Blakes Bar and Brasserie

Blakes Bar and  Brasserie on the corner bar and restaurant on the corner of Eglinton and Mary Streets, Galway, Ireland in June 2026 - named after John Blake Fitzilliam, third Mayor of Galway, 1487–1488.

This is one of those buildings that it's hard to get a nice picture of. But the background clouds and sunset, rain to make everything look fresh, and their external lighting came together nicely, and the pic even got a "heart" on Google maps.

The diffused moon

At a bus stop on the Parkmore Road enjoying the striped  autumnal moon over the stone walls and green fields, with no hints of the industrial estate behind.

Galway,  Ireland, September 2026.

Wine and Cheese in the sunshine

On a sunny Saturday in September, this "outdoor dining" table at Trieste in Galway city looked like a lovely place to sup wine and nibble cheese while enjoying the autumn air.

Depth in two floors

 This shop seems to spend more time between-tenants that in use!  It's mostly a fairly sterile-looking and one-dimensional.  But at certain times of the year, at certain points in the afternoon, sunlight gets in and adds depth and makes it look interesting.

(Edward Square, Galway, Ireland in September 2026)

Backyards between the high rises

One block from Galway Docks, a night-time view from one of the lessor-known vantage points.

Someone (probably the cleaners) is diligently working in one floor of the Bonham Quay office-empire.   Others are upstairs in offices on Merchant's Road.   And in between there's a collection of old houses with surprisinggreen back yards.

September 2026, Galway,  Ireland 

Boston's Custom-House Block and compass-rose inlay

The historic Custom House Block located in Long Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts USA.  The plaza features a giant compass rose-inlay on the ground, the historic brick building in the centre and newer-style modern buildings in surroundings sites.   Photographed in June 2007.

Dodgy filament in a hotel "bathroom"

 

Despite the bright glow in the photo, the filament in this light bulb was barely lit:  It will probably fall totally at the next switch off / on.   Regardless it cast some interesting arcs of light around the place itself, and the shadow created by the matching pair mounted on the wall at the other side of the washroom which you can see at the "back" of the photo.

September 2026, at the Western Hotel, Galway, Ireland.

Another place that's not really a factory

A factory that's not a factory at all.

This is another photo which was "loved" on Google Maps.

Despite looking like a warehouse, it's isnt really any kind of factory - and certainly not one tht prints money.   

Instead, it's big-box retail on the Tuam Road in Galway, Ireland in 2026, selling second hand furniture and more.   And rarely seen with no cars outside and the doors open, which is why I snapped a picture on day in August 2026.

Photogenic in Tuam

Patrice's beauty salon in Tuam's main (?) street has made more effort than most with a full two-story-height stylistic image of a face in a mirror with pastel flowers. High art, it is not, but it adds a lovely touch to the street-front.

Bank-branch pretending to be a pub!

For "Culture-Night" 2026, a visual artist projected light onto this historic castle (with a bank-branch inside) to make it look like a historic public house a couple of blocks down the road.   They also had a big speaker placed outside for the night, pumping out music like the pub would usually have.

An interesting definition of culture:  artificial décor, accompanied by artificial music.  

Galway Ireland, September 2025.

Coffee art by night

Someone in the Bakebox bakery in Galway, Ireland had fun creating artistic impressions of menu items, especially coffee varieties, on the front window with a pink and white glass-painting pens.   Easily-missed by day, they look more interesting at night, lit from the front. 

(August/September 2026).

Vivacious petunias re-imaging wrought-iron

 

A trail of vivacious pink petunias, re-imaging the black wrought-iron railing at the front of the Hardiman Hotel in Galway Ireland in September 2026.

An ugly in-your-face power-pole, obscuring the Bierhaus

It's been hard to get a good photo of Galway's Bierhaus for a long time, thanks to the in-your-face power pole splattered right outside.  And then "they" painted it bright pink, just to rub things in.   But today, it looked like a pretty pic with the pole front-and-centre.

The mural on the background is titled Madra Dubh, sponsored by Beamish and inspired by the legend of the Black Dog who would crawl from the Corrib and follow anyone who dared to cross Wolfe Tone Bridge after midnight.  I'm sure that there's no truth in the rumours that it was publicans from "The West" who kept his story alive.  😄

Mustardisation of the The Cellar

A bar and restaurant in the ground floor of the Colonial Buildings in Galway, Ireland gets a new colour scheme in early September 2026.   I guess mustard was a better choice than ketchup - and the sunset was lovely.  But ... mehhh!

Greens looking very pink indeed

When this vegan cafe opened, they had a pleasantly green exterior that fitted well with their location at the end of a suburban street.  But something inspired them to repaint in bright screaming pink, trimmed with panels of artificial moss.

Henry Street, Galway, Ireland in September  2026. 

Freshwater lake on the Aran Islands

Loch Mór (Big Lake) a freshwater lake on the island of Inis Oírr (Inisheer) in Galway, Ireland in early September 2007.   It has no fish, but is home to eels.

Startling aerobatics by local starlings

On select evenings every autumn, local starlings contribute to Galway's cultural scene by staging an  impressive aerial acrobatics display in Eyre Square. 

Diving from the tower sets off a solar flair?

I just happened to be looking at the Salthill Diving Board as the intense golden setting bun flared up, seemingly just above and behind the people swimming thee.   

(Galway, Ireland, Diving Board, Salthill, Galway,  Ireland in November 2016.