Martin McGinley, Fiddle Player

Snapped Derry Journal Editor Martin McGinley for this week's Hidden Lives. Martin, a Donegal native, is a well-known traditional Irish musician when he's not heading up the North-west's biggest newspaper. On the day of the shoot the busy editor forgot to bring his fiddle and I had to send for this 150-year-old antique one to use as a prop.

Maurice Harron, historian

Photographed Derry artist Maurice Harron for last week's Hidden Lives. A really interesting character, Maurice has crafted many of the stunning works jotted around our city – from the hands across the divide at the foot of the Craigavon Bridge to the wedding party at An Grainan Hotel, which I snapped him beside in a break between snow showers.

Leona O'Neill, jeweller

This week's subject is Leona O'Neill. The Irish News columnist, writer, PR Guru, supermum (and my missus) spends what spare time she has making her own jewellery. She collects stones and beach glass from the shores around Donegal and fashions really unique silver wrapped pieces from them. Here are her questions and answers from today's Journal....

Name: Leona O’Neill

Age: 35

Occupation/What you are known for: Journalist/Writer/Blogger/PR Guru/Mum

Your passion/hobby: Making jewellery

When, why and how you started your hobby:

Ever since I was a girl I’ve felt compelled to alter clothes and jewellery to make them unique to me. I’d buy something from a shop, bring it home, hammer bits off, add bits on and make it my own original piece. In the last year I’ve started making jewellery from scratch, trawling the beaches around Donegal for interesting stones and colourful beach glass to envelop in strands of swirling silver. I also enjoy raiding my mother’s jewellery boxes for antique pearls to compliment the stones.

I find the whole process very relaxing, from walking on the beach on a fiercely bitter winter’s day looking for stones to transforming an ordinary pebble into a lovely piece of jewellery.

How much money have you spent on your hobby over the years?

The stones and beach glass are free when picked up from the beaches, the silver wire and chains are quite expensive but the finished pieces are really worth it. You do need certain tools to work the silver like pliers, snippers and curlers. I have been eyeing up a nice blowtorch and a big kiln which would help me create more elaborate pieces but the husband thinks, what with my reputation for being a tad accident prone, that I might burn down the house or blow myself up.

Would you give up your day job to pursue your hobby professionally? Why/why not?

My passion is ultimately writing. Along with everything else I do I’ve been writing a book for the past number of months and find it all consuming – both physically and emotionally. Making jewellery allows me the time to let my mind rest. I make pieces for myself, my friends and family. The beach-found jewellery is very popular with my expatriate friends in particular. They love that they can wear a true piece of Donegal that has been tumbled in the oceans around Ireland. I’ve never sold a piece, just made it and gifted it to loved ones.

At the moment it’s just a hobby and I think I’ll stick to the writing to pay the bills.

Brendan O’Neill is a portrait, wedding and press photographer based in Derry’s Queen Street. You can check out his work on www.brendanoneillphotography.com or contact him on 02871 371703.

Early morning frost...

The snow may have gone but winter's not over just yet. Caught this frosty web this morning whilst out and about. No word on where the spider was, probably back in our house scaring the wife.

Mark Durkan MP, chef

Spent a snowy Sunday afternoon in Mark Durkan's kitchen while he and his little girl made lasagne. Mark, more familiar with the corridors of Stormont and Westminster, put politics aside for the day and showed off some serious culinary skills for the Journal's Hidden Lives feature.
He has acquired himself quite the reputation for being a fantastic chef, although his missus insists that he is legendary mostly due to the mountain of dishes he leaves in his wake.

Wonderful World of Worder Jenni Doherty

This week's subject was wonderful worder Jenni Doherty. The poet, author and Guildhall Press gal is a keen fisher in what spare time she has. We both arrived at my Queen Street studio armed to the teeth with fishing paraphernalia – hooks, lines and sinkers. We hooked up one of my own Guildhall Press books and here is the result.
Disclaimer: No books were harmed in the making of this shot!

Cathal Breslin

This week I shot Derry concert pianist Cathal Breslin.
Cathal, who has performed the world over likes to learn languages in his spare time. Fluent in Spanish, Chinese and German he's had plenty of practice with them traveling the world. His wife is American born Chinese and they both speak the language to their son. The sign he sits beside at the piano says 'concert'.
The Journal subs chopped off the last symbol in today's paper so it now probably reads 'con'! Sorry bout that!

Oonagh McGillion, reflexologist

This week's subject is head of Derry's City of Culture bid Oonagh McGillion. Oonagh practises reflexology in her spare time. I managed to steal five minutes out of her hectic schedule for a quick snap at her office in Derry City Council offices, borrowing one of her colleagues as an impromptu foot model.

Art, cabinets, shoes...

Took this picture of the Void Gallery's Maolíosa Boyle with her china cabinets this week for the Derry Journal's Hidden Lives feature. Maolíosa has collected the cabinets for years, indeed her house is so packed full of them she has to store a lot of them in her art gallery. She packs her cabinets full of interesting artifacts from family life – from baby shoes to an old schoolbag her father had written her name on.
Like all ladies, I have discovered, she is a big fan of shoes. She packed this cabinet full of her favourites for this picture.

Mark H Durkan, the runner

The SDLP's Mark H Durkan provided the third subject for my Journal Hidden Lives feature. Probably the tallest man in the world, this guy spends whatever spare time he has pounding the streets of Derry and beyond in pursuit of high-level fitness. It was a task trying to get him to stand still for the pictures...

At the beach...in October

The second installment of my Derry Journal Hidden Lives feature saw me at the beach with the BBC's Mark Patterson on an artic October morning.
Mark, best known for his work on Radio Foyle, has been a surfer for over 20 years and wasn't the least bit afraid of the bitterly cold Atlantic Ocean.
I, on the other hand, am keeping my feet firmly on dry land....

My Derry Journal feature

Caught up with best selling author Garbhan Downey this week as part of my new weekly feature in the Derry Journal called Hidden Lives.
In the next few weeks I will be snapping the artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, actors, writers, sports people, professionals, politicians, innovators, leaders, trendsetters and pathfinders who define and drive this city forward. I will be taking them out of the context of their normal public persona – picture a politician who races greyhounds or a boxer with green fingers – and give the public an insight into the real individuals behind the headlines.
First up with Garbhan Downey, best known for his fine literary works. When he's not producing best selling books you can find him in his garden growing fine fruit and vegetables.

October morning at Fahan

Caught this rather otherworldy scene at the graveyard at Fahan yesterday