Mayo photographer wins prestigious award
William Murphy was named ‘Photographer of the Year’ with an array of Mayo photographs receiving recognition at the awards
A Mayo man was named ‘Photographer of the Year’ at the Love Your Coast photography competition.
William Murphy was announced as the winner of the award at an event yesterday evening in Richmond Barracks in Dublin.
As well as taking first place in the ‘People and the Coast’ category, Mr Murphy also came out on top in the Clean Coasts 2024 Love Your Coast photography competition with his photo ‘An Fear Marbh agus an Fear ag eitilt’, taken at Slea Head Drive, Dingle, County Kerry.
The image displays Inis Tuaisceart Island in Co. Kerry, also known as the Dead Man or the Sleeping Giant, the northernmost of the famed Blasket Islands, bathed in evening light with a human focal point soaring high in the sky above.
Mr Murphy explained the photo as an ‘opportunistic shot’.
“The previous evening had little to no visibility due to low cloud and rain, so I headed for the Schoolhouse from Ryan’s Daughter to take in sunset in hope of good light there and over Inistooskert, two shots with the one location.
This wasn’t the only Mayo success in the competition, with James Buckley’s photo, ‘Top of Croagh Patrick’ coming in second place in the Coastal Landscape category.
He commented: “For years, I had envisioned capturing the perfect sunset from the summit of Croagh Patrick, with the breathtaking view of Clew Bay coastline stretching out below. On this day, everything finally aligned—the wind was calm, the skies were clear, and as the sun began to set, I patiently waited for the light to illuminate the church at the summit and cast its golden glow across the top of the mountain.
“The long wait at the top was worth every moment for that magic moment. By the time I began the climb down, darkness had settled in, and I was grateful for the torch and gear I had brought to navigate the descent safely,” Mr Buckley added.
Also making the top ten in the Heritage on the Coast, People and the Coast and Underwater categories were the following:
Helen Black’s ‘Banshees Cottage’ shot at Keem Beach;
Terry Conroy’s ‘Storm Fergus’, shot at Purteen harbour, Achill Island
Terry Conroy’s ‘Drumming in the Rain’ shot at Pullagh on Achill;
Michael Orth’s ‘Cray on Carpet of Jewels’ shot at Blacksod;
Stephen Frawley’s ‘Small But Mighty’ shot at Kilcummin Pier.
With a prize fund of €5000, the competition has attracted hundreds of amateur photographers from all around Ireland this year, each with their own unique way of capturing stunning photographs of Ireland’s beautiful coastline.