Photography is clearly an enormously popular pastime: the ESB Environmental Photography awards attracted, in their first year, over 3,000 entries and the standard across junior, youth, amateur and professional categories was exceptionally high. From wildlife to urban themes, the pictures provide a insightful glimpse at contemporary Ireland and a broad selection can be seen in the Irish Writers' Centre in Parnell Square, Dublin, until January 30th; in Cork Airport from February 2nd 13th; in Kilkenny Castle from February 13th March 2nd; at Arthur's Quay Shopping Centre in Limerick from March 2nd 12th and in Eyre Square Shopping Centre in Galway from March 12th 26th.
The ESB has provided a prize fund of over £10,000 to encourage the development of environmental photography and to "raise public awareness about the unique and fragile beauty of our surroundings". )