I was born in Dublin some time in the late sixties in plenty of time to miss all the cool music festivals of the era ... I never saw Hendrix, Led Zepplein or The Who ... nor did I hear Keith Moon's thunder while Pete Townsend, brandishing a Gibson SG for a weapon, smashed everything in sight ... but I love the music. Music is my first real love and it is still evokes great passion in me. I play guitar and recently passed my first grading on classical guitar ... it may be a few years before I give Jimmy Page a run for his money... but here's hoping!!!

I reside in the Kilmainham area of Dublin, within smelling distance of the Guinness brewery on James's Street. I was born and reared on the North side of the city in Beaumont ... far away from the rugby fields of the south side. But thanks in no small part to my great friend Lewis McMahon, I have acquired a taste for the sport of ruffians played by gentlemen (well mostly gentlemen ... that shower down in Munster don't qualify) ... So hence the site name - Leinsterman. I also watch a bit of Gaelic Games (Clare for hurling and Dublin for football) and Soccer (Liverpool). But rugby is my favorite non participation sport... not least for the pre match warm up sessions!!!

As regards sport participation, well I did play basketball for a long time ... and I have been known to pick up a golf club ... but if you see me with one ... RUN!! ... there's no telling what direction the ball will go!!!

I studied Electronic Engineering at Kevin Street College of Technology. I obtained a numerous Telecommunications engineering diplomas from Dublin Institue of Technology and a degree in Telecommunications, Electronics and Computer engineering from Trinity College Dublin.

I also studied Photography and Digital Imaging at the National College or Art and Design (NCAD)in Dublin.

This combination is what initially fueled my rapacious interest in technology and gadgets ... which in a strange way led me to photography ... Photography is the ultimate gadget and techie fest ...

I love it here in Dublin ... but the urge to travel is strong in me and I regualy pop off on photographic adventures around the globe to "dangerous" places with unpronounceable names, little or no concept of safety and poor infrastructure. Nonetheless I guess you could say I'm a bit of a homing pigeon ... no matter how far I roam, the urge to come back to Dublin takes me here eventually. I've also lived in London, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Munich, Stockholm, Koh Phan Ngan and Ennis.

The inspiration for my deepest passion, taking photos, has its roots in an overland trip I did through Patagonia in South America a few years back. I can even trace it to a particular moment in time, when at a National Park in Chile the driver from my tour truck proudly showed me a photo he'd just taken ... Patagonia is a wonderous place filled with inspiration and natural beauty. It is places like Patagonia that make you believe there must be an almighty creator. In my case it has sparked the love affair for the art of photography which has opened my eyes a little wider to the world around me and made me appreciate life a lot more. Somehow grass looks greener and smells sweeter since that faithful day!!

If Patagonia made me take up a camera then it was Namibia that reminded me in no uncertain terms that the combination of travel and photography is one of my great loves. It is an inspirational country of great contrasts and beauty. Whether it be the Himba tribe of the northern regions, the diverse wildlife of the Etosha pan or the sheer majestic beauty of Sousevlei you can't help but feel inspired by the place. It can be a tough place to travel but it is worth every minute of it. It offers a feast of colours which feed the eye to the point of busrting.

I've always had some sort of interest in photography since my late teens when the landscape photography of Ansel Adams was one of my key early sources of inspiration. I have been taking photographs as a serious amateur for about 4 years now and I spend all my spare cash on gear which, while it does not make me a better photographer, is good retail therapy ;-)

My main specialist photo areas are Travel, Event, Portraiture, Nature and Landscape. But I have also been seen pitchside at Croke Park or Donnybrook/RDS shooting sports.