As of September 10th 2020, Ireland still remains the most difficult country in Europe to get into and out of.

International travel is currently still possible but with a mandatory 14 day quarantine and no allowance made for negative tests, the number of visitors coming to Ireland has fallen significantly and the Irish government has asked Irish people not to travel for non-essential reasons such as for holidays.

Pubs in Ireland are currently still closed, except for those that can serve food - a substantial meal. And although a date has been set for the 21st of September, in the same breath members of the government were advising that this date might not be possible due to public health advice.

Dublin and Limerick are experiencing large increases of cases, more so than the three counties of Laois, Offaly and Kildare that had restrictions of movement placed on them for several weeks in August.

It seems like the Irish government are still working on a county by county basis rather than a municipal basis. Restricting movement at a town or district level would make much more sense for those who know Ireland.

For instance, should an outbreak occur in Portumna, County Galway the current policy would involve restrictions on movement in the whole of that large county, Ireland's second largest. That means a 2.5-hour drive away in Clifden, there would also be restrictions yet in this majestic small town, pictured, nestled behind the Twelve Bens beside the Atlantic Ocean there may no increase, even a decrease in cases or none at all. To put this in context, Portumna is only a 2 hour 10 minutes drive from Dublin, the Irish capital and the same journey time to Cork.

So it is obvious to many that a county by county basis is not a workable option for lockdowns or restrictions on movement in Ireland as schools and the economy, pubs and international travel reopens.

What the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has shown is that travel is certainly now more difficult even to standard, normal, safe destinations. It is possible to be faced with cancellations, delays and restrictions without warning.

It's always worth having good travel insurance and never more important than now so check out this roundup of the best deals from Money.

Indeed Matt Damon who is now filming The Last Duel in Cahir, County Tipperary remained in Ireland during the first lockdown in Spring 2020.

Stormy day in Dublin, looking across the River Liffey towards the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the jigsaw building.

A colourful day in the Irish capital, the River Liffey reflecting some of the colour of the sky and the quayside buildings.

I wrote a few weeks ago about that magical moment on top of Croagh Patrick with a wide open panorama and brocken spectre - an atmospheric phenomenon.

You can read about that here, this was on that same fine climb with the plains of Mayo spread out below, the long stony path leading up into the cloud line and the landscape that awaits beyond.

For me photography is about capturing moments and creating a sense of place - Ireland really is my place, from the western landscapes to urban Dublin.

And with my cancer journey over the past two years it has been places and moments like this that keeps spirits high, sometimes reminiscing and sometimes getting out into the countryside to photograph.

Weather plays a big part in outdoor photography, here the evening was cloudy and getting dark after a decent amount of sunlight during the day.

With little hope for sunlight we instead hoped for some interesting clouds and we weren't disappointed. There was plenty of movement and gaps in the cloud cover.

Blue hour came a little early but was well received.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph in Ireland's West and anywhere else in the Irish countryside.

Now little more than half an outline of a shipwrecked boat, the rotting planks that make up Bad Eddie's Boat, marooned on a Donegal beach since 1977, may soon become a more lasting figure if locals can raise enough funds to recreate the tourist attraction as a stainless steel work of art.

Overlooked by the long abandoned Óstán Gweedore, the monolithic hotel perched above the beach in Bunbeg, Bad Eddie's Boat is to be surveyed by a team from Queen's University in Belfast with the intention of recreating the structure as Ireland's first piece of submersed beach sculpture.

Seen here in 2014, the sea has not been kind to Bad Eddie's Boat. Eddie brought the French-built ship ashore here for repairs in 1977 and it has remained here ever since, providing interest to locals, visitors and artists alike.

Bono and Clannad recorded a video here for their famous track In a Lifetime back in 1986.

One of the finest and largest castles in Ireland, Cahir Castle was begun in 1142 and most of what is extant dates to the late 14th century. Situated on the River Suir, Cahir Castle is one of those fairytale castles that could be mistaken for a film set rather than a real castle. It was built by the O'Briens of Thomond.

Indeed it has featured in many films and TV series including Excalibur and The Tudors, now it is being turned into a medieval French chateau for the latest Matt Damon film The Last Duel. Based on a true story of the last official duel fought in France in 1386 between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris it is directed by Ridley Scott and in addition to Matt Damon, it stars Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. It will film during September at the castle.

Cahir Castle is surrounded on three sides by water and for centuries controlled the crossing of the mighty River Suir, a strategic waterway leading into the interior of Ireland.

The list of people who haven't had a coffee or tea in Dublin's most famous coffee shop, Bewley's on Grafton Street, is short.

For decades it has been a meeting place for visitors to the Irish capital, friends rendezvousing for a coffee, cake and a chat at the central location.

Bewley's has also had real ups and downs in recent years, stuck with incredibly high rents on one of the most expensive streets in the world, with upward only rent reviews even during major economic downturns such as the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19 and an incredibly uncaring landlord who - rightly or wrongly - wanted to collect all that rent regardless.

It closed in 2015 for a large scale refurbishment that took three years.

So 2020 saw Bewley's close again, for good it seemed back in May, however, late August 2020 saw the famous café reopen to cater to those in Dublin who want something with culture and a tasty coffee; Bewley's roast their own coffee and blend their own teas and for those not in Dublin you can find their beans and ground coffee in supermarkets or online - so for all you English speakers living in the EU looking for good coffee and tea, why not try some of Bewley's finest.

Ireland is usually seen as the Emerald Isle, with its abundance of green landscapes and old buildings.

Weather plays a big part in the mood of the Irish countryside, and often the conditions make it difficult to photograph those stereotypical, iconic scenes.

Soft scenes like this, with waves washing gently over pebbles below a grey sky - most of the green here seen in the colour of the ocean, make up a large part of the landscape photographer's collection in Ireland.

For when the weather isn't quite a s good as it should be.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to learn how to photograph coastal landscape scenes like these.

Photographing seascapes in Ireland is never boring. The varied geology of the Irish coast makes it interesting to say the least.

Here along the Wild Atlantic Way many rocks are evident, sedimentary layers are visible inclining out of the Atlantic while behind igneous rocks form the foreshore.

The rough sheep grazing land stretching uphill is dotted with rocks.

More seascapes can be found here with information on Panoramic Ireland's coastal photography workshops.

Bright sunlight and architecture always works well in photography.

What often doesn't work is shooting against or towards the sun, contre-jour - as seen here in this image.

Photographing through the windows here has allowed me to make the most of the tricky lighting, giving a starburst effect and emphasising the strong sunlight and shadows in the window heads.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph scenes like these, to make the most of the weather, lighting and the Irish countryside with its myriad attractions.