Well done Aoibheann. More of this in the news please.

Day 2 was harder than I expected. I kept thinking every photo had to be brilliant. I usually take 5–30 photos a day, but calling it a “project” adds pressure. I’m trying to remember this is about documenting the year — the good, the boring, all of it. Here’s today’s step forward. #365photoproject

It's New Year's Day and I find myself watching, and actually enjoying Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on TV. Is this what the Xmas excess has driven me to?

5 million steps taken this year. Thanks to all the music, podcasts, and audiobooks that walked with me. Here’s to a wonderful 2026 for me, and for anyone who happens to pass by this post. #NewBeginnings2026 #HappyNewYear2026 #NYE2026 #fitbit #Walking #steps #5MillionSteps #YearInSteps #WalkingLife

I took this photo a couple of years ago during a short visit to Liverpool. Look at it... How could you not take a photo? The old and the new. . #Liverpool #reflections #PhotographersOfBlueSky

Hmmmm, this is a little different to my usual Monday night. But, in my defence, it is Christmas.

My incoming package has been stuck in Dublin 24 postal depot since Dec 6 with no updates from @Postvox. It's possibly lost - this will be the second package lost by An post in the last 3 months. I understand it's a busy time, but ...!! Support is not forthcoming either.

I'm watching Jaws. I don't care what anyone thinks - it's a great movie and only 50 years old!

Leaving the big gear behind. Bergamo, 2023. Narrow streets, shuttered windows & looking for a camera that didn't feel like a burden. I left the big gear behind & found joy in the small. #TravelPhotography #MinimalGear #Italy #SubstackWriters #JohnnyMeePhotography open.substack.com/pub/johnnyme...

There are a few young people - late teens, sitting near me in the coffeeshop. I both envy and celebrate their youth, positivity and carefree attitude. I'm not wishing for my own youth back - I'm recalling those days with fondness.

In Castlebar today, it's 4°. It's cold. It is winter after all. I'm wearing 2 T-shirts, a hoodie & a jacket. Even have my fingerless gloves on. However the local Trump supporter is still sporting his red "I belong to Jesus" T-shirt & his MAGA cap. It must be all the hydroxychloroquine he's taking.

I'm watching & enjoying Hidden Assets on RTE1. But, like a lot of other stuff on TV, there's way, way too much background music in it. Some scenes are meant to be quieter - it helps to set the tone and mood and allows the viewer to be in that moment. It also makes the dialogue easier to hear.

Turns out a combination of not using That Other Site and the economic landscape at the moment in general does, in fact, makes fulfilling the whole "starving artist" stereotype a whole lot more achievable 😅

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac - my current guilty listening secret. #music #fleetwoodmac

This just came up on my Google photos memories. It was that time I was on a train in Germany and I used Google translate to eavesdrop on the conversation the people in the seat opposite me were having.

I left a message on the coffee shop window for whomever sees it today. Have a beautiful Monday. #monday

On our way back from Sligo today, we stopped briefly at Enniscrone to look at the ocean. I took a picture with my phone. This moment, this moment has never existed before, and will never exist again. #photography #Ireland

#latelatetoyshow With all the shit going on in the world, this was a much needed shot of positivity.

#latelatetoyshow So, we have a small Indian boy doing Irish dancing on the show. This is awesome and beautiful. It shows how all our cultures can be shared, appreciated and still thrive.

Kudos to Pan Collins whose idea this was in the first place 50 years ago @rte.ie @rteone.rte.ie @latelateshow.rte.ie #LateLateToyShow

Really happy with this beautiful print that arrived this morning from @ciaraioch.bsky.social Oh, and the thoughtful extras tucked in there too. Thank you 💚 Let’s continue to support Irish artists, this year and every year. #SupportIrish #BuyIrish Can't wait to hang it on my wall.

@davidjboughton.bsky.social Thanks for the repost.

My sister & I, decades ago, standing on the cusp of everything. My hair was bigger, my skin was clearer. Our future were filled with hope & plans. Not knowing what we’d carry forward or leave behind. The world stretched before us, blank canvas, stories already forming, waiting for us to write them.

Friday morning serendipity: bumped into @aidanhynes-1.bsky.social at The Creel. Window seat, rain streaking the glass, sideways glances at passersby. Conversation drifted through music, photography, and nostalgia for social media’s past. Yet the truest connection was right there in the moment.

I'm using a Mac for 20+ years and today I finally built my very first Quick Action in Automator and assigned it to the Services menu. Spent decades wondering what they were for. Turns out I’ve been missing a gem all along! Any other suggestion for the Automator app are very welcome. #mac #apple

See how ICM can transform your photography. Forget the tripod, play with longer exposures & let your creativity shine through. It’s not about rules. It’s about capturing the essence of a scene. 👉 ICM – A Different View #Photography #ICM #CreativePhotography open.substack.com/pub/johnnyme...

#Winter is coming. The mitts are out.

Treating myself to a second cup because … well, it’s Friday and we've all made it this far … and sometimes that’s enough. Just a quiet nod to the end of the week. ☕ #coffee #Friday

Between Thoughts and Words. I’ve written about my mum’s journey with dementia. It’s about memory, language, and the empty spaces that remain when words slip away. I hope it resonates with others walking similar paths. open.substack.com/pub/johnnyme...

First time having coffee in The Foxford Woolen Mills. I'm waiting for the fog to lift so I can get a nice aerial shot of a property. Can someone get the weather gods to facilitate please. Nice ambience, lovely decor and most importantly, great coffee. To quote Arnie, I'll be back.

Working, on a Sunday, and in a church. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

Leaving the hospital after visiting someone, there’s a constant audio loop: “Smoking is prohibited on hospital grounds.” Signs everywhere say the same. Yet there’s always a couple of feckers puffing away at the door. Back when I smoked, that alone would’ve shamed me into walking down the street 😃🚭

I still have Twitter on my phone, though I rarely post there these days. Opened it this morning, scrolled for a minute, and instantly remembered why I stopped. Just a relentless stream of noise, hate bad vibes. Irrelevant picture of a crow taken thru the coffee shop window a few days ago.

Ere chuck. Why of course, when one visits Liverpool, one must go for coffee. #costa

The Real Size of Things www.james-lucas.com/p/the-real-s...

🎧 The coffeeshop knows I’ve got work to do, but the playlist says otherwise. So far, they have played Pearl Jam, Massive Attack, Portishead and Radiohead in the background music. The playlist knows I’m not ready to face the day. 😃☕☕

October morn. While I, and the rest of the people in the coffeeshop were scrolling the sun came out. Message learned.

Just met a guy on the street I used to hang out with years ago. He looks like total shit. I sit down beside him to say hello. 'How are you', I say. 'Stoned out of my head', says he. Man, am I glad I left that life all those years ago.

Sitting in an Irish bar having a beer with my best friend, listening to those around us talking about AI, business and the economy. There's actually some real, live, excellent Irish musicians playing and loads of great Irish people being themselves. Go with the floor people.

I just saw a post about how people used to memorize landline phone numbers, back in the day, before mobile phones. I used to, did you? 030775795899 - a number of an old girlfriend. Man, how we used our brains back then! :-)

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Street Guy. I wrote something on Substack about someone we all know - not by name, but by presence. The one who’s part of every town’s rhythm. #street open.substack.com/pub/johnnyme...

Full house here at The Wild Atlantic Words festival. Our MC for this event, A poem and a Pint is local wordsmith @kenarmstrong.bsky.social Slainte!

Today, #budget2026 will dominate the headlines. But will it change anything for you or me? For those already stretched thin, life gets trickier. More housing? Hospital beds? Support? Hope? Or just more noise and hand-waving? You already know the answer. Take care, and enjoy your Tuesday.

Dear Tuesday, please don't be fucking Monday!

Coffee with my better half this afternoon. Cafe Nero not too busy because of the weather. Pretty windy in Castlebar atm but not as bad yet as the coastal areas of the county.

October 2, 12.54pm. Having a coffee and looking out on the west of Ireland October rain. A simple coffee and a few moments of quiet time. But sometimes, coffee is more than that. Here's a short read about a previous coffee. open.substack.com/pub/johnnyme...

It's October the first. Let me take this moment to wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Someone fired a firework at our beautiful Indian neighbour this evening. It hit him in the back but could have been more serious if it hit him in the face. He was 'shook'. He was walking along our street, minding his own business. The rest of us need to step up and stand against this 'casual' racism

Those who base their values on hate, can only see hate; it draws them in. Everywhere there is someone to hate. Those who base their values on empathy, observe everything; reaching out, they experience all there is. Hate begets hate. Empathy leads to understanding.