Behind the Couch

Magheralin, from the Irish Machaire Lainne , meaning "Plain of the Church", is a tiny village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the centre of the village an ancient stone tower casts its shadow over an equally ancient graveyard. The church that originally stood on this site was identified with Lann Ronan, or the Church of Ian, and is cited in the taxation of Pope Nicholas of 1306 - although no traces of the medieval structure remain today. In 1400 a new church was built incorporating parts of the previous building, and in 1442 a stone tower was added. By 1657 however, the church was described as being in a state of decay and ruin, and was later completely rebuilt along with the existing tower, which still stretches out of the earth and above the olden trees surrounding it. The practice of burying the dead within the church itself was stopped in 1773, but damage to the structure had already been done. In 1839 the decision to build a new church was take...

Situated on Stranmillis Road, Friar’s Bush cemetery is Belfast’s oldest Christian burial site. Hidden from view behind a huge wall and the Ulster Museum, it is quite a small graveyard - roughly two acres - but is the final resting place of a deceptively large number of people. The city’s official famine site, part of it is a mass grave of over 2,000 victims of hunger and cholera. Dating back to the 13th century, it is also said to be the site of the medieval friary of St Patrick himself. Every grave tells a story; most of famine and plague, some of bloody murder and body-snatching. The entrance to the cemetery - a beautiful old arched gothic gate lodge, was built by the Marquis of Donegal in 1828. One of the first things you see as you pass through the gate is a sizable mound looming up from the earth before you. Dubbed ‘the Plaguey Pit’, this mound marks the final resting place of thousands of unfortunates who died during a major outbreak of cholera in the early 1830s. Too poor t...

"Everyone's entitled to one good scare." Throughout 2012 I’ve been taking at least one photograph everyday and uploading them here . My reason for doing this, aside from it sounding like a fun and creative challenge, is to try and hone my photography skills and become a more prolific photographer. As it’s approaching All Hallow’s Eve, and because I’m a major horror geek, I decided to take themed photographs throughout the month of October. Venturing out into the chilly autumnal air, I have wandered through cemeteries by night and day, loitered around abandoned buildings and wafted through forests at sunset; all the while photographing my surroundings. At other times I’ve attempted to recreate shots from various horror films, stage spooky scenarios of my own, or just photograph some of the myriad Halloween decorations currently adorning my house. You can check out my efforts over at Camera Obscure . Here are a few to whet your appetite. Happy Halloween! ...