I have photographed many cows throughout Ireland over the years but rarely somewhere as scenic as this.

On top of a grassy hill in County Wexford, the south-eastiest part of Ireland's sunny south-east we came across a herd of grazing cattle enjoying the bright summer weather.

And here it was as we were photographing the bright pastoral scene that my clients, a Swiss couple, told me of EdelAlp - a scheme where you can sponsor a cow for the summer. 

The mountain pastures above Verbier in Switzerland, a good bit higher than the hill pictured here, are home to Herens cows which are a small breed perfectly suited to the slopes.

For the summer, you can go and visit your cow in her pasture and at the end of the season you get a 5kg wheel of cheese.

A smart idea and one that might also work in parts of Ireland, with Irish breeds of cow.

Now, which of these lovelies would you sponsor?

On we went to find more scenes to photograph.

To join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph in Ireland use the contact page to enquire about places and availability.

Winter is a perfect time for photography in Ireland, there are stormy days and calm days like here in this image - days with bright golden sunshine.

The Mournes are one of my favourite places to photograph in Ireland, situated in County Down, about an hour south of Belfast; Slieve Donard, pictured here, reaches 850m above sea level and is the highest peak in the Irish province of Ulster.

The recent cold weather, icing over the roads and landscape of Ireland, has ended for now but winter is really only getting started.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, in the winter months when Ireland is much more quiet, to photograph in the Mourne Mountains of County Down, or the Giant's Causeway, Belfast or Dublin.

Summer, or the light half of the year, ends at Halloween or more accurately, Samhain, in the Irish tradition.

Here, a sunset seascape from the Irish coast as the light half of the year ends, the Celtic new year begins and although this will be the dark half of the year, the light will be fantastic.

While daylength shortens now until the winter solstice on December 21st, what light we do get is often bright, clear and colourful. 

On those rainy, cloudy days where the sun really doesn't make an appearance the light is still great for photography.

Autumn, winter and spring are perfect seasons for photography and with the added bonus of fewer tourists, Ireland in winter should be a photographer's preference.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to learn how to photograph and to see Ireland. Tours and workshops available all year round.

Two friendly Irish donkeys in the Irish countryside, a field of green and yellow under a drumlin.

The donkey, Equus asinus would have been a common sight in Ireland before the age of the tractor, now a rare enough treat to spot these friendly creatures although I have photographed and written about them before here on Panoramic Ireland.

The drumlin is the hill in the background with cows, a drumlin (Irish word used in geomorphology) is a hill formed by glacial action - the ice moving along flat ground and sculpting it through mechanical action.

Ireland has no shortage of fine mountain and valley scenery, despite having no large mountains - nothing over 1,040 metres above sea level.

Here in late summer, one of many such Irish landscapes, the small buildings with tin roof, rusted from years of exposure - standing out amongst the green of the west of Ireland, mirrored in the bright colours of the rowan berries from the mountain ash in the foreground.

A cloud filled sky creates a light and shadow patchwork over the steep slopes of this countryside scene.

Join Panoramic Ireland to photograph in the west of Ireland.

The Mourne Mountains are the highest and most dramatic mountains in Northern Ireland.

The Mournes sit some 35 miles south of Belfast and visible from parts of the city, most notably those views served as inspiration to CS Lewis for Narnia in his famous tales.

Composed mainly of granite the Mourne Mountains are rugged and peaky, crossed by many paths and surrounded by lush green countryside as seen here.

And of course, the Mournes are the subject of a famous song by Percy French called Mountains of Mourne.

The whole town of London stood there to look on

But for all his great powers, he's wishful like me

To be back where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea

Here in the image below, Slieve Donard at the highest point in the Mournes at 853m as the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea under a sky filled with sunrays that would inspire any writer or musician, or indeed photographer.

Join Panoramic Ireland to photograph in the scenic landscapes of the Mourne Mountains and County Down.

Snow has finally arrived, the 9th of March 2022 and a decent amount too but it is unlikely to last for long.

Ireland has been under a weather warning for wind, rain and snow over the past two days.

When this snow melts, expect flooding.

For now, the landscape is quiet and the colour of the countryside is temporarily changed from green to white.

Saint Patrick's Day is close, March 17th, and we will expect to see a lot more green in Ireland over the next few weeks.

So, to answer one of the most common questions about Irish weather - does it snow in Ireland? - well yes, it does but it's hard to say when it will happen.

Count yourself lucky to experience it unless you have to get somewhere, because the back roads can be treacherously slippy.

Ireland is currently under a blanket of snow and while spring has started snow is not unusual in March. 

Indeed a few years ago, in 2018, we had heavy snowfall on Saint Patrick's Day and much of the month we had heavy snow with the 'Beast from the East' - although that term has taken on new meaning in recent weeks.

It will only be a short snowfall though, there is no more in the forecast and it will mostly be melted in a few days.

Time to look forward to the longer days of late spring and early summer.

Above is a fine sunset from the west of Ireland.

Join me in photographing the landscapes and coast of Ireland in 2022, send me an email to enquire for availability or ask any questions.

Ireland's Wicklow Mountains are scenic throughout the year, in any season.

Seen here in winter with a little snow in the distance, the colour red dominates the wild landscape under a blue sky. Although Ireland is mostly green, even through the winter, there are places that are less so.

If you are looking for something to do close to Dublin when you are in Ireland, take Panoramic Ireland's Wicklow Photography Workshop to see and photograph this stupendous county.

For more information contact me.

After my last post mentioning the lack of snow thus far in winter 2021-2022, a vista of fresh snowfall in Ireland, the green of the Irish countryside whitened for a short time.

In places, particularly the northwest of the country, enough snow fell to make travel hazardous but further south and east there was only a dusting of snow as seen here.

As of the afternoon, almost all of this snow has gone save for some at the foot of the deep hedges seen here where the sun doesn't reach, behind the orange and green gorse in the middle of the image.

There is a lengthening of daylight as we edge closer to the start of meteorological spring (you might have seen my posts about traditional spring beginning on February 1st) and despite the storms of recent weeks, the days are getting brighter.

Of course with the Irish weather being so unpredictable we still have the potential for snow up to at least the end of March.