Back to the gardens…Illnacullin is an enchanted island that lies in Bantry Bay. Surrounded by spectacular sea and mountain scenery, it was no more than a barren rock covered with gorse and heather when it was purchased by John Annan Bryce, a Belfast businessman and Scottish MP in 1910.
Mr Bryce commissioned the English architect and horticulturist Harold Peto to design the garden. For the following three years, over one hundred men moved soil, blasted rocks and built a walled garden, paths, a clock tower and a Italianate garden complete with casita, pool and pavilion that proved to be brilliantly successful in the thirty-seven-acre island setting. Shelter belts of Scots and Monterey pine were planted by the Scottish gardener Murdo Mackenzie after strong winds damaged much of the early planting. The balmy climate, under the influence of the Gulf Stream, aided establishment of a splendid collection of rare and tender plants for which the island is now famous. Ownership of the island passed from the Bryce family to the Office of Public Works in 1953.
This picture illustrates its maritime position and the buoys and nets used for shellfish-farming.
Excellent background info’ George. Given your explanation that it used to be “no more than a barren rock covered with gorse and heather”, your image illustrates really well the transformation and what a charming place it is now. As usual, your images are informative as well as a pleasure to look at!
17 comments in “Illnacullin #1”
June 21st, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Back to the gardens…Illnacullin is an enchanted island that lies in Bantry Bay. Surrounded by spectacular sea and mountain scenery, it was no more than a barren rock covered with gorse and heather when it was purchased by John Annan Bryce, a Belfast businessman and Scottish MP in 1910.
Mr Bryce commissioned the English architect and horticulturist Harold Peto to design the garden. For the following three years, over one hundred men moved soil, blasted rocks and built a walled garden, paths, a clock tower and a Italianate garden complete with casita, pool and pavilion that proved to be brilliantly successful in the thirty-seven-acre island setting. Shelter belts of Scots and Monterey pine were planted by the Scottish gardener Murdo Mackenzie after strong winds damaged much of the early planting. The balmy climate, under the influence of the Gulf Stream, aided establishment of a splendid collection of rare and tender plants for which the island is now famous. Ownership of the island passed from the Bryce family to the Office of Public Works in 1953.
This picture illustrates its maritime position and the buoys and nets used for shellfish-farming.
June 21st, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Excellent background info’ George. Given your explanation that it used to be “no more than a barren rock covered with gorse and heather”, your image illustrates really well the transformation and what a charming place it is now. As usual, your images are informative as well as a pleasure to look at!
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:35 am
Superbe paysage avec la géométrie décrite par les bouées. Magnifique.
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Huge landscape .. beautiful.
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Fascinating details in your description and the image certainly illustrates the ’spectacular’. Wonderful shot as always.
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Fantastic.
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:31 pm
lovely landscape.
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I love the compression here, the distant land almost plays with your eyes.
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Interesting scenery
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:46 am
I don’t know how you captured all this beauty in one image, but it is just fabulous.
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:56 am
perfect use of space, great panorama
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:16 am
This is a perfect case in point of how we can beautify the world around us, George.
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:52 am
Excellent photograph, good day full sun, George.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Splendid !
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Oh, this shot is rally wonderfull, human factor working perfectly. Your site looks amazing from an iPad
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:07 pm
un paysage grandiose, et une très belle composition.
June 28th, 2010 at 11:45 am
37 acre – huge
Fabulous shot. Good to read so much about various places and their past. The photographs really bring the beauty to life.
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