This landmark collection of imagery showcases the Irish mountains at their very best. Gareth McCormack has spent over 20 years exploring Ireland's hills, going to extraordinary lengths to capture summits in the wildest, most dramatic light. The images bear witness to a labour of love that transcends physical and creative challenges. Gareth hauled heavy camera equipment up and down hundreds of kilometres of Ireland's most rugged terrain. For some shoots he bivouacked on summits to capture the first light of dawn. At other times he targeted the sunset, to descend precarious ground alone in the dark. Often he returned empty-handed, the possibilities ruined by the fickle mountain weather.
Undeterred, he has created a body of work encompassing all the major ranges of Ireland. Some images are shot from well-known vantage points; many others come from remote locations rarely visited. From the pyramid of Mount Errigal in Donegal, to the summits of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in Kerry, this is a definitive portrait of the country's most dynamic landforms. It will delight all who love the Irish landscape and the mountains that crown it.
Gareth McCormack, photographer and filmmaker, based in Sligo, specialises in landscape, travel and adventure imagery. He began in 1997, working for Walking World Ireland, and expanded to travelling the globe for Lonely Planet. His work has appeared in Time, National Geographic and The New York Times. His photos also form murals in visitor centres at Ballycroy National Park and the Cliffs of Moher. More recently he worked on the documentaries Secrets of the Irish Landscape (RTE) and 4000-Year-Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog (BBC4/PBS).