Cormac MacFhionnlaoich
@cormacscoast.bsky.social
Hiking guide providing walking tours along Ireland's Atlantic coast
Cliffs of Moher, Burren,Slieve League
Zoology
Marine Biology
Geology
Botany
Local history
Cliffs of Moher, Burren,Slieve League
Zoology
Marine Biology
Geology
Botany
Local history
What looks like a Ogham stone (rune-stone) is actually a fossilized mud bubble/Septarian nodule.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 10, 2025 at 10:23 AM
What looks like a Ogham stone (rune-stone) is actually a fossilized mud bubble/Septarian nodule.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Bonnet mushroom (Mycena sp.) growing on a mossy riverside branch.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 10, 2025 at 10:18 AM
A Bonnet mushroom (Mycena sp.) growing on a mossy riverside branch.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Fiadh, through a hagstone.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 10, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Fiadh, through a hagstone.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A storm beach tumbled, smooth, circular concretion. Hardened nodules of material that erode from the Cliffs nearby and are polished by the actions of sand and Atlantic waves.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 9, 2025 at 1:11 PM
A storm beach tumbled, smooth, circular concretion. Hardened nodules of material that erode from the Cliffs nearby and are polished by the actions of sand and Atlantic waves.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) mushrooms, sprouting from dead logs in a woodland.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 9, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) mushrooms, sprouting from dead logs in a woodland.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Scallop shell encrusted with Keelworm (Spirobranchus triqueter) casings.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 9, 2025 at 12:59 PM
A Scallop shell encrusted with Keelworm (Spirobranchus triqueter) casings.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A fossil filled concretion chunk - eroded out of shale layers. Almost all of the visible fossils are Goniatites - ancient relatives of Squid and Octopus.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 8, 2025 at 2:50 PM
A fossil filled concretion chunk - eroded out of shale layers. Almost all of the visible fossils are Goniatites - ancient relatives of Squid and Octopus.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Bristly Crab (Pilumnus hirtellus). A pretty wee crab species that I don't bump into that often 😍
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 8, 2025 at 2:44 PM
A Bristly Crab (Pilumnus hirtellus). A pretty wee crab species that I don't bump into that often 😍
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Another Mermaids purse!
I think this might be the egg case of a Blonde ray (Raja brachyura) 🤔
County Clare, Ireland.
I think this might be the egg case of a Blonde ray (Raja brachyura) 🤔
County Clare, Ireland.
November 7, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Another Mermaids purse!
I think this might be the egg case of a Blonde ray (Raja brachyura) 🤔
County Clare, Ireland.
I think this might be the egg case of a Blonde ray (Raja brachyura) 🤔
County Clare, Ireland.
These dark patches on the limestone are ancient animal (shrimp-like creatures, we think!) burrows, made when this was a muddy sea floor. It is believed that a storm washed the the animals from these burrows and filled them in with gravel or sand (in this case Crinoid segments).
November 7, 2025 at 10:33 AM
These dark patches on the limestone are ancient animal (shrimp-like creatures, we think!) burrows, made when this was a muddy sea floor. It is believed that a storm washed the the animals from these burrows and filled them in with gravel or sand (in this case Crinoid segments).
A paired blowhole clearing it's pipes.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
A paired blowhole clearing it's pipes.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Sea pottery piece.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Sea pottery piece.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Wind whipped sea foam flecks and low winter sun climbing over the Cliff top.
A cobweb clearing kind of morning 🌬
County Clare, Ireland.
A cobweb clearing kind of morning 🌬
County Clare, Ireland.
November 5, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Wind whipped sea foam flecks and low winter sun climbing over the Cliff top.
A cobweb clearing kind of morning 🌬
County Clare, Ireland.
A cobweb clearing kind of morning 🌬
County Clare, Ireland.
Sea Heart urchin shell (Echinocardium cordatum) close up.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 5, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Sea Heart urchin shell (Echinocardium cordatum) close up.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Pretty green pebble - likely volcanic in origin and transported south from the Galway area to County Clare by glacier activity during the last ice age.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 5, 2025 at 9:24 AM
A Pretty green pebble - likely volcanic in origin and transported south from the Galway area to County Clare by glacier activity during the last ice age.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Acorn barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) and Small periwinkles (Melarhaphe neritoides) mingling on the rocky surfaces, exposed at low tide. Pretty much every low tide walk involves crossing over thousands of these tiny crustaceans and gastropods whether they are noticed or not.
November 3, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Acorn barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) and Small periwinkles (Melarhaphe neritoides) mingling on the rocky surfaces, exposed at low tide. Pretty much every low tide walk involves crossing over thousands of these tiny crustaceans and gastropods whether they are noticed or not.
A waterfall battling strong updrafts as it drops down the Cliffs of Moher.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 3, 2025 at 9:37 AM
A waterfall battling strong updrafts as it drops down the Cliffs of Moher.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Solitary Rugose Coral fossils - remains of the tropical seabed that once covered this area over 300 million years ago.
County Donegal, Ireland.
County Donegal, Ireland.
November 3, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Solitary Rugose Coral fossils - remains of the tropical seabed that once covered this area over 300 million years ago.
County Donegal, Ireland.
County Donegal, Ireland.
Gina's lovely muzzle.🫏❤️
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 2, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Gina's lovely muzzle.🫏❤️
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A tangle of four Mermaids purses - must have been Halloween party at the weekend 🤣
These are the eggcases of Lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), one of our smallest shark species.
County Clare, Ireland.
These are the eggcases of Lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), one of our smallest shark species.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 2, 2025 at 12:09 PM
A tangle of four Mermaids purses - must have been Halloween party at the weekend 🤣
These are the eggcases of Lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), one of our smallest shark species.
County Clare, Ireland.
These are the eggcases of Lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), one of our smallest shark species.
County Clare, Ireland.
Sea spray being pushed over the Cliffs into the fields on top, as the waterfall, to the left, returns it to the sea.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Sea spray being pushed over the Cliffs into the fields on top, as the waterfall, to the left, returns it to the sea.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Sound on 🔊
The sound of gentle swells pouring over rocks on the incoming tide.
County Clare, Ireland.
The sound of gentle swells pouring over rocks on the incoming tide.
County Clare, Ireland.
October 31, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Sound on 🔊
The sound of gentle swells pouring over rocks on the incoming tide.
County Clare, Ireland.
The sound of gentle swells pouring over rocks on the incoming tide.
County Clare, Ireland.
Poulnabrone dolmen casting shadows under the late Autumn sun. Built between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago by some of our earliest farming people.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
October 31, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Poulnabrone dolmen casting shadows under the late Autumn sun. Built between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago by some of our earliest farming people.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Solitary Rugose Coral fossil protruding from it's sedimentary bed.
County Donegal, Ireland.
County Donegal, Ireland.
October 31, 2025 at 8:50 AM
A Solitary Rugose Coral fossil protruding from it's sedimentary bed.
County Donegal, Ireland.
County Donegal, Ireland.
A blustery day at the Cliffs of Moher.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
October 27, 2025 at 11:49 AM
A blustery day at the Cliffs of Moher.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.