If you've seen a photo of the town of Cobh in Ireland, it'll most likely be a picture of colourful houses, known as the Deck of Cards houses, lined along a street with the impressive St Colman's Cathedral in the background. Here's how you take the shot.
The “Deck of Cards” Houses are a series of residential houses located on 1-23 West View, Kilgarvan, Cobh, situated on a slanted uphill street. It got its name because when you look at the shape of the houses, it resembles a deck of cards that's been made into the shape of house (known as a ‘House of Cards').
As pretty as they are, please bear in mind that people live in these houses – so don't go obnoxiously taking photos from too up close, or knocking on their doors or anything like that. Just appreciate from afar.
From Spy Hill
Alright – this is what you came for. To get that iconic picture, the first thing you need to do is get to Spy Hill. You can find street parking here, so access is easy.
Then, you'll need to walk in the direction of the Deck of Cards houses (just put in ‘Deck of Cards houses' in your GPS if you're lost) along the stone wall on the street, on the side closest to St Colman's Cathedral. You'll be able to see about 75% of the Cathedral from Spy Hill (the rest will be obstructed by the stone wall).
Walk along the stone wall, and once you're in position, you'll need to reach your camera or phone above the stone wall, which overlooks West View park. Ta-dah! You've found the perfect vantage point for your shot. Please be careful not to climb the stone wall – just don't do it. You shouldn't have to, as reaching over the stone wall just a little is enough to get the shot.
If you're confused, we'll show you in detail with some visual help (courtesy of Google Maps). Spy Hill should look like this, with a stone wall to your right.
It might take some fiddling around to get the right angle and height, but you'll get it after a few tries.
From West View
For a different kind of view, you can head to the park in West View for another vantage point. The vantage point here is a lot closer to the houses – you won't get as many houses in the shot, but it'll still be nice. The park is also just an enjoyable place to relax and take in the scenery.
To find the Park, type in “West View Park” in your GPS. It should come up with this.
What to do after visiting Cobh?
Took the shot and ready to visit another place? The small town of Kinsale is another really interesting town with colourful houses. There's also a lot of ghost stories about the town if you're into that sort of thing!
It takes about 45 minutes by car to get to Kinsale from Cobh.
