Olivier's Blog

Sometimes a  location can strike by its unique beauty and atmosphere. A place that keeps on bringing us back and again over the years. A place we consider a bit of our own because we see it as a reflection of ourself or what we aspire to be.

I remember the few months following the purchase of my first SLR. This was back in 2001 and at the time I was discovering the beautiful places surrounding Dublin, driving around with a brand new camera and a scratch free tripod on the passenger seat.

Lying on the Eastern coast of the Island, the Irish capital city is bordered on the South side by the rugged terrain of the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. Such a location offers many possibilities for outdoor lovers, a rare opportunity for people living in large urban areas.

At the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, on the road connecting Sally Gap to Blessington, I discovered a unique location that was to become one of my favourite spots to visit and photograph.

This place is the Coronation Plantation.

A location few people know about, spared from most human presence and easily missed by tourists and Dubliners alike. Lying in the heart of the Liffey Valley, the plantation is also the place that gives birth to the river bearing the same name. The same river that flows through the Irish capital before releasing itself into the Irish Sea.

Started in 1831 by the Marquis of Downshire, the plantation project aim was to grow a forest consisting mostly of Scots pines and larches destined to produce timber for the benefits of the British empire. Its name was chosen at the time to honour the recent crowning of William IV as monarch of the United Kingdom and its colonies. A monument erected on the plantation grounds commemorate the project with the following inscription:

LORDSHIP OF BLESSINGTON. County of Wicklow. This Plantation in the Brocky Mountain of 500 Irish [acres] Laid out by the Most Honourable the Marquis of Downshire. The fencing commenced in August, 1831. It was called the Coronation Planting, in honor of his Most Gracious Majesty King William IV. The Most Noble the Marquis of Anglesey being Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. And for a future supply of useful timber for the Estate And improvement of the County and the Benefit of the Labouring Classes This planting finished on the --day of --- 18--s

The missing date at the end seems to indicate that the project was never brought to completion.

Some of the trees have survived all these years and the plantation is now part of the Wicklow National Park and listed as a national heritage.

Remote, unknown from most people and subject to the harshness of acidic soil and strong winds, the old trees continue their long life as they have for the last two hundred years. Walking around the plantation, it is easy to imagine that this place probably hasn't changed much since conception. This is one of the main reasons why this place brings me back each time.

It feels timeless.

Not too distant from the hectic lifestyle of the capital city, the plantation offers a shelter of isolation, peace and tranquility that is hard to find anywhere else in Wicklow. For the only signs of activity surrounding you while walking among the trees are the motion of high weeds in the wind, the never ending bird singing, the occasional hopping of wild deer and the gentle sound of the river flowing on its way to Dublin.

And the views... Immense plains stretching as far as the eye can see towards gentle hills unspoiled from human activity. The combination of vast meadows, gentle curves and patches of pine trees  is not without reminding the distant Serengeti National Park.

This is however where the comparison ends. Unlike its remote African cousin, the plantation doesn't host any mortal predator neither does it suffocate with deadly heat the occasional wanderer. Oh no, the Irish climate is always there to remind you that you are in a country flirting with the mild and wet moods of the Gulf Stream!

It would be unwise however to underestimate the harshness of the plantation. Lost in the middle of nowhere, well outside any mobile coverage, the tall weeds hide an extremely uneven terrain, ideal for ankle twisting or worse. A pair of sturdy hiking boots is a must for anybody wandering off the path. I would also recommend not going alone (although I admit having done so myself on many occasions) or if you must, let someone know beforehand where you are going and when you intend to be back. 

For the enthusiastic photographer, possibilities are endless. From sweeping views to the beautiful details of the Scots pine bark the area offers enough photographic subjects to keep you inspired for a lifetime. The vast expanses of negative space are ideal to emphasize the beauty of the trees and the sense of isolation conveyed by this location. Like a plateau high above sea level and exposed in all directions, the plantation is quite unique for landscape photographers because it offers good light at sunrise as well as during sunset virtually all year round.

The area is also rich with wildlife and it is not unusual to spot wild deer hopping effortlessly across the treacherous terrain. 

Despite all this, all is not rosy in the land of the Coronation Plantation.

A major inconvenience seriously to consider during the warm and windless days of the summer season is the fact that the Liffey Valley is also ideal grounds for the only feared creature of the country, namely the midge. For those of you who never heard about this charming inhabitant of Northern European countries, midges are tiny flies populating humid habitats during the warmer season. Much smaller than mosquitoes but equally blood thirsty, midges wouldn't be so inconvenient if they weren't living in such gigantic numbers when their ideal weather conditions are met. Swarms of millions are enough to drive the bravest adventurer crazy.

On my last photographic trip to the plantation I was greeted by clouds of hungry flying insects and despite my best efforts couldn't stay for more than a few minutes. By the time I had setup my tripod, camera and taken four pictures I had ingested enough live proteins and developped a nice facial rash to decide that enough was enough and wished my legs could carry me back to the car faster than the deer I had previously spotted. The little devils are really *that* bad! Fortunately midges are so small that they don't show up on photographs and the only decent picture I manage to take, shown below, doesn't betray the hellish environment the vampirish flying insects had prepared for me.

This misadventure has done nothing however to tamper my enthusiasm for this incredible place. On my way to the car I looked one last time behind me towards the plantation preparing itself for another night while the red disc of a dying sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, bathing the hills, the meadows and the trees with the warmest of lights. As if trapped in a time loop, this place forgotten by most would once again resurrect the next day, unchanged, resuming its endless cycle.

I will be back.
For sure.