PERIODIC PHOTOGRAPH  
I will display different photographs here at fairly regular intervals.

River Slaney

This photo was taken about 3 miles down river from Bunclody. Along here the river flows through some of the most fertile soil in the country. As can be seen in the photo -which was taken in April- about half of the visible land has been put under the plough in preparation for the grain and sugar beet crops that will be harvested later in the year.

Along here also is some of the best salmon fishing on the river. The rights to most of this fishing is owned by fishing clubs.

The land along this stretch of river is part of the flood plains of this river. Thankfully these flood plains have not been interfered with and therefore during heavy rain or snow thaw the swollen river rarely causes any severe damage.

This picture was taken just upriver from the Slaney bridge in Bunclody and just upriver of the left-most arch is a favourite swimming place for local teenagers. It is not now used as much as it used to be, due mostly to the building of a fine heated swimming pool in the town some years back.

This picture was taken about a mile upriver from the one above. It is along this quite part of the river that I have seen otters at play. It is very difficult to spot them as they seem to have a very keen sense of smell. I am assuming that it their sense of smell that warns them of the presence of people, because good hearing would not be of much use in the noisy rippling waters where they like to fish.

This was take from the same spot (at a different angle) as the top picture. I took it because the flood staining in the ploughed field can be seen as a band in the bottom quarter of the field. It was also here that I first came to paddle in the Slaney. Some people who had not yet learned to swim properly used to come here because of the way that the river was shallow at the near bank and gradually got deeper towards the far bank.