I took a return to Dublin's famous swimming location, the 40-Foot or Forty Foot on Dublin Bay recently.

Swimmers were braving the not-so-cold, but stormy waters of the Irish Sea south of Ireland's capital on Dublin Bay.

A beautiful place to swim, to visit and to photograph I'm sure you'll agree.

Here, one of my previous visits: https://panoramicireland.com/blog-ireland-guide/forty-40-foot-dublin-irish-sea-swimming

Dublin's Forty Foot is one of the most famous swimming spots in Ireland, and possibly the world.

With recent visitors including Matt Damon, Loudon Wainwright III and of course me, the Forty or 40-Foot also featured in James Joyce's Ulysses.

I have of course written here on Panoramic Ireland about the 40-foot, where I mentioned that the water is definitely not 40 feet deep. The name of this small coastal area in Sandycove comes from the 40th Regiment of Foot, a regiment of the British Army that were stationed here.

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.

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.

Dublin's Forty Foot is a famous swimming location, perhaps one of the most famous in the world, attracting the likes of Loudon Wainwright III when he visits Ireland and thousands of locals on Christmas Day each year.

Despite the name, the Forty Foot is not home to waves forty feet high, nor is the water forty feet deep. The Forty Foot was home to the British Army's 40th Regiment of Foot, hence the name Forty Foot or 40 Foot.

Anyway if it was forty feet deep we would have to rename it to "The 12.2 Metre" or "The Twelve Metre".

Here is one of my videos made at the Forty Foot on Christmas Day 2018, when thousands of people turn out to swim in the cold Irish Sea, many for charity and good causes but also for a challenge and some fun.

They liken Killiney Bay to the Bay of Naples. The coastal area south of Dublin is a very scenic place but I can't see the resemblance, I've been to Naples and climbed Vesuvius.

Yet Killiney Bay is a beauty, accessible by DART (commuter train) from Dublin and with fine walks and views it offers the visitor a flavour of the real Ireland without travelling too far.

Since 1974 the outline of The Irish Trader, a coal transporting ship, has made an interesting focal point on the long sandy beach at Baltray County Louth on Ireland's Irish Sea coast.

I have written about previous visits to The Irish Trader shipwreck here.

I decided to revisit the old, rusting frame this month, July 2018, to see exactly what remains and what damage has been done in recent storms during autumn and winter 2017/2018.

Pink sky in the morning, day breaks as the sun nears the horizon once again spilling colour throughout the seascape without a care.

Announcing loudly that today is going to be bright and colourful, the Irish Sea plays its part in the directive - let's make this one to remember.

And it certainly was a sunrise to remember, the colours and warming glow made us stop in awe, of course we were there to photograph such a scene and we were not disappointed.

Planning only takes you so far, then there is adaptation to what nature is giving at any moment.

Come and join me on a morning photography adventure in Ireland; find and photograph scenes like these on one of Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops and tours - for everyone.

A Peaceful Moment

On a recent journey on the Irish Sea, having left port we passed a windfarm with many turbines and on the calm surface of the sea a dolphin gently breaks.

Landscape photography is not always about epic hikes and early starts, the beauty of the landscape is often right there in front of us at any time of day.

In the aftermath of Storm Desmond who swept across Ireland in the first week of December 2015 and despite warnings from infamous TV reporter Teresa Mannion these Irish men and women kept alive the brave daily tradition of swimming in the country's coastal waters year round.

Despite strong winds and heavy sea swells, the morning was bright and cheery. No sign of a clear sunrise for the photographer but plenty of soft sunlight that helped me to instruct my student during the early morning photography workshop close to Dublin on the Irish Sea.

Our morning's start was late as sunrise in Dublin in December is approx. 08:20, compared to an unsociable 04:55 in June.