County Carlow Snowdrop Festival is back this February. Celebrate the start of spring by exploring these beautiful and nationally important snowdrop gardens like Altamont Gardens, Huntington Castle, Burtown House, Ballykealy Manor and Shankill Castle. There will be a great selection of snowdrops and specialist speakers.

Snowdrop Gala & Other Spring Treasures at Ballykealey Manor Hotel
Saturday 3rd February 2018
An enjoyable day exploring the first flower of spring with speakers Graham Gough ‘Spring Bedfellows’ and Jim Almond ‘Snowdrops in the Green’. Programme includes full guided tour of Altamont Gardens with Paul Cutler, Head Gardener and Specialist Plant Sale with snowdrops and other spring plants.
Location: Ballykealey Manor Hotel, Ballon, Co. Carlow and Altamont Plant Sales, Altamont Gardens, Tullow, Co. Carlow
t: 087-9822135
e: sales@altamontplants.com
w: www.carlowgardentrail.com
GPS: 52.735129, -6.720966

Snowdrop Month at Burtown House
From Saturday 3rd February – Wednesday 28th February 2018 (Wednesday – Sunday weekly)
Snowdrops, aconites, hellebores and early bulbs signal the first signs of spring. The Gallery exhibition hosts “February Flowers” – an exhibition of mainly snowdrop paintings by different botanical artists. The Green Barn Restaurant, serves hearty brunches and lunches using produce from their organic kitchen garden. Booking for lunch and dinner (Friday and Saturday) recommended.
Location: Burtown House, Ballytore, Athy, Co. Kildare
t: 059-8623865
e: james@burtownhouse.ie
w: www.burtownhouse.ie
GPS: 52.996672, -6.870744

Snowdrop Weekend at Shankill Castle
Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th February 2018
Enjoy the spectacular early spring bulbs and carpet of snowdrops on February 10th & 11th at Shankill Castle. Castle tours are available by appointment.
Location: Shankill Castle, Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny
t: 059-9726145
e: info@shankillcastle.com
w: www.shankillcastle.com
GPS: 52.686529, -7.021772

Snowdrop Week at Altamont Gardens
Monday 12th – Sunday 18th February 2018
A great opportunity to view this unique collection, first started by Corona North, former owner of the gardens, and now amongst the largest in Ireland, with over 100 named varieties. Daily guided tours at 2 p.m. (admission €3) with Head Gardener, Paul Cutler. Gardens are open, free admission 9 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. for general viewing. Advance booking of group tours requested.
Location: Altamont Gardens, Tullow, Co. Carlow
t: 059- 915 9444
e: altamontgardens@opw.ie
w: www.heritageireland.ie or www.carlowgardentrail.com
GPS: 52.735129, -6.720966

Snowdrop Weekend at Huntington Castle
Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th February 2018
An original 17th century garden, the wilderness and parterre areas have undergone extensive restoration in recent years. Highlights include the 500 year old yew walk and a number of champion trees. Within this setting are some charming woodland walks with snowdrop and spring bulb plantings. Open 11 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Location: Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Co. Carlow
t: 053-937 7160 e: info@huntingtoncastle.com
w: www.huntingtoncastle.com
GPS: 52.690404, -6.649131

Check out www.carlowgardentrail.com for further details if required

Source

https://www.facebook.com/events/211853239360725/

We were hugely honoured and privileged to have welcomed Iñaki Hernández-Lasa to our club last night. We were shown an amazing display of his beautiful abstract architectural photography, complete works of art, a true master 🌟

Iñaki talked passionately about his photographic journey so far while being so generous in describing how he goes about capturing his creative photography, the ‘genius loci’ of the buildings he visits.

Inspiring with a capital ‘I’ …..he had us all itching to dust off our cameras and get out shooting 📸

Thank you very much for a wonderful night Iñaki. We look forward to seeing what is next for you in your amazing journey 📸🌟

Another great day for Carlow 🌟

We are delighted and very proud to see another CPS member come home with a medal today.

Huge Congratulations to Michael Blade who won a Bronze Medal at the Southern Association of Camera Clubs Regional Finals in Thurles.

Michael won his Bronze Medal in the Nature non advanced Projected Open Section.

He is also through to the IPF Nature Photographer of The Year 2019 Finals which are being hosted in Carlow in February and will be joined by fellow CPS members who also got through today to the finals.

Congratulations to all who took part, some stunning images viewed today 📸🌟

Carlow Photographic Society look forward to welcoming the very talented Iñaki Hernández-Lasa to our club next Wednesday night January 16th.

Iñaki is an amazing photographer who specialises in architectural photography and shares with many photographers his absolute passion for the Guggenheim Museum in his native city, Bilbao. Living in Ireland since 1990, Iñaki received a Fellowship of the Irish Photographic Federation (FIPF) with a very creative panel of work in architectural photography in 2013.

Iñaki recently received a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS) in 2018 with a new body of work that displayed an innovative approach into the study of minimalism, shape and form in architectural photography.

This is a night not to be missed and one we’re very much looking forward to 📸🌟

Huge Congratulations to both David Lawlor and Sabrina Dunny who came away with medals today at the Southern Association of Camera Clubs Regional Finals in Thurles.

David won Bronze Medal in the non advanced Projected Open Section with his image ‘Lost’.

Sabrina won Silver Medal in the non advanced Projected Themed Section with her image ‘Vogue’.

They are both through to the IPF Photographer of The Year 2019 Finals which are being hosted in Carlow in February and will be joined by fellow CPS members who also got through to the finals.

Congratulations to all who took part today, fantastic photography to view 🌟

Last night we finished up for 2018 😮 and what a year! We ended on a Christmas Quiz Night Celebration which was great fun with one laugh too many 😄

We would like to thank all the members, committee members, guest speakers, judges and those who held workshops for our club this year, it’s been fantastic. We look forward to what 2019 brings 📸🌟

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all in the CPS 🎄

We would like to extend a Huge Thank You to all who made The Ross McKelvey Fundraising Workshop for Suzanne Behan’s Sarcoma Treatment Fund such an amazing success today.

A special Thank You goes to The Seven Oaks Hotel who very generously provided us with a fantastic room for the event and gave excellent service throughout the day.

A very big Thank You to all who gave such generous prizes which helped raise even further funds for Suzanne. Thanks to John Hooton, Sam McCauleys, Fine Framers, Whites Camera Centre Kilkenny, Talbot Hotel and to those who provided other lovely prizes, a Coffee Machine, a Hamper, bottles of Whiskey and Wine given out.

Lastly but by no means least, a Huge, Huge Thank You has to go to the Amazing Ross McKelvey, who without his generous offer, today never would have happened. On such short notice, he very kindly gave up his day, travelling from Belfast to Carlow, to then giving us a wonderful Photoshop Editing Workshop. Skills he’s taken years to learn, shared out to all of us within hours. He completely surprised us with all the added gifts he gave today. A priceless once in a lifetime framed image went to one lucky person and Ross also provided so many mounted images and books as prizes, a lot of very happy attendees leaving. Thanks to you Ross, and to all who attended and supported, we have managed to raise an amazing €2,153.79 for Suzanne 🌟

Suzanne was unable to attend today as she was last minute brought in for an operation yesterday and we would all like to wish her a speedy recovery. Todays fundraiser will go along way to helping her get over to Boston as soon as possible for the specialist care she urgently needs.

To anyone who would like to donate to Suzanne, please see link below.

gf.me/u/n2sjp4

(Sorry for the essay….a lot of thank you’s!)

Members of the Carlow Photographic Society would like to extend a huge thank you to John Hooton and his wonderful wife Noreen for such a fantastic presentation given last night. It was wonderful to see such stunning images printed on such beautiful paper and view them in reality, described with such passion and humour.
They have very generously given a signed copy of his latest book ‘Ireland The Way We Were’ towards Ross McKelvey’s Fundraiser Day this Saturday for Suzanne Behan’s Sarcoma Treatment Fund.
A beautiful gift to give out on the day, thank you John and Noreen 💫

Carlow Photographic Society would like to extend Huge Congratulations to our members who received Acceptances in the Cork International Salon 2018.
Well done to Gilbert Smyth, Liam Beattie, Joe Rattigan, Jenny McCullough and Sabrina Dunny 🌟

Members of Carlow Photographic Society are very excited to be welcoming John Hooton, FIPF, FRPS, MFIAP to our club for a presentation this Wednesday night.
We are in for a treat with his beautiful photography and he recently launched his latest book ‘Ireland The Way We Were’ to which he’ll be bringing copies to our club.

A night not to be missed 💫