I have written about Torc Waterfall in County Kerry before, my last visit was during the winter on a trip to the Kingdom that saw me photograph snow on the mountains and visit some of the finest sections of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way.

Here, what is probably Ireland's most photographed waterfall, Torc cascades from behind a natural green curtain of foliage, notably brighter than in the winter image featuring only the darker shades of evergreen holly.

A recent photography tour in County Donegal brought us to the edge of a mountain to photograph the landscape of Ireland's most northerly county.

The weather was overcast, torrential rain had put an early end to photographic pursuits the previous evening, so despite a long journey across the country we headed off to photograph at least a few of the scenes missed.

Just off the boggy path, sodden from the recent heavy precipitation, we spotted a relaxed sheep just sitting on the edge of a rock. 

With a smile it watched our every move, unperturbed by our presence and the glass of our long lenses pointed right at it.

No doubt finding mirth at our clumsy perambulation across the narrow, slippy track.

For a time this was the most photographed sheep in Donegal, and the most accommodating, as it continued with its perfect pose for some time.

A moment of utilitarianism.

On we went in search of waterfalls and ancient ruins.

Join Panoramic Ireland, that's me, to photograph in the Irish mountains or the urban wilderness of Dublin.

Today, August 31st, marks the end of summer - meteorologically speaking - as the three hottest months of the year have now passed.

The weather has already begun to change with cooler temperatures and full, grey skies overhead in recent days.

That of course doesn't mean that the good weather is gone for the year.

Oh no, we are just about to get into the brightly coloured season of autumn where we still get plenty of sunshine and all that character in the countryside.

Why not join me, Panoramic Ireland to photograph in autumn, winter, spring or summer in Ireland.

On a recent photography tour in Cobh, County Cork we stopped to photograph the town's best known features - the hilly seaside street with colourfully-painted houses known as the Deck of Cards, and the lofty Saint Colman's Cathedral.

It was my first time visiting the seaside town since before the lockdown began in March 2020 and within moments it became obvious that something had changed since I took my last image. The previously colourful street had lost much of its character with recent colour changes.

From yellow, orange and red - bright, bold colours that clash with the blue and turquoise just a few doors away - to grey, beige and some other indescribable colour; becoming almost identically non-descript.

It's almost as if the owners hate their homes being photographed so much that they have decided to paint them some horrible colour to discourage the camera-wielding tourists.

Ireland has seen some weather in the past few weeks of summer 2021. A heatwave covered the island in a thick layer of warm air with temperatures regularly in the high 20s Celsius, even reaching 31.4C.

Then, the inevitable rainy weather where now, a week later, we are seeing rain and wind and unseasonably cold weather of 14 to 16 degrees Celsius.

Yet it's not all doom and gloom, the weather often gives landscape photographers a fine spectacle at sunset.

That's what we got tonight as a full day of rain cleared to give a cloudy sunset with spreading rays of orangey-red light across the sky. Quite an experience, initially we saw the rays of sunshine lighting up the landscape so turned to find the view obscured somewhat as we were photographing from behind a tall hedge; after spending some time and effort climbing through hawthorns and elder to get a clearer view of the final burst of colour in the sky and were not disappointed.

Join Panoramic Ireland, that's me, for a landscape photography adventure in the Irish countryside.

Summer in Ireland, it's a fine season - warm winds, long days and occasionally a heat that envelops everything. It isn't the first thing people think of when they think of Ireland; usually changeable conditions and rain is what comes to mind, not the 31C-plus temperatures that the island has seen in July 2021.

In most years there is a balance, warm days and mild nights; rain followed by sunshine and so on. This year we have had a cold and wet start to spring and summer, but the second half of July 2021 has made up for a lot of that with record breaking temperatures across the northern half of Ireland.

From a scenic drive through the Wicklow Mountains on a fine, summer's day.

The long and open road looks almost plonked down across the sloping, almost treeless landscape of the Irish countryside only 40 minutes from Dublin City.

This road, closed due to snow in winter and melting under scorching sun in the summer, is a fine example of the scenic drives in Ireland.

Join Panoramic Ireland for a photography tour/workshop/experience in the scenic Irish countryside in 2021, 2022 and beyond.

July 2021 has brought some interesting weather to the island of Ireland with a new record for Northern Ireland set in Armagh at 31.4 degrees Celsius. Unusually for summer, Ireland has had warmer temperatures than neighbouring Britain for much of the month and a 'Tropical Night' was recorded when night-time temperatures didn't drop below 20C.

So far the hottest place has been Armagh with a recorded temperature of 31.4 Celsius on July 22nd 2021.

Known as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, with both the heads of the Catholic Church and Church of Ireland being based in the city founded by Saint Patrick in 444AD, Armagh sits in a drumlin belt (hills created by the movement of ice across the landscape) that stretches across Ireland from County Down on the Irish Sea to County Mayo on the Atlantic.

Here, overlooking the City of Saints and Scholars, both of Armagh's cathedrals dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland can be seen in the green landscape of the lush Irish summer countryside. In the distance the twin peaks of Sawel and Dart in the Sperrins - a mountain range running through Tyrone and Derry.

Ireland is currently (July 18th 2021) in the grip of a heatwave, one that has seen high temperatures all over the island including Northern Ireland's highest recorded temperature of 31.2C.

There are few breezes and little cloud or rain, the beaches are packed and tourist hotspots are literally that - hotspots, in more than one way.

So instead of photographing in the famous places it's time to head to the lesser known parts of the Irish countryside.

Here I found a small, lush and green woodland. Even in the dry heat of summer 2021 this place still holds on to moisture and the bright green colour associated with Ireland.

Perfect for landscape photography and for some forest bathing or shinrin-yoku.

To escape the crowds and experience the hidden places in Ireland, join Panoramic Ireland for a private photography tour in the Irish countryside.

As you may have already heard, July 19th will see a number of restrictions eased in regards to COVID / Coronavirus in Ireland.

The world's most restrictive lockdown will be no more, in time for the arrival of the Indian or Delta variant.

Travel into Ireland from overseas will be relaxed so if you are looking to find out more about travel to Ireland after Covid then look no further.

The Common Travel Area (Ireland and Britain) is separate to the EU Schengen rules, and travel from Britain will be eased to allow visitors to not have to go into quarantine. The hotels they use for mandatory hotel quarantine do little for the reputation of the country's tourism sector; no local would want to stay there and thankfully if you are visiting from Britain, the USA and Europe you won't have to from the middle of the month!

There's something about the smell of the coast - a fresh Atlantic Ocean breeze, sunshine and recently passed rain.

And it's the smell of nature after rain that will be very familiar to anyone who spends much time outdoors, even in the urban environment, indeed a typical Irish town will have that particular post-pluvial odour caused by a mix of geosmin from gardens, parks and hedges and ozone from concrete and tarmac.

Of course the smell of the countryside, fields and forests the same.

And that smell has a name, Petrichor which comes from the Greek petros for stone and ichor which was the blood of the gods.