Michael O'Connell
@moconnell007.bsky.social
Botanist, palaeoecologist. Research interests: long-term environmental change, local and global; also archaeology, geography, history & a spot of photography
Climbed to the crater of #Vesuvius yesterday. Amazing to see gases emerging & smell S. Unfortunately, no explanations of the complex stratigraphy. Vegetation struggling to gain a foothold on the Volcanic deposits. Panoramic views of the Bay of Naples
November 7, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Climbed to the crater of #Vesuvius yesterday. Amazing to see gases emerging & smell S. Unfortunately, no explanations of the complex stratigraphy. Vegetation struggling to gain a foothold on the Volcanic deposits. Panoramic views of the Bay of Naples
End July 2025 retraced my steps to #Inishturk, Co #Mayo on @wildatlanticway.bsky.social. Weather not as good as in April, but managed to get reasonable photos, according to my own lights! #Fulmars still plentiful on western cliffs; single chicks in some of nests. Inishturk awe inspiring as ever
November 1, 2025 at 11:10 PM
End July 2025 retraced my steps to #Inishturk, Co #Mayo on @wildatlanticway.bsky.social. Weather not as good as in April, but managed to get reasonable photos, according to my own lights! #Fulmars still plentiful on western cliffs; single chicks in some of nests. Inishturk awe inspiring as ever
#Macnas weaved its spell on the streets of #Galway last evening. An Treun – Summoning Of The Lost, a tale by Bram Stoker & featuring the haunting call of the vanished corncrake #Halloween #OícheShamhna #Samhain
October 27, 2025 at 11:50 AM
#Macnas weaved its spell on the streets of #Galway last evening. An Treun – Summoning Of The Lost, a tale by Bram Stoker & featuring the haunting call of the vanished corncrake #Halloween #OícheShamhna #Samhain
Prof Clive Finlayson, Director #GibraltarMuseum & Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site wooed a packed house with his lecture on #Neanderthal people in #Gibralter this evening. 7th William King lecture @uniofgalway.bsky.social 📷Clive Finlayson presentation
October 22, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Prof Clive Finlayson, Director #GibraltarMuseum & Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site wooed a packed house with his lecture on #Neanderthal people in #Gibralter this evening. 7th William King lecture @uniofgalway.bsky.social 📷Clive Finlayson presentation
Reminder: 7th William King Lecture 6pm, TODAY in Ó hEocha Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, S. Campus, University of Galway BY Prof Clive Finlayson, Director #GibraltarMuseum & Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site. Introduction by Prof David Burn, President, @uniofgalway.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Reminder: 7th William King Lecture 6pm, TODAY in Ó hEocha Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, S. Campus, University of Galway BY Prof Clive Finlayson, Director #GibraltarMuseum & Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site. Introduction by Prof David Burn, President, @uniofgalway.bsky.social
High pressure dominating for days but no sun in #Salthill; only stillness, low cloud & some drizzle. 1 pm on 13th, tide on the ebb, a few strollers explored Grattan Beach, a handful of Brent geese were joined by several others & 3 cormorants sat patiently on a rock awaiting ideal fishing conditions
October 16, 2025 at 3:15 PM
High pressure dominating for days but no sun in #Salthill; only stillness, low cloud & some drizzle. 1 pm on 13th, tide on the ebb, a few strollers explored Grattan Beach, a handful of Brent geese were joined by several others & 3 cormorants sat patiently on a rock awaiting ideal fishing conditions
#Salthill prom: high tide & sun going down on #GalwayBay this evening. I'm told by year-round swimmer, sea temperature 12C; 14C earlier in week. Mackerel appear to be rather scarce but the fishermen still try their luck @wildatlanticway.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
#Salthill prom: high tide & sun going down on #GalwayBay this evening. I'm told by year-round swimmer, sea temperature 12C; 14C earlier in week. Mackerel appear to be rather scarce but the fishermen still try their luck @wildatlanticway.bsky.social
Photos from recent travels to mark #InternationalGeodiversityDay. Dalradian metamorphic rocks with quartz veins #Connemara National Park, W Ireland; sandstone, slate etc, medieval tower house, St Marys & All Saints church, Conwy, Wales; dykes & Watt, Langwarder Groden, west of Bremerhaven, Germany
October 6, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Photos from recent travels to mark #InternationalGeodiversityDay. Dalradian metamorphic rocks with quartz veins #Connemara National Park, W Ireland; sandstone, slate etc, medieval tower house, St Marys & All Saints church, Conwy, Wales; dykes & Watt, Langwarder Groden, west of Bremerhaven, Germany
Storm #Amy was at max in #Galway at about 3 pm yesterday. Photos from about 6 pm on #Salthill Prom as winds abated, skies cleared & sun appeared to give fine rainbows; and @catherinegalway.bsky.social still standing!
October 4, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Storm #Amy was at max in #Galway at about 3 pm yesterday. Photos from about 6 pm on #Salthill Prom as winds abated, skies cleared & sun appeared to give fine rainbows; and @catherinegalway.bsky.social still standing!
#JaneGoodall, 3 Apr 1934 – 1 Oct 2025. A life well lived. An icon for the ages and particularly for the times we live in.
Photo is a screengrab from a fine #BBC interview with Terry Wogan
bbc.com/news/article...
Photo is a screengrab from a fine #BBC interview with Terry Wogan
bbc.com/news/article...
October 2, 2025 at 1:15 PM
#JaneGoodall, 3 Apr 1934 – 1 Oct 2025. A life well lived. An icon for the ages and particularly for the times we live in.
Photo is a screengrab from a fine #BBC interview with Terry Wogan
bbc.com/news/article...
Photo is a screengrab from a fine #BBC interview with Terry Wogan
bbc.com/news/article...
Wonderful tribute to Tim Robinson, cartographer, writer, recorder of landscapes of #AranIslands #Burren & #Connemara in #NationalConcertHall, Dublin. Afterwards met 2 of contributors, #poet Moya Cannon & scholar & sean-nós singer Lillis Ó Laoire. Tim & Mairéad you have contributed so much to us
September 28, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Wonderful tribute to Tim Robinson, cartographer, writer, recorder of landscapes of #AranIslands #Burren & #Connemara in #NationalConcertHall, Dublin. Afterwards met 2 of contributors, #poet Moya Cannon & scholar & sean-nós singer Lillis Ó Laoire. Tim & Mairéad you have contributed so much to us
#Langwarder #Groden - Natur des Jahres 2024 - final stop in palaeo Tuexen excursion today in Lower Saxony. Impressive dikes grazed by folks of sheep, bare mud, species-rich saltmarsh, a haven for bird life & all within sight of the busy Bremerhaven container port
September 19, 2025 at 9:38 PM
#Langwarder #Groden - Natur des Jahres 2024 - final stop in palaeo Tuexen excursion today in Lower Saxony. Impressive dikes grazed by folks of sheep, bare mud, species-rich saltmarsh, a haven for bird life & all within sight of the busy Bremerhaven container port
Nearby in #UniversityofReading Archives of #JamesJoyce & #SamuelBeckett. Later in year there will be an exhibition of the #Joyce material
September 12, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Nearby in #UniversityofReading Archives of #JamesJoyce & #SamuelBeckett. Later in year there will be an exhibition of the #Joyce material
September 12, 2025 at 7:36 PM
For ferry passengers on #DublinPort #Holyhead
route, the tall sailing #ship from #Peru in #Dublin Port a delight to see
route, the tall sailing #ship from #Peru in #Dublin Port a delight to see
September 9, 2025 at 9:31 AM
For ferry passengers on #DublinPort #Holyhead
route, the tall sailing #ship from #Peru in #Dublin Port a delight to see
route, the tall sailing #ship from #Peru in #Dublin Port a delight to see
Within a stone's throw of the march, it was normal life in #Galway with weddings being celebrated in style at the #Claddagh Dominican church & at 700+ year old Saint Nicholas' Collegiate Church. Thanks to driver of that beautiful maroon #Mercedes (grounds of St Nicholas) for facilitating the photos
September 6, 2025 at 5:46 PM
#Galway makes its feelings felt today re. #Gaza & the awful plight of the Palastinian people. A huge turnout that walked, with flags flying in the stiff breeze, from Westside over Wolfe Tone Bridge, & then up High St & Shop St & onto Eyre Square where a rally was held. Photos 1-3 from start point
September 6, 2025 at 5:46 PM
A scholarly volume by Dr Leesa Wheatley on writings by #German travellers to #Ireland in late 18C & early 19C. No 10 in the series Irish-German Studies, eds J Fischer & G Holfter of #UniversityofLimerick. For me, Pückler-Muskau has a special place in this pantheon; see bsky.app/profile/moco...
August 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
A scholarly volume by Dr Leesa Wheatley on writings by #German travellers to #Ireland in late 18C & early 19C. No 10 in the series Irish-German Studies, eds J Fischer & G Holfter of #UniversityofLimerick. For me, Pückler-Muskau has a special place in this pantheon; see bsky.app/profile/moco...
Diamond Hill climb in #ConnemaraNationalPark well worth the effort. With increasing elevation vistas are more stupendous; W: Tully Hill & Inishbofin; N: Kylemore (Abbey & Gardens) & uplands of W Mayo; E: Twelve Bens; S side of Diamond Hill: heathers in full bloom
August 24, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Diamond Hill climb in #ConnemaraNationalPark well worth the effort. With increasing elevation vistas are more stupendous; W: Tully Hill & Inishbofin; N: Kylemore (Abbey & Gardens) & uplands of W Mayo; E: Twelve Bens; S side of Diamond Hill: heathers in full bloom
Late summer perfect time for #Connemara. On Thursday headed for the #ConnemaraNationalPark. First stop the Inagh Valley; the ice-sculptured #TwelveBens looking as spectacular as ever. Turf cutting, now largely no more, still to be seen. Connemara mountainy sheep seek out best grazing on road verges
August 24, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Late summer perfect time for #Connemara. On Thursday headed for the #ConnemaraNationalPark. First stop the Inagh Valley; the ice-sculptured #TwelveBens looking as spectacular as ever. Turf cutting, now largely no more, still to be seen. Connemara mountainy sheep seek out best grazing on road verges
Light rain in #Lyon yesterday made a brief visit all the more agreeable. Roman amphitheatres (2) & museum were highlights. Lugdunum, the Roman name, of Celtic origin 1/2
August 20, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Light rain in #Lyon yesterday made a brief visit all the more agreeable. Roman amphitheatres (2) & museum were highlights. Lugdunum, the Roman name, of Celtic origin 1/2
On way from Briançon to Grenoble managed to stop briefly at La Grave to photo one of the most iconic mountains of the Haute #Alpes, La Meije (3982 m), associated glaciers & scoured rock faces. A raptor also included by sheer chance. Skyscape also dramatic. La belle #France
August 19, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Flora & fauna not half bad! Swards of Dryas octopetala, impressive field gentians, colourful Alpine flora home to many bees, butterflies & moths, & a marmot sits outside his burrow & surveys his Alpine domain
August 16, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Flora & fauna not half bad! Swards of Dryas octopetala, impressive field gentians, colourful Alpine flora home to many bees, butterflies & moths, & a marmot sits outside his burrow & surveys his Alpine domain