On a recent photography workshop to the Antrim Coast, specifically the Giant's Causeway, in between shooting images I made some video of the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site that is close to where I grew up and studied at University.

I have written about the Causeway in recent weeks, you can read more about that here and to book a photography tour or workshop on the Antrim Coast please contact me here.

Think of spring, think of colour. Think of cherry blossom and Dublin doesn't spring to mind.

From my previous post on cherry blossom in Dublin I have had many comments expressing surprise that Dublin looks quite so colourful, that looking at the image of bright pink blossom overhanging paths it looks more to the eye like Japan or other countries associated with the beautiful flowers.

Some say it was a giant, Finn McCool or Fionn mac Cumhaill who built the causeway known as the Giant's Causeway. Finn was an Irish giant who, according to one version of the myth, was having a fight with his rival in Scotland called Benandonner.

Finn built the causeway, using rocks as stepping stones across the Irish Sea to Scotland so they could fight but when Finn realised he couldn't fight Benandonner and win, on account of the Scot's size, his wife suggested that Finn hide in the baby's cot. When Benandonner arrived looking for Finn he looked into the baby's cot and upon seeing the size of the baby, returned in haste to Scotland tearing up the causeway as he went.

The story explains why the same basalt columns are found in Scotland, on the island of Staffa particularly in a place known as Fingal's Cave - another name for Finn.

In reality the Giant's Causeway was formed some 50 to 60 million years ago when the chalk rocks of this part of Antrim were overlaid with basalt from massive volcanic activity.

A recent photography tour in the west of Ireland encompassed several sunrises but of these this was the most impressive.