BOOKS

Portal, currently out of print!!

Portal - Otherworldy Wonders of Ireland's Bogs, Wetlands and Eskers
Portal Book

My current book ‘Portal’ is published since May 25th 2022, and is currently out of print at the publishers Currach Books. There are still a limited amount of copies available in a few bookshops across Ireland.

The 172 page hardback book is an immersive visual exploration through the realms of unique flora and fauna within Ireland’s bogs, wetlands and eskers, revealing the hidden gems that have lived and evolved for millennia.

Bogs are magical places that defy any distinction between land and water. They are the last true wildernesses in Western Europe and are home to extraordinary plant and animal species that have adapted in this unique environment to survive.

Tina Claffey has been exploring these wondrous bogs through the seasons with a macro lens, which captures this enchanted wilderness in its minuteness, seeing beyond what the human eye is capable of. Carnivorous plants with their sticky tentacles, sphagnum mosses frozen in time in the deep bog pools, ancient water creatures exploring their depths, kaleidoscopes of colour through dewdrops on the backs of wondrous insects. A wilderness on our doorstep that looks otherworldly.


At a time when photographic guides to flora and fauna proliferate as never before, Tina Claffey's 'Portal' is in a league of its own. What distinguishes it is an acutely observant eye that captures moments when we can see something that lies beyond the name: where we catch a reflection or echo of the beauty and complexity that draws us to living species in the first place. And so it is a book that encourages those of us who turn its pages to look beyond mere names, to find ourselves in a world of microscopic wonder we scarcely knew existed.

~ John Feehan, Geologist, Botanist, Author & Broadcaster

I wish everyone saw the natural world like Tina Claffey does. She sees and shows the beauty of the quietest moments and smallest creatures living in our bogs. Her work is a rich testimony to the importance of peatlands to our natural heritage and as an ark for bogland biodiversity. From the sleeping bee to the frosted fungi, Tina's photos remind us of the wonders that surround us if we only pause to recognize them.

~ Margaret O'Gorman, President of Wildlife Habitat Council, USA

Tina Claffey's photography captures the astounding intricacy and eerie beauty of the bog like no one else. Her profound engagement with Ireland's peatlands gives us an opportunity to get closer to it and to witness its wonders.

~ Manchán Magan, Writer & Documentary maker

Tapestry of Light

Ireland's Bogs and wetlands as never seen before.
Tapestry Of Light

Tina Claffey's observations and unique perspective of the flora and fauna of Ireland's unspoilt raised bogs and wet woodlands are celebrated in a photographic journey through the seasons in her book ‘Tapestry of Light – Ireland’s bogs and wetlands as never seen before’.

‘Tapestry of Light’ is a hard back, 160 page, highly illustrated and beautifully designed book by Artisan House, Connemara, a bespoke publishing house creating beautifully illustrated high quality books and publications.

The title ‘Tapestry of Light’ is taken from this beautiful eponymous poem by John Sheahan, the renowned musician and composer with the famous folk group, ‘The Dubliners’. His poetry features throughout the book.

In 2019, the book received an honourable mention by IPA International Photo Awards, in the professional Book/Nature category.

Launched in October 2017 by Artisan House, ’Tapestry of Light’ is now completely sold out.

SOLD OUT!

Never before have I seen the magic of bogs captured so beautifully as in this book. The photographs and poems lead us into a truly enchanted world.

~ Matthijs Schouten, Dutch Foundation for the Conservation of Irish Bogs