David Puttnam launches book of aerial photos of Cork

What do David Puttnam, Jeremy Irons and Dennis Horgan have in common? The answer: they’ll all be at the launch of Horgan’s new book of aerial photos of Cork in Cork Airport on Monday, November 24th, at 6pm. Dennis will also give an illustrated talk in Waterstones, Patrick Street, Cork, on Thursday, November 27th.

When Dennis Horgan got his first camera at 18, he was immediately hooked. When Cork Airport opened in 1962 he discovered another love, aviation, and now combines the two to bring a different view of Cork.

A former auctioneer who specialises in aerial photography, Horgan said, “I feel privileged to see views of Cork that most people only catch a fleeting glimpse of when flying on commercial aircraft. Above the land, the variety of the scenery is stunning. From sandy beaches to mountains, lakes, historic sites, parkland, rivers, harbours and imposing architecture, Cork has all of these and more.

“I fell into aerial photography quite by chance some years ago when a friend asked me to take a photo of his farm during a helicopter flight over west Cork. Things progressed from there and now I spend my time taking photos from both helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft and I’m often at the mercy of the weather.”

His spectacular aerial photographs show Cork in all its glory with the unusual angle giving a new perspective to familiar sights. In his foreword, Irons says this book will be a clarion call to the spirit of adventure within us but secretly hopes that the places he loves to visit will remain his only.

Some of the photos in the book were planned, others were happy surprises. There are photos of castles and cathedrals, bridges and bays, lighthouses, greenhouses and stone circles. See the islands of Cork, the fields of flowers, the villages and towns, the mountains and forts. View the parks, the docks and so much more. Take a tour of Cork’s varied landscape of coastline and mountain, rivers and lakes, ancient monastic sites and its colourful, vibrant city and towns.

Cork – The View From Above by Dennis Horgan is published by The Collins Press, at €24.99. Several large prints from the book will be on display in the arrivals hall in Cork Airport until Christmas.