I'm not boasting but Ireland is surely one of the best countries to live in. It's scenic, there is no doubt, it's compact and easy to get around.

There is nowhere better to be at sunset than the west of Ireland, the mountains and valleys soak up the low rays of sunshine coming from the Atlantic.  

Ballymoe is a typical rural Irish village, a sleepy backwater, lying in the east of County Galway in the province of Connacht. It has developed around the traditional crossing point over the River Suck that forms the boundary of counties Galway and Roscommon.

Surrounded by bogland in the midlands of Ireland, it has a typical mixture of colourful houses, pubs, shops and a Catholic church on its long main street.

Providing services to local residents and as a through road for travellers heading between Roscommon and Galway, Ballymoe certainly doesn't see much action, you know, it's the kind of place that has a few tractors parked outside the butcher's shop or Post Office.

On a recent evening spent photographing in 'the West', that's the west of Ireland, Connemara to be exact, after sunset I was looking for something extra to capture. A small babbling brook, or something other than the scenic landscapes that had made up the bulk of my subject matter hither to.

I happened upon a small harbour on the edge of a lake, with a boat moored and some great reflections but I thought this location would be best photographed in the morning and it was now 22:00 in late June, bright but with no direct sunlight.

Vouchers for Photo Tours in Dublin & Ireland

We often get asked if we can provide vouchers for photography tours and experiences, and the answer is always yes. To buy a voucher please send us an email enquiry through the website at the contact page. Currently it is possible to buy specific dates for Dublin Photo Tours through the secure booking system that accepts PayPal by the way! 

Spending time at Glendalough, particularly on summer weekends, moments of peacefulness can be few and far between as Wicklow's most popular location gets more than 1 million visitors every year.

How can Polar Bears be of Irish Ancestry?

An interesting story in the press recently deals with the threatened polar bear (Ursus Maritimus) of which there are 20,000 left in the wild. Recent studies analysing DNA from brown bear bones found in Irish caves reveal that modern polar bears have a maternal Irish ancestor. So it would appear that it isn't just the descendants of the Irish diaspora who can trace their ancestry to Ireland.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Daffodil Day here in Ireland. Raising awareness and funds for the Irish Cancer Society, the daffodil has come to symbolise the fight against cancer.

I recently decided to head into the mountains; with the good weather that we had over the recent St. Patrick's Day long weekend I thought where better than the Dublin Mountains. The image above is a view over Dublin as seen from Ticknock with some of the various places marked. In this image it is possible to see Lansdowne Road (now renamed the Aviva), Croke Park, the National Convention Centre, Dublin Port and Liberty Hall.

If you are coming to Dublin in 2013, Grafton Street will be getting a makeover.

The heart of Dublin's patron saint, St. Laurence O'Toole (LorcánUa Tuathail) has been stolen from Christchurch Cathedral in the heart of the city.