D Irl 9996 EE; Crookhaven

Crookhaven is a village in County Cork, on the most southwestern tip of the island of Ireland.

The village name is attributed to an association with the Crooke family, and initially with Sir Thomas Crooke, 1st Baronet who also founded Baltimore, County Cork about 1610. The Crooke family were granted large estates in West Cork in the early 17th century, but their association with the area ended around 1665, on the death of Sir Thomas's son and heir Sir Samuel.

In the late 1500s and early 1600s the village was used as a base for piracy - where not only the local justices (including the vice-admiral of Munster) but the broader population were involved. These activities were unaffected by official discouragement under King James VI and I, but the Dutch attack on Crookhaven in 1614 did significant damage and English piracy in the region declined thereafter.

The village was an important port of call for shipping between Europe and the United States, and many inhabitants were in the business of supplying the ships as they sheltered in Crookhaven after or before a long voyage.Crookhaven was also used by Guglielmo Marconi as a location for experiments in wireless communication and ship-to-shore communication. (Source; Wikipedia)

On a tour of the area around Crookhaven, my eyes were drawn to the dramatic colour-contrast of the sea-water. The water inside the bay, being shallowwr and therefore of a lighter hue, whereas the solid mass of Atlantic ocen behind gave off a more sombre and deeper colour. In the far distance one can see the outline of the famous Fastnet Lighthouse.