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
A beautifully patterned and shoreworn Septarian nodule.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 14, 2025 at 8:56 AM
A beautifully patterned and shoreworn Septarian nodule.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Velvet Swimming Crab (Necora puber) claw.
One of the feistier crab species found in Irish waters. It's also got some of the most striking colours.
County Clare, Ireland.
One of the feistier crab species found in Irish waters. It's also got some of the most striking colours.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 14, 2025 at 8:50 AM
A Velvet Swimming Crab (Necora puber) claw.
One of the feistier crab species found in Irish waters. It's also got some of the most striking colours.
County Clare, Ireland.
One of the feistier crab species found in Irish waters. It's also got some of the most striking colours.
County Clare, Ireland.
Fiadh, running on a mirrored sky.
"This might be heaven."
County Clare, Ireland.
"This might be heaven."
County Clare, Ireland.
November 14, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Fiadh, running on a mirrored sky.
"This might be heaven."
County Clare, Ireland.
"This might be heaven."
County Clare, Ireland.
A shore tumbled pebble full of Goniatite fossils.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 12, 2025 at 10:12 AM
A shore tumbled pebble full of Goniatite fossils.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Sand Patterns - they look like leafless trees in winter or satellite shots of large river delta, but are caused after heavy rain drains off a large area of sand.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 12, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Sand Patterns - they look like leafless trees in winter or satellite shots of large river delta, but are caused after heavy rain drains off a large area of sand.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
A Fiadh action shot during a sunset fetch session.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 12, 2025 at 9:43 AM
A Fiadh action shot during a sunset fetch session.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
Morning sun dancing on the waters surface.
The Irish word for this sparkle is "Loinnir".
County Clare, Ireland.
The Irish word for this sparkle is "Loinnir".
County Clare, Ireland.
November 11, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Morning sun dancing on the waters surface.
The Irish word for this sparkle is "Loinnir".
County Clare, Ireland.
The Irish word for this sparkle is "Loinnir".
County Clare, Ireland.
The rockpools calmness contrasts with the drama of the sea and sky behind it.
County Clare, Ireland.
Cormacscoast.com walking tours
County Clare, Ireland.
Cormacscoast.com walking tours
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The rockpools calmness contrasts with the drama of the sea and sky behind it.
County Clare, Ireland.
Cormacscoast.com walking tours
County Clare, Ireland.
Cormacscoast.com walking tours
Iron oxide rings, deposited around decomposed organic matter (possibly plant roots) in a recently exposed mud bank.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
November 11, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Iron oxide rings, deposited around decomposed organic matter (possibly plant roots) in a recently exposed mud bank.
County Clare, Ireland.
County Clare, Ireland.
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.