It isn't always hot in Ireland, in fact the first two weeks of June 2017 saw colder than usual temperatures and, in places, double the rainfall average for the whole month.

Today, the longest day of the year has been hot, along with the past few days we have seen temperatures of over 28C.

Here on Howth Pier in County Dublin this elderly couple were enjoying the afternoon summer sun on the stone wall, and why not?

To answer the often asked questions "Is it ever sunny in Ireland?" and "Does it rain all the time?" here is proof.

It isn't always raining, cold and grey; very often it is sunny and warm, on occasions hot.

On a recent photography workshop to the Antrim Coast, specifically the Giant's Causeway, in between shooting images I made some video of the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site that is close to where I grew up and studied at University.

I have written about the Causeway in recent weeks, you can read more about that here and to book a photography tour or workshop on the Antrim Coast please contact me here.

Evening in Dublin as the stormy post-sunset light slowly turns to night via storm clouds spreading across the sky over the Irish capital's River Liffey and its modern structures - The Samuel Beckett Bridge, Convention Centre and others.

This is a place that I have photographed often but it never looks the same twice.

To join Panoramic Ireland, that's me, on a photography tour of Dublin and learn how to make panoramic images like this then find out more here.

One of the southwest of Ireland's most iconic buildings, Ross Castle is a tower house or fortified dwelling dating from the late 1400s and is typical of the architecture of the period - wealthy and powerful families lived in such defensive structures.

Seen here after sunset as the blue hour approaches, clouds race across the sky and the waters of the river run calm to give a good, but not perfect, reflection with its bright artificial lights.

In Ireland it would be easy to assume that the best sunsets are to be found on the west coast with the sun setting over the Atlantic.

The Wild Atlantic Way is certainly a great place for sunsets but the east of the country and Ireland's Midlands can boast bright, saturated, stunning evening skies as seen in this image.

After a three day photography tour on Ireland's Atlantic Coast I was travelling through the centre of the country when the bright sky attracted me off the motorway, as I wrote in a recent post here.

To view more of my sunset images see here.

And of course you can enjoy the real thing, join me on a photography tour or workshop in Ireland.

The late night landscapes of County Kerry last week were the same colour as David Bowie's room - blue, blue, electric blue.

Here, after a long day of photographing the south west of Ireland, the sun had set and light was fading leaving a bright blue to envelop the landscape on the Wild Atlantic Way.

A beautiful and colourful sight I'm sure you will agree.

Panoramic Ireland, that's me of course, create private photography tours and workshops in the west of Ireland and the east too. During blue hour and other times of day.

For more information contact me.

You never know what to expect as an outdoor photographer here in Ireland.

After a three day photography tour in the west of Ireland I was finishing up and heading home through the midlands and close to sunset I spotted a great stormy sky.

Think of spring, think of colour. Think of cherry blossom and Dublin doesn't spring to mind.

From my previous post on cherry blossom in Dublin I have had many comments expressing surprise that Dublin looks quite so colourful, that looking at the image of bright pink blossom overhanging paths it looks more to the eye like Japan or other countries associated with the beautiful flowers.

Some say it was a giant, Finn McCool or Fionn mac Cumhaill who built the causeway known as the Giant's Causeway. Finn was an Irish giant who, according to one version of the myth, was having a fight with his rival in Scotland called Benandonner.

Finn built the causeway, using rocks as stepping stones across the Irish Sea to Scotland so they could fight but when Finn realised he couldn't fight Benandonner and win, on account of the Scot's size, his wife suggested that Finn hide in the baby's cot. When Benandonner arrived looking for Finn he looked into the baby's cot and upon seeing the size of the baby, returned in haste to Scotland tearing up the causeway as he went.

The story explains why the same basalt columns are found in Scotland, on the island of Staffa particularly in a place known as Fingal's Cave - another name for Finn.

In reality the Giant's Causeway was formed some 50 to 60 million years ago when the chalk rocks of this part of Antrim were overlaid with basalt from massive volcanic activity.

Spring is here and the colour that we see throughout the countryside is quite amazing.

In particular in urban settings cherry trees are one of the most impressive displays of colour that this time of year has to offer.

Here is one of my favourite images from recent years, taken in Dublin's Herbert Park, an avenue of bright pink blossom sits low over a path and park benches.