

“I was always told I had a good eye for photography and that was just like from taking photos on my phone or whatever - and just sharing them online or sharing them with friend,” explains Jennings.

Over seven years ago he got peer pressured into setting up a page to publish his work.

The name 'Up in the Eire' stems from Marc's extensive use of a drone that he bought. Since then, he has incorporated classic camera pictures as well but the name stuck.

Marc mostly travels across Mayo and Galway for a simple reason: they're very accessible to him, because he know the two counties like tha back of his hand.

“They're two of the best counties in Ireland, breathtaking views, scenery. Why wouldn't I give more credit to the west of Ireland and put it on the global stage? When you put bits on social media, that goes global. I took one of my first viral ones of Moore Hall, near Carnacon.”

It was shared all over the world, seen by hundreds of thousands of people. It's actually been re-shared so many times with Marc's watermark being taken off it and he keeps getting tagged to this day, people asking 'is this your photo'?

Marc points out, it's about giving people a view of the beauty of the West of Ireland: 'What a canvas to capture.'

Off the beaten path

In a world with such an abundance of images, social media channels get flooded with a myriad of photos every minute, video platforms and tv channels produce plenty of imagery as well, albeit in 'moving pictures'.

For a photographer, it seems an ever increasing challenge to 'keep an eye out'. Marc Jennings likes to travel off the beaten path. Recently he was driving out to Achill Island, and he was on his way to Mulranny. Just past Nevin's Newfield Inn, he spotted on the left hand side a castle, Rosturk Castle.

“I never heard of it before, and I pulled in, took my long lens out and got a few shots and you can see Clare Island in the background.”

Marc consulted the family group chat to inquire about the castle. And fortunately, his cousin came back and found some some details so Marc was able to do a bit of research into it and find out more about the place.

Long associated with the Stoney family, Rosturk Castle had an eventful history in 20th century, reflecting the broader changes in Anglo-Irish relations. The property was seized in 1921, though the circumstances of this seizure and its duration are not fully documented in available records.

The challenge of AI

Photography is an art form in itself. Recent advances in AI technology promise exciting results, just a click away. A tempting prospect for some, Marc says it makes him a bit apprehensive or uneasy.

“I think 95 percent of people are going to be fooled by an AI shot. Some of them are so realistic, you would actually think it's a photo. Now, I like to think I can spot those like a sore thumb. I'm coming around to the fact that it's something that's here to stay.”

He acknowledges that we will need to live with it. Many will agree, that ethical use of AI technology would be the most important thing. AI created work should be clearly identified as such:

“As long as we call that out and not try to kind of hoodwink people, pretending it's actually a shot that somebody went out and took physically themselves.”

There will be a place for it, as much as there will be aplace for the art of photography by creative minds like Marc Jennings. Asked about his Mayo flag outside his home, he says: “The hope is alive.”

Who knows, maybe an aerial shot of the packed streets in Castlebar will portray the occasion of the team bringing home Sam Maguire.

You can check out Marc Jennings's work on all his social media channels: Up in the Eire. And on his website here.

Rosturk Castle with Clare Island by Marc Jennings