This is a wind farm just outside Carrickmore Co Tyrone.

This is one of the Cows in the the grounds of Belfast City Hall which is part of the “Cow Parade”.

CowParade is the largest and most successful public art event in the world. Life-size fibreglass cows are brought to the streets of host cities all over the world, where they are decorated by local artists and put on display. The event has been held in over 75 cities worldwide, including Chicago, New York, London, Paris, Taipei and Mexico City and has involved some of the world’s premier artists, designers and craftsmen. CowParade cows have been seen by an estimated 100 million people and, through their sale at auction, have raised over £25 million for charities worldwide. CowParade Belfast Cows will be sold at auction in Autumn 2012 to raise funds for charity partners, Barnardo’s Northern Ireland and Depaul Ireland

This is from the local derby match between fierce rivals Coalisland Fianna and Clonoe O’Rahilly’s. It was played at Coalisland and after a dour enough match they won by two points. In the picture Collie Doris from Clonoe is being chased down by Niall Kerr and Tiarnan O’Hagan from Coalisland.

This is Aiden McNally from Coalisland who is a very talented singer. He is launching a CD of country songs in early September.

This is John Joe Coney as “Uncle Andy” and Seamus McCann as “Da” from the forthcoming production of “Give My Head Peace” presented by Derrylaughan GFC

Three young dancers performing a “Broom Dance” in Doora Barefield Co Clare. is another traditional Irish dance form.  There are many tales on how this dance form originated.  One version is that men outnumbered women so the gents polished up their dancing skills at home with a broom as a partner.  Once mastered, they’d go to their local dance gatherings to display their skills in hopes of garnering the ladies attention.  Another version is that the Irish Tinkers/Pavees/Travelers  would perform this “showy” dance to attract attention and make it easier to sell their wares, like brooms, tools and pots.  This dance tradition has been  handed down for more than a century & is very entertaining.

This is The Slashers GAC and The Backstage Theatre  Farneyhoogan Longford Town. The Backstage Theatre opened its doors in April 1995. A purpose built state of the art theatre located in the Slashers GAA Complex, Backstage was from the outset a community driven project with its main advocates being Slashers GAA Club and Backstage Theatre Group.

This is the view we had while sleeping out under the bandstand in Dungarvan on the first night of the 32-32-32 penalty kick challenge in aid of the Simon Communities of Ireland.  Abbeyside Parish Church down by the seafront in Abbeyside mainly consists of a relatively new Church dating from 1820, but is attached to an original 15th century monastery tower. The tower was part of an original Augustine Monastery and the ruins of the chancel of the monastery branch out from the tower towards the sea, perpendicular to the 19th century church building. The chancel itself dates from the 13th century with the tower being added later. Today the church serves as the main church for the parish of Abbeyside/Ballinacourty.

This is Christy O’Connor hurler, author and journalist who plays for St Joseph’s Doora Barefield in county Clare. I met him when we visited the club on the Clare leg of the 32-32-32 penalty kick challenge. Christy’s book “The Club” is rightly considered a classic about a year in the life of St Joseph’s.Tom Humphries of the Irish Times said “to understand Ireland, you have to understand the GAA. To understand the GAA, you have to read this book. A masterpiece”

This is Plunkett “Oz” McCallan and Paddy Linden. On the Monday evening as we set out on the trip around Ireland on the 32-32-32 penalty kick challenge in aid of the Simon Communities Big Plunkett “Oz” McCallan was asked who was his sporting hero. Without hesitation he said Paddy Linden from Monaghan was the man who inspired him to became a goalkeeper. Paddy Linden a native of Ballybay with whom he won a Monaghan senior football championship medal and went on to establish himself as one of Monaghan’s best goalkeepers ever. He was on the Monaghan team that won the Ulster senior football championship in 1979 and was again between the sticks in 1985 and 1988 having in the process recovered from a serious car accident that threatened to end his career. His ultimate honour was an All Star award in 1988. Well “Oz” got to meet his hero on Friday 27th July when we arrived at Ballybay GAC to take the Monaghan penalty. The man who Plunkett looked up to was now looking up at him.