Crosshaven: Cork Harbour’s Hidden Treasure

Where does a Cork-based photographer spend most of their time with their trusty Canon camera? Where provides more artistic beauty per square metre than Le Louvre? Well of course there are many places, but none quite as beautiful as the little-known Crosshaven in Cork’s lower harbour.

Crosshaven, once a tiny fishing village is somewhere that I have regularly visited, stayed and explored since I was a child, a direct consequence of Crosshaven being the hometown of my Mother’s family. The town of Crosshaven has so much beauty and history that is regularly (albeit unintentionally) overlooked and not well known by people from outside the area, often overshadowed by its popular neighbours, Cobh and Kinsale (historically known for Titanic and Lusitania respectively) which are well documented by other Cork-based Photographers and those from further afield.
The idea for the book ’ Crosshaven: Cork Harbour’s Hidden Treasure’ was inspired by a true story that I was told as a child, about the boats that were used to deliver clay to Crosshaven Pier, which would then be transported to the famous Carrigaline Pottery as early as the late 1870s. This story stuck with me, and in later years I found myself asking “what other stories originated here at the Owenabue estuary in Crosshaven?”

There are of course local history books and tourist information leaflets available, but there is nothing else that ties the story of Crosshaven together with the author’s own imagery, providing a personal and a welcoming feel.
‘Crosshaven: Cork Harbour’s Hidden Treasure’ is a graphical collection of photography, typography, illustration and design, created to take the reader on a visual journey of Crosshaven from a bygone era to modern day, all from the comfort of a living-room chair. It is hoped that the book will appeal to both locals and tourists alike, that it will give visitors an insight into Crosshaven and afford natives an opportunity to reminisce about times gone by. Cork Harbour’s Hidden Treasure is a celebration of Crosshaven and aims to highlight its beauty, history, events, festivals, regattas and of course the people of Crosshaven, both past and present.

‘Crosshaven: Cork Harbour’s Hidden Treasure’ is available to purchase directly
from the author for a fee of €20 .
Email: shaunaghoconnell@gmail.com to enquire

As a Cork-based photographer it is hoped that my knowledge of Crosshaven and surrounding areas will be portrayed in all my photography work and of course in my book ‘Crosshaven: Cork Harbour’s Hidden Treasure.’ My photography work includes fine-art prints and canvases displaying images from all around Cork, Ireland and Europe that are also available to purchase here.