Murmuration

In the dusk hours of a November evening in 2020, James Crombie set out for the shore of Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath with no goal except to find a brief reprieve from the chaos of modern life. One of Ireland’s most lauded sports photographers, Crombie had spent months each year travelling the globe, snapping glimpses of sporting glory amid roaring crowds. Once the pandemic arrived however, he found himself suspended in an unfamiliar moment of stillness, where his focus could roam beyond the pitch. When a close friend came to him in a moment of grief, the pair made for the lake.

What Crombie found on the shore that evening - an undulating murmuration of starlings, dancing above the surface of the water - would change his life forever.

Desperate to capture the beauty of the murmurations, and to better understand this phenomenon and the surroundings of the lake itself, Crombie began a four-year journey, travelling to lake shore for over 100 days per year. In his efforts to capture the formations of the magical birds, Crombie managed to chart the stunning natural cycles of the lake and the surrounding countryside.

An incredible combination of narrative and photography, this is a book about one man’s quest to capture the beauty of an Irish natural phenomenon, and about how our local environments harbour a wealth of beauty and complexity, if only we’re able to look closely enough.

The book also features an introduction by pioneering ornithologist Seán Ronayne.

James Crombie is a renowned multiple award winning photographer based in Ireland. In 2021 & 2022 James was awarded the title of PPAI Irish Press Photographer of the year. He is a staff photographer working exclusively with Inpho Sports Photography in Dublin, apart from his own personal projects. Over the past 4 winters, James has photographed and charted the murmurations of starlings at Lough Ennell, County Westmeath, putting together a unique visual display of one our great national ecological treasures. James’ other work follows his minimalistic style and he is constantly adding to his portfolio. 

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