It's been a busy few weeks here for me in Ireland, and with Earth Day I wanted to post an image that shows some of the beauty of the world around us.

Spring has finally arrived in Ireland, we're more than half way through the season meteorologically speaking, it's mid-April and we have finally got warm temperatures, low winds, blue sky and sunshine.

I've been busy photographing throughout the winter, notably for the New York Times, but it is always a delight to see the first days of spring arrive.

Butterflies flit and flutter throughout, bees buzz and hum from flower to flower and the trees have awoken from their months-long slumber.

Welcome to longer, warmer, brighter days of spring and summer.

And that means it is the perfect time to join me, Panoramic Ireland, on a photo tour and workshop in Ireland. From the sunny streets of Dublin to the Caribbean-looking waters of the west of Ireland.

Recently while leading another photo tour to my own part of Ireland, County Antrim, we stopped off at the Dark Hedges.

Choosing a morning before all of the groups arrived we had the famous avenue of beech trees pretty much to ourselves as S.S. visiting from California photographed Bregagh Road on this, his first visit to Northern Ireland.

Snow - it's been a snowy winter here in Ireland.

As I've written before, and will no doubt again, it doesn't snow as much as you might think in Ireland but when it does snow it doesn't stick for very long.

The little stream, of no particular renown, continues tumbling down the slope towards the sea as it has done for thousands of years.

Here, in the shaded valley carved over time by the action of water continuously flowing and falling, we find lots of mosses, lichens and bryophytes.

Dublin Castle sits at the heart of the city, an important site first for the Vikings who settled in Dublin and then for the Anglo-Normans when they arrived into Ireland in the late 12th century.

The tower as seen here dates to the reign of King John and was completed during the reign of his son Henry III in the middle of the 13th century although the top section was added to and remodelled in the 19th century.

Dublin's Baily Lighthouse, overlooking the UNESCO designated wildlife reserve of Dublin Bay the lighthouse is a famous sight for locals and tourists alike in Howth and County Dublin.

The lighthouse on Dublin's Howth Head has guarded ships entering and leaving Dublin Bay, Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire, as well as those moving through the Irish Sea, for over 200 years.

Competition time! Win a Kilkenny Photo Tour with Panoramic Ireland Photo Tours!

To be in with a chance of winning a private photography tour of Kilkenny (3.5hrs) in the city just visit our Instagram page and follow us, comment on this post and let us know who you would like to share this experience with, who would you spend a few hours in Ireland's Medieval City with?

If you don't use Instagram then see number 3 below.

So here is how to do it again:

1: Follow @panoramicireland on Instagram.

2: Comment on this post with the name of who you would most like to visit Kilkenny with.

3: If you don't use Instagram then just send me an email here through the site with your answer - who would you spend time with in Kilkenny?

Good luck, winners will be drawn on the 1st of May 2018 and notified via this website and by email.

A colourful day in Kilkenny, to celebrate my latest New York Times piece. . . . . . . . . . #travelgram #wildernessculture #neverstopexploring #kilkenny #beautifuldestinations #adventureculture #earthpix #nakedplanet #bbctravel #natgeotravel #medieval #naturelovers #travelblog #ic_architecture #AdventureVisuals #folkarchitecture #panoramicireland #vsco #lifeofadventure #vscocam #vscotravel #tripadvisor #ireland #hikingadventures #livefolk #creativefolk #goldenhour #thecreatorclass #exploremore #magiclight

A post shared by @ panoramicireland on Apr 3, 2018 at 3:13pm PDT

Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway is a place that I have photographed often.

Read more about the history, mythology and geology of the unique coastal geographic feature in one of my previous posts here - it's an interesting read.

If you happen to find yourself walking around Dublin you might have a look around Anne's Lane just off South Anne Street in the city centre. Here, outside a bar called Zozimus you will find the structure suspended between you and the sky above.

The second installation of colourful umbrellas has been installed and it makes the narrow lane look bright and colourful in good weather, the umbrellas are still looking good in 2024 although one or two are now looking a little in need of attention.

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Dublin is of course much more than the traditional tourist attractions, it makes for a great city to just walk around enjoying and photographing the parks, riverside quays and narrow lanes in the city centre.

Why not join Panoramic Ireland on a photography tour of Dublin - find out more here.