Built in 1547, Kinbane Castle is little more than a partial walls today. There are other castles, particularly Dunluce that are far more interesting to visit and much more accessible than Kinbane. Yet there was something spiritual about my visit here last week.

As I climbed down the steps, walked carefully across the muddy grass and up into the castle I found myself staring through this hole in the wall, a window on the world. I'm not sure what attracted me to this scene, but I stood there, studying the wall and peering through the hole at the rocks and ocean behind it, then focusing again on the wall. A wall that had stood the test of time, almost 500 years. How many sets of eyes had peered through this window? Some no doubt looked out with fear in their eyes as the castle was besieged in 1551 and again in 1555, others in awe of the beauty and power of the ocean they gazed upon. Perhaps lovers peered out upon their beloved. 

I captured this image as a reminder of the old and the ancient. The walls are old, the ocean and rocks you can see through the window are ancient, millions of years old. There are stories in this place, unknown stories, stories lost to history, the stories of people who are no longer known. Yet here I stand looking through this window, reflecting on life, thinking of the past while being in the present. Aware of the old, awed by the ancient power of waves and stone. I wanted to capture that moment.

What do you want to see when you look out the window? Kinbane CastleThrough The Window Canon EOS M50: 35mm, 1/80, f5.6, ISO 100