Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
The tree tunnel is surely a photographer’s dream with its intertwining overhead branches and large tree trunks of silvery bark that take on the colour of the weather and lighting.
Originally there were around 150 beech trees planted along what was the avenue to Gracehill House at the end of the 18th century, built by the Stuart family - now almost 250 years old there are only 86 mature beech trees left.
And as of next week, there may be 11 fewer; after examination more of the Dark Hedges will be cut and significantly or taken to the stump leaving at least 75 healthy trees. Six are to be removed for definite.
This work is being carried out because of the age and neglect of this man-made natural wonder over recent decades, with lofty boughs breaking and posing potential risk to the visitors underneath.
So, will the Dark Hedges still be worth visiting in 2024? Yes I do think so, if you can get here without the crowds then yes. The location has lost a lot of its charm, having gone from grassy and shrubby verges to muddy and unsightly but for the photographer there are still elements worth photographing here.
And it will be a long time yet before all of the trees reach end of life. Of course the new trees being planted will take a longer time again to develop into what has been a quiet tourism site for decades.
Interestingly they have singled out East Galway and South Roscommon even though it looks from the map that North Tipperary, formerly an actual distinct part of the Premier County, should also be included. Especially as Nenagh in North Tipperary is forecast to get 68km/h winds while Birr in County Offaly is only expecting 57km/h and Ballinalsoe, East Galway is only forecast to get 50km/h.
There has to be a better method rather than relying solely on county boundaries, especially as places like Birr in County Offaly is only 1km from County Tipperary.
Anyhow, an orange weather warning is in effect for Tipperary, Carlow, Laois, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Longford, Louth, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Kerry and Limerick with the rest of Ireland under a yellow weather warning.
**Update** And indeed, as of 20:32 this evening, Met Eireann have updated more counties to red including: Clare Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway and Roscommon from 02:00 - 05:00 Monday 13/11/2023 with Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Meath, Wicklow, Offaly and Westmeath under a red warning from 05:00-08:00. Orange is in effect for most of these counties as well until 10:00.
Keep an eye out on met.ie for updates including upgrading and downgrading of weather warnings.
Keep safe and dry, best not to make any unnecessary journeys.
Griffith College sits close by and anyone familar with the area will know of the area's regeneration over recent years.
Parts of Portobello have seen new developments, particularly in the east close to Richmond Street.
Portobello is definitely a sought after place to live.
Here's a fine property that I recently had the privilege of viewing, up for sale currently - but I'm sure not for long.
This three bedroom, three bath villa-style house is on the market for €775,000 with Owen Reilly, find out more here: https://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/25-ovoca-road-portobello-dublin/4735851
Located just steps away from renowned eatery Bibi's, 25 Ovoca Road is a perfect location for those who want to be close to the action but live in a quiet, residential area.
Here, a boardwalk ascends through the forest, part of a long walking route through the mountains and Irish countryside.
It's easy to imagine this place as enchanted, inhabited perhaps by a púca, one of the mythological creatures in Irish and European folklore.
Soft clear light, soft red pine needles and soft green moss add to the atmosphere of the woods as a special place, as seen here in autumn.
Mischievous in nature and seen as wicked or benevolent depending on the story, there is no doubt that an encounter with a púca would be very eventful.
As we reach Hallowe'en, based on the Irish festival of Samhain at the end of October, we arrive at the traditional day of the púca on November 1st.
Here's another enchanted woodland that I photographed: https://panoramicireland.com/photo-tours-blog/116-ancient-woodland-co-kerry-ireland
I'm sure there is some statistical analysis that can be done to predict whether a leaf will fall from its petiole, 20 metres to the ground, to land and become part of the photographer's image or be swiftly carried along by the stream which is fast-flowing and narrow, wide and slow in places, to flow towards the sea.
Or indeed to be thrown on to a rock and deposited there as higher water recedes.
The green moss here vibrant from recent wet weather, the same precipitation that feeds the stream and helps to bring those dried leaves to the ground.
And it's a scenic sight, reds and greens saturating this small corner of the Irish countryside.
The challenge on this morning was to keep the camera dry, but amazingly the afternoon turned to bright sunshine and all with a warm breeze.
Of course we have heard a lot recently about a more famous lone sycamore, the one cut down at Sycamore Gap along Hadrian's Wall in England.
We enjoyed bright sunshine at the end of September here in Ireland's uplands as sheep grazed all around.
Traditionally the start of August marks the begining of autumn in Ireland, meteorologically though September begins the season.
If you can't travel to Ireland, consider helping to keep Panoramic Ireland going by donating to cover the costs of maintaining the site and travelling through Ireland.
A case in point, here in the northwest, in County Donegal this landscape of granite mountains covered in a soft, boggy carpet with just delicate highlights and shadows across the empty scene.
This, a glaciated valley features steep sides hundreds of metres in height.
Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph landscapes like these.