As I write this, in the middle of August, Ireland sits under a large rainy weather system, it's warm with little wind but a lot of rain. So much so that there is a weather warning in place for 14 counties.

A storm will arrive later in the week, the remnants of tropical storm Kyle coming across the Atlantic.

Here, an image from May - bright colour from the southeast of Ireland with a carpet of flowers of blue, yellow and green foliage.

The blue flowers are speedwell Veronica umbrosa and originate in Georgia.

The yellow flowers are native to Ireland, well-known as meadow buttercups Ranunculus acris.

Sheep find shelter on a lonely, almost treeless landscape in the Irish mountains.

At the end of a photography workshop, after photographing a small river and waterfalls we found this Irish scene of lush green trees, empty landscape and sheep sheltering behind tufts of vegetation.

And of course it made a scene worth photographing, different to those landscapes that we had spent the morning capturing, but as interesting as any scene.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, on a photography workshop in Ireland - from Dublin to Galway, Kerry to Antrim.

Ireland is a small country, there is no doubt about that but it has surprising variation in geography across its landscape of 486km by 275km.

Here, one of the best known mountains in the country - especially around Dublin - is the Sugarloaf, the tallest peak seen here just right of centre.

This image comes from winter, on a Panoramic Ireland photography workshop in the Irish mountains.

Ireland has seen more than its fair share of stormy weather this summer, as I write we have thunderstorms and heavy rain with very warm temperatures.

This weather of course gives rise to rainbows, this one seen here shining over an old abbey building dating to the 12th century.

These stones have stood here for 800 years, the rainbow lasted mere minutes. 

It got me wondering, how many rainbows has this old building in the Irish countryside seen?

Now there's a thought, but even without an answer it was still a fine sight.

I have written about rainbows here on panoramicireland.com before, here are a few of my favourites: 

https://panoramicireland.com/blog-ireland-guide/croagh-patrick-pilgrimage-brocken-spectre-ringed-glory-irish-mountain

https://panoramicireland.com/photo-tours-blog/rainbow-portobello-dublin

https://panoramicireland.com/miscellaneous-blog-category/stormy-day-weather-brings-delights-ardglass-co-down-northern-ireland

A Good long time ago now here on panoramicireland.com I posted A View Over Dublin, showing the city and some of its locations.

In that image, Dublin Port is just visible to the right hand side but the Irish Sea and Dublin Bay isn't; so I thought why not a view of the Irish capital in its famous surroundings of the Bay and the Irish Sea.

In this image above a scene over Dublin Port, Dun Laoghaire, Howth (the headland just right of centre) and Ireland's Eye beyond. Dollymount Strand is also clearly visible. Dublin Bay is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

This image also contains an interesting clue as to when it was taken, if you can guess what that is then send me an email with your answer and you could win one of my private photography tours of Dublin.

Answers should be received no later than 23:59 Irish Time on September 5th 2020 - so get those eyes working.

I have written about Connemara here on panoramicireland.com many times before, including here.

It's a place that I know well, a place that I have photographed many times. Often I have stood in the rain, capturing the misty scenes of this part of Ireland, many times I have captured fine sunsets and explored the region's beauty.

Here a scene of fast moving clouds and ruffled water zooms past a tree-laden island and barren mountainside, a riot of colour.

Carrickfergus Castle was begun by John de Courcy in 1177.

De Courcy was an Anglo-Norman knight who came to Ireland at the behest of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, who sought the English King Henry II's help in becoming King of Ireland.

With no inheritance in England due, no lands and title - de Courcy set off from the southeast of Ireland to the north, and effectively defeated any opposition in County Down and County Antrim. Thus begins a turbulent millennium of English involvement in Ireland.

Stormy day spray off the sea brings a fine double rainbow that extends below the horizon.

Little is visible of the scenes beyond, the rugged Irish coastline extending beyond into the distance.

But the presence of a double rainbow, seemingly floating in the view offshore, is enough to make the rainy afternoon worthy of exploring with camera especially with that little glint of light - the hope of brighter weather to come.

A storm rolls in from the northwest, across the North Atlantic towards the Sea of Moyle and in the distance the islands of the west of Scotland - Islay and Jura amongst others.

In the foreground sits Rathlin Island, one of the largest islands off the coast of Ireland.

The last warm colour of the evening's daylight fades as deep cloud fills the sky and rain obscures the horizon.

The Sea of Moyle sits between the northern part of Antrim, known as Moyle and stretches across to Scotland at the Mull of Kintyre. It forms part of the North Channel, that part of the Irish Sea north of the Isle of Man to the north coast of Northern Ireland, where the Irish Sea meets the open Atlantic again.

Interestingly the North Channel was the scene of the first success by the United States Navy under the command of John Paul Jones and his ship the USS Ranger against the HMS Drake in 1778. A battle almost took place in Carrickfergus before both ships met again a few days later in the East Antrim town on the 24th of April. Jones and his reluctant crew, in it for the money but not glory, successfully defeated HMS Drake after blasting the sails and masts to slow it down. The British ship had superior numbers but was poorly crewed and its guns were not in good working order.

John Paul Jones was from Scotland and along with Commodore John Barry from Wexford in Ireland is considered a founding father of the United States Navy.

The Sea of Moyle, as seen in the above image, was the location of one of the three places where the Children of King Lir were banished to live as swans for 300-years by their evil stepmother - a famous story in Irish mythology.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph the scenes, seascapes and landscapes of the Antrim Coast, Wicklow, Galway and all points in between.

I have written about Croagh Patrick many times here on Panoramic Ireland, most recently with the story of a brocken spectre panorama.

And here is a view from the other side of this majestic peak situated out on the Atlantic Coast of County Mayo in Ireland's west.