Unless visiting from Britain or France, the only practical way to visit Ireland is by air. Here's our guide to Irish airports and getting to Ireland by air.

The main air routes into Ireland are via Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast airports. Many carriers operate from these airports to countries around the globe. Britain, continental Europe and the USA are the major destinations served. Ryanair and AerLingus are the two main operators from most of the airports along with Easyjet from Belfast International.

Book your trip to Dublin.

Airports - Going clockwise around the island:

• Belfast City
• Belfast International
• Dublin
• Waterford
• Cork
• Kerry
• Shannon
• Galway
• Knock
• Sligo
• Donegal
• Derry

Belfast City Airport

Not to be confused with Belfast International, the City Airport is now called George Best Belfast City Airport after the famous Northern Irish footballer and is located east of the city.

Location and Getting to Belfast City Airport

Located in postcode BT3 9JH, Belfast City Airport is located on the Sydenham Bypass, the A2, between Belfast and Holywood. The airport is easily accessible from the M1 and M2 via the M3 and is signposted.

The Airport Express (route 600) operates from the Europa Bus Centre to the airport every 20 minutes between 0530 and 2200.

Trains operate up to twice an hour from Sydenham train station to Belfast City between 0600 and 2300, 0900 to 2200 on Sundays.

Routes and Airlines

Flybe, bmibaby and manx2 operate from Belfast City Airport. Routes change but current destinations include London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Southampton and international routes to Paris, Amsterdam and Geneva.

The website for Belfast City Airport is: http://www.belfastcityairport.com/

Belfast International Airport

Colloquially known as Aldergrove, the International Airport is located close to Antrim on the shores of Lough Neagh about 30 minutes west of Belfast.

Getting to Belfast International Airport

The airport is located in postcode BT29 4AB, and is accessible from Belfast via the M2/A57 and from Dublin via the M1/A1/A26.

Airport Express (route 300) operates from the Europa Bus Centre to the airport up to every 15 minutes, with reduced frequency overnight and at weekends. Journey times are approximately 30 minutes.

Routes and Airlines

EasyJet, Aer Lingus, Jet2 and Continental fly from Belfast International Airport. Current destinations include London, Geneva, Newark, Rome, Nice and various destinations throughout Europe.

The website for Belfast International Airport is: http://www.belfastairport.com

Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport is Ireland's largest and busiest airport. With almost 19 million passengers in 2011, it serves hundreds of destinations.

Location and Getting to Dublin Airport

Located 10km north of Dublin, close to the M50 and M1 major routes, Dublin Airport is easily reached by car, bus and taxi. By far the easiest way to get here (unless you need to drive) is by bus. There are many routes that serve Dublin Airport. Aircoach offer the easiest option for €8 single to Dublin City Centre, there are many routes serving the main locations such as O'Connell Street, Trinity College, Ballsbridge. They have a route to Cork as well as outlying districts of Dublin. Drivers will check you are on the correct bus, load and unload your bags for you and will announce the stops in good time. They are knowledgeable and courteous, a great service and cheaper than the taxi. The coaches also have free wifi - after a short registration page you free to browse the internet. Look at aircoach.ie for more details.

Dublin Bus Airlink services 747 and 748 cost €6 single, and run to Busaras and Heuston Train Station respectively, via O'Connell Street and other city centre locations. Dublin Bus routes 16a and 41 also serve Dublin Airport and cost €2.20. These tickets are valid for onward travel on Dublin Bus routes for up to 90 minutes from first use. These are standard urban buses, in that they have many stops and have more local users rather than tourists. The budget option.

Most major coach companies stop at Dublin Airport to pick up passengers for their routes. Destinations served include Belfast, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford.

Routes and Airlines

It would be impossible to list all the destinations, but Dublin Airport serves 23 UK cities, 100 European cities, 10 North American locations with Washington DC being added this year and daily flights to Dubai. All the major carriers operate through Dublin Airport including United Airines, Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Etihad. Iceland's WOW air is to start flights into Dublin July 2015, bringing low cost transatlantic flights to Ireland.

The website for Dublin Airport is: http://www.dublinairport.com

Waterford Airport

Waterford Airport serves the southeast of Ireland.

Location and Getting to Waterford Airport

Waterford Airport is located south of Waterford City on the R708, and is close to Tramore on the coast. The only way to get to and from Waterford Airport is by car or taxi. No bus or rail services presently exist.

Routes and Airlines

After the withdrawal of Aer Lingus Regional, formerly Aer Arann, Waterford airport lost its London routes. Flybe will cease operations from Waterford Airport in March 2015, and Belgian airline VLM will fly to Luton and back 12 times a week and Birmingham 4 times per week beginning in April 2015.

Aer Arann and Flybe fly to London Southend, Luton, Birmingham and Manchester.

The website for Waterford Airport is: http://www.flywaterford.com

Cork Airport

Serving the south and Ireland's third largest city.

Location and Getting to Cork Airport

Cork Airport is located 8km south of Cork on the N27. Bus Eireann and Citylink operate to and from the airport. There are no rail services and a taxi will cost approximately €10-€15.

Routes and Airlines

Aer Lingus, Wizz, Ryanair and others fly to the UK, France, Netherlands and Spain on a regular basis.

The website for Cork Airport is: http://www.corkairport.com

Kerry Airport

Serving one of Ireland's most scenic and most visited counties, Kerry Airport provides a link to Dublin and London.

Location and Getting to Kerry Airport

Kerry Airport is situated at Farranfore, approximately half way between Tralee and Killarney, on the N23. The airport is a ten minute walk to the nearest train station. Buses run to Tralee, Killarney and Limerick.

Routes and Airlines

Aer Lingus Regional and Ryanair fly to Dublin, London and Frankfurt.

The website for Kerry Airport is: http://www.kerryairport.com/

Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport carried 2.8 million passengers in 2009 and was opened in 1945 to serve as gateway to America. In the 1950s the airport became the first airport to have a duty free shop. Today Shannon Airport is the only airport in Europe to have United States pre-clearance for passengers.

Location and Getting to Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport is located west of Limerick City on the N19 which runs from the M18 Limerick-Ennis-Galway Road. Bus Eireann and JJ Kavanagh operate buses to and from the Airport to Limerick, Galway and Dublin.

Routes and Airlines

Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Air Transat, Delta and United fly to the UK, Newark, France and Spain.

The website for Shannon Airport is: http://www.shannonairport.com

Galway Airport

There are currently no scheduled services to and from Galway Airport although private aircraft can land and take off.

Location and Getting to Galway Airport

Routes and Airlines

The website for Galway Airport is: http://www.galwayairport.com

Ireland West Airport Knock

Located in a bog in the middle of nowhere, Ireland West Airport Knock is Ireland's Holy Airport. Located close to the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick and to Knock, a place of pilgrimage. Knock Airport also has a 'development fee' €10 charge applied to all passengers aged 12 or over flying from the airport. This is levied on top of any charges you have already paid to your airline and you should have cash with you as cards are not accepted for this fee.

Location and Getting to Knock International Airport

Knock Airport is located approximately halfway between Galway and Sligo on the N17. Trains don't run to the airport and car is the best option. Bus Eireann operate to Galway, Sligo and Westport.

Routes and Airlines

Ryanair, Flybe, bmibaby and Lufthansa fly to destinations across Europe. In line with its holy position flights operate to other the pilgrimage sites of Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorie.

The website for Ireland West Airport Knock is: http://www.irelandwestairport.com

Sligo Airport

There are currently no scheduled services to and from Sligo Airport.

Location and Getting to Sligo Airport

Routes and Airlines

The website for Sligo Airport is:  http://www.sligoairport.com

Donegal Airport

Serving the northwest and Donegal, a county with a long history of emigration and also temporary migration to Scotland.

Location and Getting to Donegal Airport

Located in Carrickfinn on the coast in northwest Donegal, this airport is best reached by car.

Routes and Airlines

Flybe operate to Dublin and Glasgow.

The website for Donegal Airport is: http://www.donegalairport.ie

City of Derry Airport

Northern Ireland's northwest airport.

Location and Getting to City of Derry Airport

Located in Eglinton, 10km northeast of Derry on the A2 road between Derry and Coleraine. The airport is located in postcode BT47 3GY. Ulsterbus operate a bus service to and from Derry City and a taxi will cost approximately £12.

Routes and Airlines

Ryanair fly to Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham and London Stansted.

The website for City of Derry Airport is: http://www.cityofderryairport.com

If you are coming from the USA, Australia, Italy, or anywhere other than Britain northern Spain and France, then the only reasonable way of getting to Ireland is by air.

But if you happen to be in Britain Franceor Spain, then why not take the ferry? It's slower, often cheaper, more relaxed and an adventure all rolled into one. The shortest crossing from Britain to Ireland is P&O via Cairnryan in Scotland to Larne in Northern Ireland, taking only an hour on the fastest vessel or two hours by conventional ferry it really is a short journey.

The longest journey is Brittany Ferries sailing Rosslare in the south-east of Ireland to Bilbao on the north coast of Spain. This is a mammoth journey that takes up to 32 hours!

There are quite a few ports around the coast of Ireland but nearly all the crossings will take you into an east coast port - with the exception of Cobh in Co. Cork.

Ports - Going clockwise around the island:

• Larne
• Belfast
• Dublin
• Dun Laoghaire
• Rosslare
• Cork

Larne

Situated in East Antrim, Larne is one of the most important ports on the island of Ireland and the shortest, quickest passenger crossing from Ireland to Britain operates from Larne Port to Cairnryan, Scotland by P&O. Larne lies south of the famous Glens of Antrim and makes an ideal arrival port for northbound  visitors heading into the Glens or on to the Giant's Causeway coast.

Getting to Larne

Located 22 miles north of Belfast, Larne is easily accessible sitting at the end of the A8(M) a dual carriageway under motorway regulations that links into the M2 to Belfast and on to Dublin. Larne is the northern terminus of the E01 route, linking Larne, Belfast, Dublin and Rosslare Port on the east coast of Ireland. Trains also operate to Larne and Larne Harbour railway stations.

Sailing Routes from Larne

P&O Ferries are the only operator from the Port of Larne and run regular sailings to Cairnryan and Troon. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company run special sailings to the Isle of Man when the famous motorbike racing event the Isle of Man TT is taking place.

The website for Port of Larne is: http://www.portoflarne.co.uk/

Belfast

The second largest city on the island of Ireland and the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast is no stranger to ships. Home to Harland & Wolff, Belfast was the building place of the Titanic, probably the most famous ship ever to have set sail on the ocean waves. Continuing this maritime theme Belfast Harbour is set to build a new cruise ship berthing dock to allow the next generation of cruise ships to visit the city. 2013 will see 60 ships, about 110,000 people, visiting Belfast.

Getting to Belfast

It's hard to miss Belfast, as the chief city in Northern Ireland most of the main roads will lead you to the home city of notables such as George Best, Alex Higgins, CS Lewis and the great Roy Walker. 

Sailing Routes from Belfast 

Stena Line operate from Belfast to Cairnryan in 2hrs 15mins with up to six sailings per day. They also sail to Birkenhead for Liverpool up to twice per day, taking 8 hours. The Isle of Man Steam Packet also operate sailings to Douglas

The website for Belfast Harbour is: http://www.belfast-harbour.co.uk

Dublin

Arriving in the largest city in Ireland is quite a thing, seeing the Wicklow Mountains appear on the horizon, closely followed by the 207m high iconic twin towers of the Poolbeg Power Station. 1.7 million passengers come through Dublin Port annually. Dublin of course should need no introduction here but it does make a great location for a photo tour.

Getting to Dublin Port

Ireland's motorways radiate out from Dublin like the spokes of a wheel making Dublin Port very easy to get to. With easy access from the M50 and M1 via the Dublin Port Tunnel and from the south via the East Link (both tolled roads), the port lies at the east of Dublin City on reclaimed land where the Liffey meets the Irish Sea. Buses connect the city centre with the Port, there are no trains; taxis or a long walk may be the best way to get there. Don't walk at night though!

Sailing Routes from Dublin Port

Four ferry companies operate from Dublin Port: The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Irish Ferries, P&O and Stena Line. Destinations are Holyhead in North Wales, Liverpool and Douglas on the Isle of Man. Irish Ferries also operate a Dublin to Cherbourg service once a week in winter and every two days in summer - their only route now from Ireland to France.

The website for Dublin Port is:  http://www.dublinport.ie

Dun Laoghaire - UPDATE: There are now no passenger sailings from Dun Laoghaire

The ferry route to Dublin and connecting with the London-Holyhead coach and train routes followed by a short trip on Ireland's oldest railway, the journey from London to Dublin via Dun Laoghaire was once the main route between the two cities. The Irish Mail train left London and travelled via Chester to arrive at Holyhead, passengers transferred onto the ferries crossing the Irish Sea to Dun Laoghaire.

Getting to Dun Laoghaire

Situated at the southern end of Dublin Bay, Dun Laoghaire is easily reached from the southern section of the M50 and via the N11 from Dublin. Regular DART commuter trains run to Dun Laoghaire from Dublin and other points on the East coast.

Sailing Routes from Dun Laoghaire

As of now there are no passenger ships serving Dun Laoghaire with the announcement by Stena will not run its summer HSS sailings.

There is only one sailing from Dun Laoghaire now to Holyhead on board the Stena HSS. This sailing is seasonal, running from March to September (22/03/2013 - 10/09/2013).

The website for Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company is:  http://dlharbour.ie/ 

Rosslare Europort

Rosslare Harbour was developed in 1906 by some of the railways to serve ferries between the southeast of Ireland and south Wales. It sits in what is called the 'Sunny Southeast' which sees the longest recorded sunshine hours in Ireland, surrounded by sandy beaches and traditional villages.

Getting to Rosslare

Rosslare is situated in Ireland's southeast in Co. Wexford. The N11 connects the port with Dublin, although this is not dual carriageway for all its length. The journey from Dublin to Rosslare takes approximately 2hrs 30mins.  The N24 and N25 link Rosslare to Cork and the southwest.

Sailing Routes from Rosslare

Rosslare is Ireland's most international port with passenger ferry sailings to Wales, France and Spain. Irish Ferries have as of 2019 stopped sailing from Rosslare to France but still offer a twice daily sailing to Pembroke in Wales. Celtic Link's Rosslare to Cherbourg route has now been taken over by Stena Line who also sail to Fishguard in south Wales. Brittany Ferries, previously only sailing from Cork in Ireland, have begun to operate a Wednesday and Friday sailing from Rosslare to Bilbao in Spain, returning from Bilbao on Thursdays and Sundays as well as a Rosslare to Cherbourg sailing once a week all on board their new LNG powered vessel Salamanca from November 2022 onwards.

The website for Rosslare Eurport is:  http://rosslareeuroport.irishrail.ie/home/

Cork

Cobh has a maritime history unlike any port in Ireland, it was the last port of call for Titanic before its Transatlantic journey. Cobh also saw mass emigration across the Atlantic to America, particularly during and after the Famine. Almost half of the six million emigrants from Ireland over the 100 years to 1950 left from this port, in most cases their last sight of Ireland. But today's passenger operations run from Ringaskiddy across a narrow arm of the harbour.

Getting to Port of Cork

Located 22km southeast of Cork City in the massive harbour, one of the world's largest, on Ireland's south coast. The N28 will bring you to Ringaskiddy, across from the picturesque town of Cobh.

Sailing Routes from Cobh

Only one regular ferry sailing from Cork is to Roscoff in Brittany with Brittany Ferries. This is not a year round service. Formerly the Swansea-Cork ferry route operated directly to south Wales, bypassing the road journey from Rosslare to Cork but is currently not in operation.

The website for Port of Cork is:  http://www.portofcork.ie

From the geological landscape of Slieve Gullion in South Armagh to the unparalleled Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland has plenty to offer. In fact it is full of world class landscapes and Panoramic Ireland's photo tours are the best way to see what has been hiding away in this north western corner of Europe for decades.

Northern Ireland makes for a perfect place for a photography tour and the Antrim Coast is a perfect location for a workshop over several days. The spectacular scenery of the North is only a short drive, train or bus journey away.

For the visitor who is new to Northern Ireland we provide local knowledge to allow you to access some of the best locations in Northern Ireland, not just the famous spots. Darren's first book Portrait of Armagh was published in 2009 and covers the landscapes of this small but scenic part of Northern Ireland.

We will organise a tailored itinerary with locations that will give you great subject matter and will challenge you as a photographer whether it is street, urban or landscape photography.

We come to you whether you are in Belfast or Enniskillen and a tour or workshop will typically last five hours. Our listing on Discover Northern Ireland, the Official Visitor Website for Northern Ireland ishere.

Each tour lasts approximately five hours and costs from £130/€155 with £10/€10 per extra participant. Full days are also available. Click here to book a Belfast Photo Tour and click here to book a Causeway Coast Photography Workshop.

The one-to-one and small group philosophy is intended to give you the most flexibility and the benefits include:

• You choose the location
• Take along a photographer friend for only £10
• Family friendly - take your wife / husband and kids for free
• The pace is set by you, it's possible to spend all day learning a technique or move quickly though multiple techniques and locations
• Photo tours are suitable for all fitness and mobility levels
• Borrow a tripod, umbrella or even a camera if you need one. 
• Suitable for all levels, whatever type of camera you have. All film cameras, compacts, SLRs are suitable.
• Post tour feedback is available and we can sit down to look through some images in Lightroom.

Whether it's learning how to create a panorama at the coast, practicing long exposure photography with waterfalls or taking architectural images of some of Northern Ireland's finest buildings, our photography experiences are designed to suit your interests.

Having emerged from the shadow of The Troubles the North's six counties are similar to the rest of Ireland, yet they are distinct. It's often difficult to know when you've crossed the border, but that's a good thing. Long gone are the days of security checkpoints, searches and roadblocks. Today the visitor can freely travel into Northern Ireland without any concerns except having some Sterling currency.

A typical workshop tour around the Antrim Coast would begin with photographing waterfalls, the views through the glens and finishing at the north coast for sunset.

To enquire or book a photo tour around Belfast & Northern Ireland or a workshop along the Antrim Coast then have a look at the above links or contact us here.

Don't forget that gift vouchers are available for Christmas and birthdays or just as a present to yourself.

Kilkenny Guide by Panoramic Ireland - Updated April 2024

Check out our PDF downloadable guide to Ireland's medieval city.

PDF here: https://panoramicireland.com/images/PDFs/Panoramic-Ireland-Kilkenny-Guide.pdf

Online Kilkenny Guide by Panoramic Ireland. From Kilkenny City to the scenic country villages such as Inistioge, above.

Kilkenny is one of Ireland's most charming places. Filled with medieval buildings that are still in use today, a castle, cathedral, round tower and wooded river it is also home to many of Ireland's best places to eat, drink, shop and stay.

It's a city that Panoramic Ireland knows well, the lively small city features as one of our most popular photography destinations - find out more here.

For more on our next PDF guides, sign up for the newsletter here:

Panoramic Ireland's Guide to Kilkenny - May 2019 https://panoramicireland.com/images/PDFs/Panoramic-Ireland-Kilkenny-Guide.pdf

Kilkenny City

There is no doubt that Kilkenny is one of Ireland's most charming places. Its narrow streets made from the local black limestone and lively pubs serving good food and live music combined with numerous festivals leave it obvious that Kilkenny deserves its status as Ireland's friendliest city. Kilkenny is also known as the Marble City because of the local black limestone that has been traditionally used here. When polished - as it gets with thousands of people walking over it daily, it becomes smooth and shiny, just like marble.

The small city of 26,000 inhabitants feels busier with the many tourists who flock here often on day trips from Dublin - only 90 minutes away by car, train or bus.

Kilkenny Castle, pictured above, makes for a good place to start a visit to the small and very walkable city.

Commanding a small hill overlooking and, often reflected in, the River Nore Kilkenny Castle was built in the 13th century on the site of an earlier fortification. Originally enclosed on four sides Oliver Cromwell destroyed the main wall in 1650 and it remains open to this day. Continuously used for 800 years the castle is one of Ireland's longest serving buildings.

Find Kilkenny Castle's Website here - http://kilkennycastle.ie/

At the other end of the city's 'Medieval Mile', in Irishtown, lies Saint Canice's Cathedral.

The cathedral also dates to the 13th century but is built on a site with a much older heritage. It dates to the 6th century when Saint Canice, from whom Kilkenny gets its name, founded a monastery here.

Often guarded by cats, long associated with Kilkenny, Saint Canice's is also the site of a round tower approximately 1,000 years old. As part of a visit to the cathedral it's possible to climb the 30m-high tower via a narrow staircase to the commanding views from the top.

Find Saint Canice's Website here - http://www.stcanicescathedral.ie/

Kilkenny is known as Ireland's Medieval City and it certainly is filled with plenty of unique buildings including Rothe House, a merchant's house dating to the 17th century. The tourist information office is located in another fine medieval building, Shee Alms House, pictured above.

One of the more interesting things to note about Kilkenny is it's long historical association with brewing beer and ale. Franciscan monks brewed here from at least the 14th century and a commercial brewery was established by John Smithwick in 1710, brewing Smithwick's and Kilkenny - ales enjoyed in Ireland and around the world. The brewery is home to a visitor experience while the actual brewing is carried out in Dublin nowadays.

To see Kilkenny with a creative eye, join Panoramic Ireland on a Kilkenny Photography Walking Tour and see the city with a professional photographer who has years of experience photographing for top international publications. Learn to improve your travel photography and take home better images and improved skills with your camera. To find out more see here.

To get to and from Kilkenny, options are to drive via N7 and M9 or N7 and M8 with the M9 route being the quickest taking approx. 90 minutes from Dublin City. Buses operate along the same route via Dublin Coach and JJ Kavanagh but not, strangely, Ireland's national bus operator Bus Eireann so don't go to the main bus station in Dublin looking for a bus to Kilkenny. All buses to Kilkenny leave from footpath bus stops along Dublin's quays. And finally it is also possible to take the train, Irish Rail have trains throughout the day to Kilkenny.

Kilkenny is seen as being the home of Irish craft, with a resurgence in craft making in the city and county in the 20th century, many of the best known are based here producing ceramics, textiles and jewellery. That makes the city a fine place to find genuine, locally made and designed Irish craft. 

One of the first and most influential craft makers to be based in Kilkenny in recent years is Rudolf Heltzel, a goldsmith who makes fine jewellery in his Kilkenny workshop along with his son Christopher see their website here.

Close by, on Patrick Street, with fine gardens to the rear that lead to Kilkenny Castle, Butler House is a charming guesthouse that dates back to 1786 and makes for a more than comfortable place to stay, luxury in the centre of the small city.

Kilkenny's Butler Gallery is a modern art gallery in a historic space close to the River Nore. Built on the site of a priory dating back over 800 years and a home for old, retired domestic servants from 1818 to 1997, the Butler Gallery is home to several permanant collections and changing exhibitions.

Upcoming events include a craft fair from Friday 3rd of November to Sunday 5th of November 2023 featuring the best of locally made crafts from jewellery by Christina Keogh to wood-turned bowls by Fred O'Mahony.

Download Panoramic Ireland's PDF guide to Kilkenny here: https://panoramicireland.com/images/PDFs/Panoramic-Ireland-Kilkenny-Guide.pdf

Mulligan's of Poolbeg Street, Dublin

There are quite a few pubs with the name of Mulligan's, this one on Poolbeg Street must be the oldest however. Established in 1782 Mulligan's hasn't changed much for at least 150 years. In the 20th century this was a favourite pub of journalists, The Irish Times has been based close by since 1895. Today this pub is still busy with a mixture of patrons, it specialises in Guinness and some would say, myself included, that Mulligan's does one of the finest pints of Guinness in Ireland. Famous visitors in the past include Judy Garland and John F. Kennedy.

More to come of course, if you have any suggestions for your favourite pubs in Ireland do let me know by sending a message.

O'Donoghue's, Merrion Row, Dublin

Just before we head out of the capital for some of Panoramic Ireland's favourite Irish pubs, let's stop by one of Dublin's most famous pubs - O'Donoghue's. This pub is legendary, it's white and black frontage is distinctive and it was here in the 1960s that The Dubliners, one of Ireland's most famous bands formed and played regularly. Phil Lynott is also said to have played here. Today the pub has music every night of the week and it has an authentic mix of locals and tourists alike.

Foxy John's, Dingle, County Kerry - Ireland

This is one of Ireland's most authentic pubs, doubling up as a hardware shop - note the boxes of things behind the counter here in this image as regulars enjoy a few pints, and a sandwich.

It's one of those places where a barman or barmaid can easily get work in a hardware environment due to that experience of selling pints and nails, sandpaper, hammers, saws, gloves etc... here. It would be a shame to visit Dingle and not visit Foxy John's.

Mark Hamill and the Star Wars crew had a party here when filming on the Dingle Peninsula.

Nancy Blake's, Limerick City, Ireland

This famous Limerick pub has been in the same family ownership since the 1950s, located close to the city's famous Milk Market - home of good local food, Nancy Blake's is one of those truly interesting pubs. Cosy and warm at the front but cavernous out back gives it both a friendly feel but it is also lively with regular band performances. Walk through the front door and you'd be forgiven for thinking it is an old man's bar, with not a lot of interest to the visitor but not at all, the locals and bar staff are welcoming and it's usually possible to find a good place to sit. Definitely one of Panoramic Ireland's favourite places to visit in lovely Limerick.

Kehoe's, South Anne Street, Dublin

Established in 1803 and changed little since, Kehoe's is easy to find as it is located just off Grafton Street and is always busy in the evenings (except during the lockdown obviously). It also sits close to Umbrella Street. I'm not sure if the door was built in quite such a way, my guess is that it has seen a lot of action over the past 200 years. Step inside to this fine pub and find a snug, lots of character, and upstairs, lots of creaky floorboards to tread, tables to sit at and sofas to sit on. Often Kehoe's wins Best Pint of Guinness awards and best Pub awards, with good reason.

Tynan's Bridge House Bar, Kilkenny

Established a full 100 years earlier than Kehoe's above in 1703, Tynan's was originally a pharmacy and grocer and only became a pub in 1919. Sitting on the banks of the River Nore it still retains its old charm, as you enter the front bar you step across a colourful tiled floor, with drawers that would have contained the various spices labelled in yellow writing such as cocoa nibs, epsom salts, nutmeg, allspice, rice and beeswax amongst others. I have seen it mentioned that Tynan's is Kilkenny's oldest pub but I don't think this can be true, even the building is young in Kilkenny terms and especially since, just around the corner on Kieran Street is Kyteler's Inn which dates back as an inn to the mid sixteenth century. But Tynan's is definitely one of the best pubs in Kilkenny, the main bar is a horseshoe of high chairs and little nooks. But for me the front part of the bar as seen in this image, is the nicest. Check out Panoramic Ireland's Guide to Kilkenny for more to do and see in the Marble City.

Swan Bar, Dublin

Dublin's Swan Bar dates in its current form to the last years of the 1800s but a pub has been on this site on the corner of Dublin's York Street and Aungier Street for centuries from when the the road outside was one of the most important thoroughfares in Dublin. The Victorian layout and features remain and the bar even has 'colour TV mid-week' according to the sign above the bar. A fair mix of clientele including locals from the surrounding streets and flats, Dubliners and visitors.

JJ Bowles, Limerick

JJ Bowles has a storied history having been named after a former owner, one of Ireland's most famous handball players, and occupying a building on the river that dates to the 17th century it has been a pub since 1794 making it, according to some, Limerick's oldest pub. The beer garden has fine views of the Shannon and King John's Castle or on a cold, rainy winter's evening there are cosy spots by the fire to keep warm. JJ Bowles has also been voted to have Limerick's best pint of Guinness but I wouldn't know - I had Beamish and Treaty City's fine Harris Pale Ale. Next time...

Oarsman, Ringsend, Dublin

The Oarsman, above, is one of those fine Dublin pubs with the right mix of locals and visitors alike. Conversations flow around every subject matter and it would seem to be a dog friendly establishment.

The interior is wood and clocks, the Oarsman was built in 1816 and featured in James Joyce's Ulysses, when it was known as Tunney's; it sits directly opposite the unmissable Saint Patrick's Church on the edge of Dublin's River Dodder.

I stopped here on my way to photographing Slash at Dublin's 3Arena - formerly the Point.

The Oarsman serves a great pint of Guinness and the bar staff are friendly.

This is a test post.

2022 is literally almost over as I start writing this, another epic year for the history books.

As always Panoramic Ireland managed to get outside and photograph through the Irish countryside.

Here are some of my favourite images from 2022.

The year started with colour, lots of it from Ireland's oldest city and Waterford's Walls.

Waterfordis said to be Ireland's oldest city, founded in the mid-9th century but with 914AD often given as the real date after the Viking Ragnall rebuilt the Norse stronghold.

It was home to many notable people throughout the centuries, including Thomas Francis Meagher and was the birthplace of the Irish flag in 1848.

Mind you, the City of Saints and Scholars, Armagh, was founded half a millennium earlier in 444AD when Saint Patrick established his principal church there.

And then, into the countryside for natural colour and scenery via a scenic drive.

The mountains were colourful and scenic, here the ridge is under the shadow of the broad clouds, sunshine illuminating the golden, brown colours of the mountain plain. 

The journey onwards was just as stunning as the road led off into the distance and more mountains with layer after layer in the beautiful Irish winter light.

That truly was a scenic moment, made special by the sunshine and cloud across the sky.

February saw me out in the mountains again, this time with more crisp, golden winter sunlight and it was a delight.

There was some frost and snow in February and this, one of my favourite scenes of hill farmland of small fields bounded by hedges of trees with (unfortunately) a conifer forest along the crest. Blue sky, small patches of green in the fields and bursts of yellow/orange from gorse in the hedges are a show of the winter colour from Ireland. It's true to say that so many people consider Ireland to be dreary and drab in winter, but not always as you can see here in the image below.

February 2022 also saw me in Venice, Italy - some of those images can be found here.

Then, back to Dublin for some urban photography. Here, one of my favourite Irish buildings and scenes, the Custom House on the River Liffey.

Unfortunately this iconic building had been partially illuminated with the colours of Ukraine, seen here in the arches and reflections, after the illegal invasion of the proudly independent nation by Russia.

As of the end of 2022, Ireland has taken in more than 65,000 Ukrainian refugees who would like nothing better than to be at home in their own country with their loved ones so let's hope for a better 2023 for them and us.

For the first part of the review I will leave it here, with this colourful March image of crocus flowers in my own garden.

Some days later, the countryside was blanketed in snow, here the forest as well as the fields are covered in a good dusting of white.

And another view of the scene at sunset, just because I enjoyed the colours of the sky - those pinks and reds at sunset are to the photographer's delight.

By now of course you will see that I do like colour photography.

I couldn't of course resist heading into the mountains on an epic walk, no driving involved here and I was rewarded with white all around under a blue sky.

Beyond the ridge, this untraversed wilderness in white.

And still March had more to offer...

You might not know that I do a lot of music and live performance photography, here one of my favourite rock musicians, Ricky Warwick, from The Almighty, Black Star Riders and the new Thin Lizzy.

A little black and white photography here with live performance.

Back to super colour from a warm and sunny spring in the Irish countryside, I went for a scenic drive.

Those blue skies...

And the colour continued into April with blue skies over the fantastic scenery of Cobh, County Cork. The small town on Cork Harbour is most famous for being the last stop of Titanic on the ship's voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Here, the colourful and well-known Deck of Cards Houses with their brightly painted facades sit under the lofty spire of Saint Colman's Cathedral. Ireland looks great in spring, a perfect time for a photography tour in Cork.

Good quality repainting of these impressive houses has made the street colourful again.

And a sheep who looks like it might well have just been etching the marks on this ogham stone in the countryside.

Travelling through the Irish countryside, on its small roads is colourful. This is how we get to those scenic destinations, via scenic drives.

Fine, fair weather brought me out to Rathlin Island, one of Ireland's largest inhabited islands, with stunning views back to Fair Head and the Antrim Plateau. It was hot April weather so the North Channel had a haze.

The haze continued, almost completely warping the view across Rathlin towards its East Lighthouse and Scotland's Mull of Kintyre beyond. It was a day for water and sun protection.

Fantastic fulmars in flight and nesting in pairs on the steep cliff edges. Fulmars return to the same ledge on the same cliffs year after year.

It was back to photographing more concerts, this time one of my favourite singers William DuVall who was doing an acoustic solo tour though he is better known from Alice in Chains.

Followed by the legendary Brian May of Queen, touring here as Queen+Adam Lambert in Belfast.

Out west, the summer sunsets were not disappointing in early June.

And the colour intensified before darkness.

Summer definitely has its benefits in Ireland, everything is green and the day length is long. Here is one of my own favourites of stone circles at sunset, it was a long day as I photographed for hours before finishing at a favourite location.

June is a fine month, with lots of colour from plants and wildflowers even in the upland peatbogs of Ireland. Here are a few of the wildflowers that I found on my travels.

First, Cardamine pratensis or Cuckoo-flower with its white-pink flower petals. It likes to grow in wet places, alongside streams or in this case in a wet area of Irish peat bog.

And the iconic bog cotton, Eriophorum vaginatum more commonly known as Cottongrass, this one is Harestail cottongrass. Another native plant to Ireland, in summer the waving fluffy tufts of white stand out amongst the dark greens and browns of the peat bog landscape dancing in an almost hypnotic fashion. A great coloniser of cut peat bogs, it can form large, long lasting clumps that often provide a path through wet ground. There are actually four different types of bog cotton native to Ireland. It often grows with other plants and flowers in peat bogs.

Bog cotton was historically used to make many items, including firelighters, stuffing for pillows, wound dressing and more. Although it lacks the versatility and in particular the strength of woven cotton fibres, it was often mixed with wool for textiles.

There are quite a lot of donkeys in Ireland, one in particular made famous as Colin Farrell's character's companion in The Banshees of Inisherin, but there used to be many more donkeys. Now they are usually looked after by those who care for these delicate and much parodied animals.

Here two donkeys enjoying a fine summer field.

And of course the scenic backroads that traverse Ireland, bringing you to scenes like these.

Drumlins cover much of Ireland, these hills are long and often very steep having been formed by the movement of ice across the landscape during the last Ice Age. Now covered with fields and trees, lots of trees.

More to come in the next few days so check back again to see more.