We've had snow so far this winter in Ireland, here's a post from earlier this month at the start of December 2019 of snow in the Irish mountains.

But it looks like it will be a snow-free Christmas on the Emerald Isle.

So, here's an image from this week, a few days before Christmas from the west of Ireland.

This weekend's journey through the Irish countryside, snow in the mountains of Ireland above lush, sunlit green fields.

I travelled through the narrow, twisty mountain roads to find a colourful scene with green fields and warm sunlight under blue sky and a healthy dusting of snow.

This scene reminded me of another image from a few years ago, again of green fields with snowy mountains above - here.

It's almost Christmas, the end of another year and another decade; here at Panoramic Ireland we have been busy photographing Dublin as always.

2019 has reached December and, for the second year, more than a dozen of Dublin's buildings and streets have been illuminated to give the city a more welcoming feel.

Ireland doesn't get a lot of snow but when it does it is a sight for sore eyes. Here the mountains of the west of Ireland sit icy white above the golden colours of the bogland landscape.

I have written about snow a lot before here on Panoramic Ireland, here are some more articles.

Dublin's Winter Lights have illuminated some of the city's famous buildings for the second year. Created by Dublin City Council the lights switch on at sunset every night in December and stay on until 02:00.

There are 14 buildings and areas in total, including Trinity College, Hugh Lane Gallery and Christchurch.

As well as the buildings there are a few streets and Dublin's Millennium Bridge pictured above. This bridge has in recent times become known as the Rainbow Bridge and is back for winter 2024.

Landscape photography is a fine pursuit; much like the angler will appreciate the solitude, or camaraderie, to be found on a riverbank or lakeside so too the landscape photographer enjoys an evening out on the coast surrounded by nature.

Here is no exception, the famous basalt columns of Northern Ireland's world-famous World Heritage Site Giant's Causeway had done their work for the day and the last feet had been lifted off these natural regular-sided stepping stones.

A woodland river flowing and swirling through the rocks under the tree canopy high above.

It just takes time, time for the action of the flowing water to finally erode the obstacles in its way, slowly carving a fine channel through even a tough, durable rock such as granite.

Trinity College is most famously associated with the Book of Kells, a national treasure, and the Long Room Library in which it is housed.

But the campus of Ireland's oldest university, founded in 1592, is a peaceful haven away from the busy streets of the Irish capital.

A landmark in the university grounds, and indeed in Dublin itself, the campanile stands at 100ft or just over 30 metres and is one of the city's most photographed structures.

Beech trees fagus sylvatica are one of the finest trees to find in an Irish woodland.

This non-native species was introduced at some point in history, many centuries ago at least, and has become so widespread that it would appear to be a native Irish tree.

A lot has been written about scenic drives in Ireland, there is the Wild Atlantic Way as well as the Causeway Coastal Route to name two routes but the whole country is scenic.

For instance, County Kerry's Dingle Peninsula is a scenic drive worth making, read more here.