Graveyards in Ireland

The stereotype of graveyards often is that they are sombre, forlorn places but in Ireland, as indeed in many parts of the world, the graveyard is often a colourful place full of wildlife and of course most usually quiet.

Here is no exception, this small graveyard in County Tipperary shows traditional style crosses and headstones amongst bright grass under a blue sky.

No journey through the west of Ireland can be complete without seeing one of the most characterful sights of the Irish countryside, the Irish Donkey.

Here on a recent photo tour by Panoramic Ireland, we sought out horses and donkeys.

It was a hot day and in a field of energetic donkeys this one stood, resting momentarily with sunshine and shadow.

During the 19th century and for much of the last century donkeys played a vital role in rural life, doing most of the heavy work on farms before mechanisation particularly on those farms where horses were too large for the small fields or expensive to keep.

Now there are few working donkeys in Ireland but there are many neglected Irish donkeys, as a result the Irish Donkey Sanctuary looks for suitable places all over Ireland to rehouse these long-eared friendly creatures.

And thankfully so, the Irish donkey is an essential component of rural life.

So keep an eye out for the long ears sticking up over a stone wall or the loud braying sounding throughout the countryside.

Why not join me on a photography tour in the west of Ireland?

The Irish pub, scene of many a good evening but traditionally not on Good Friday one of only two days of the year when pubs are not allowed to open in Ireland - until now.

2018 sees the end of the ban on pubs opening on Good Friday due to the amendment of a law from 1927.

Slievenamon - above the snow line in winter

Braving the elements on a cold winter's day we climbed up Slievenamon, a 720m-high mountain in Ireland's Ancient East and part of the scenic Munster Vales region.

Starting along the scenic lanes we walked through green fields past pine forest with views along the Suir Valley towards the Knockmealdown, Comeragh and Galtee Mountains.

At the top it was a white and blue sky winter wonderland with iced snow coating everything, it was cold and the strong north easterly wind made it feel even colder.

Here is an image from the top of the sun and that wintry scene.

More to come on this adventure, why not join me on my next outing to learn how to photograph Irish landscapes.

For more on photography tours and workshops in Ireland contact me.

At this time of year cloudy skies are not that common but fields of green potatoes are.

Ireland is of course the land most commonly associated with potatoes and in the summer green leaves and white flowers of potatoes provide a carpet across much of the Irish countryside.

Join Panoramic Ireland, that's me by the way, and visit the Irish countryside to learn more about the Emerald Isle and how to photograph better.

There can be few places in Ireland as scenic as the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland's and Europe's most westerly point. And of course it sits on the Wild Atlantic Way.

It had been a while since I visited the rugged, mountain-filled land of rocks and beaches and a photography workshop with Patrick from Chicago was the obvious place to head to.

I have started my review of 2014 in images over on another section of the site.

Last year saw me visit many counties, cover the Wild Atlantic Way and write articles on the Antrim Coast's Game of Thrones connection and street art in Dublin as well as Belfast's peace walls - now a focal point for community based art.

Mayo and Galway - my favourite part of the west of Ireland, is it yours?

I have written recently about leading photo tours in the west of Ireland and it being one of my favourite places on the island of Ireland. By the west of Ireland in this case I mean Galway and Mayo as distinct from the southwest which is Cork and Kerry or the northwest which comprises Donegal and Sligo.

Galway is Ireland's second largest county after Cork and Co. Mayo isn't small either. Driving across both of these counties you really do get a feel for their large size. The differing landscapes between Ballinasloe in the east of Co. Galway and Clifden, capital of Connemara in the west are obvious to the traveller.

Dublin Photo Tours at the Coast

Leading photo tours around Dublin is interesting and often challenging, there are no two days the same. Despite visiting the same locations over and over again, it's hard to become tired of it. 

Irish Bogs

Irish bogs are interesting places, sometimes thought of as barren wasteground and fit only for cutting for fuel or conversion to forest, they cover approximately 12,000km² of the country.

Two types of bog are found in Ireland, blanket bog and raised bog.