Nestled on the banks of the River Suir bordering Tipperary and Waterford lies a small graveyard, old and overgrown like so many in Ireland.

I visited this quiet and peaceful place in Spring 2020 just a few weeks before the lockdown.

Here at Churchtown the Sun was shining, the birds tweeting and spring flowers were growing.

The grave of Tipperary man, world record holding athlete and founder of Ireland's Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Davin, is hard to miss with prominence over the River Suir.

As we all know by now, Coronavirus or COVID-19 is affecting life in all parts of the world, here in Ireland the situation is no different.

But the plan by the Irish Government to relax the lockdown restrictions in stages does offer hope for life to begin to return to some degree of normality.

It would appear that by July 20th Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops and tours will be running again, albeit with all the physical distancing that being in the open air allows - lots of course!

Scenes like the one above await!

Panoramic Ireland can meet you anywhere in Ireland and organise a day of photography to suit your travels or your locale, from Fair Head to Mizen Head; urban Dublin to rural Sligo.

And of course it is possible to make a provisional booking, with no deposit required until closer to the time - just contact me for more information.

In the meantime if you can't make it to Ireland, are based overseas or are not able to travel inside Ireland then why not take an online photography session with Panoramic Ireland, that's me, to learn how to improve your photographic skills, improve your artistic vision and learn more about Lightroom and Photoshop.

Few autumn landscape scenes can be more alluring to the photographer than a woodland stream with waterfall.

Here in Tollymore, one of Northern Ireland's most scenic forest parks, these elements combine beautifully at the beginning of autumn as water falls between the stepping stones on the River Shimna under a canopy of bright green gently beginning to fade towards the reds, yellows and browns of autumn.

No wonder then that the producers of Game of Thrones, HBO, chose this location to film some of the famous TV show, Northern Ireland being home to most of the filming.

And no wonder it is a place that Panoramic Ireland visits often, when travel restarts why not join me at the famous forest park or along the coast of County Down close by.

Despite the Coronavirus pandemic stifling access to the countryside in April 2020, nature continues on and the green hillside landscapes of Ireland are looking lush right now.

Green is of course the colour most people associate with Ireland with its fields of grass, hedgerows and woodlands filled with deciduous and coniferous trees.

Sometimes it is misty and rugged like this scene, sometimes bright and lush like this one.

While we can't get out and about with current restrictions, it is possible to take a private, one-to-one photography session online with Panoramic Ireland, that's me by the way, via this page: https://panoramicireland.com/photography-workshops-ireland/online-photography-class-tutorial-professional-photographer

Shelter from the elements is often provided by the canopy of a woodland, but when you have a fine old stone bridge it gives even more than shelter from rain and wind, it provides shade and a frame to set the scene.

The small river was fast flowing and deeper than my wellies in places, rocky and clear but under the bridge there was a small area to set up my tripod away from the riverine vibrations.

Photographing in the Irish countryside doesn't always mean the famous locations, many parts of Ireland are scenic and perfect for improving your photographic techniques.

Join me on an online photography session to learn how to photograph better and learn how to organise and edit your images.

Find out more here: https://panoramicireland.com/photography-workshops-ireland/online-photography-class-tutorial-professional-photographer

Ireland's Wicklow Mountains are amongst the most visited in Ireland; situated just a short drive south of Dublin the Wicklow Mountains offer access to expansive landscapes like in this panorama overlooking Lough Tay.

I have written about Wicklow before, especially Glendalough and also indeed of Lough Tay.

This lake is also known as the Guinness Lake, the estate in which it sits used to be owned by the famous Guinness family and has recently been sold.

It looks exceptional on a fine, sunny day with no wind and a big blue sky above filled with white clouds but usually this lake is choppy with the strong windy gusts sweeping across the treeless mountains.

This part of Ireland is also out of bounds for now, the movement restrictions placed across the country due to Coronavirus / COVID-19 mean that few people have legitimate reason to visit this remote area.

Help to keep Panoramic Ireland going during the current crisis, each week bringing you more images and scenes from Ireland, you can donate a small amount below and my current goal is to reach enough to buy a microphone to record my podcast and other material. It also helps to keep the website going, there is no advertising on Panoramic Ireland.

As we're all stuck indoors, it's time to look through old images - travel through the archives, not the backroads of Ireland.

And here is a collage of images from Ireland, featuring cows and flowers and sheep; sunsets and trees.

These are just a few of my favourite images taken over the years, more to follow as I travel through folders on hard drives rather than the backroads of Ireland.

Stop by and ask for images of your favourite places in Ireland, use the contact page or button on the page to send in your requests.

The Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi said that ‘The wise man knows that it is better to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream than to be emperor of the whole world.'

And sitting on the banks of this fine remote Irish mountain stream (small river), I was reminded of these very words as I photographed the scene after a recent photography workshop in Ireland's fine springtime countryside.

For 30 minutes I enjoyed my own solitude, gazing on the fast flow of the fresh water and felt in awe of the scenery just here in front of me.

I'm sure that the river banks must have been full of wildlife but I couldn't hear much over the constant sound of the flowing water.

Youghal, Dungarvan and Wicklow Town have all cancelled their parades for Saint Patrick's Day 2020 due to Coronavirus fears.

And it looks like more Saint Patrick's Day events might be cancelled. Indeed, now Cork City has cancelled their parade along with Dublin.

I'm not an expert in virus epidemiology and I don't have access to all of the information about COVID-19 so I'll leave it up to you to decide if banning or restricting events is a good idea or not.

If you are in Ireland why not still enjoy yourself, if you are looking for things to do to avoid the crowds why not take up a solitary pursuit such as fishing or better still photography.

Join me for a crowd-free private photography workshop in Ireland this year where we will likely only be joined by herds of cows or droves of donkeys or maybe even a pine marten and kits.

For over a decade Panoramic Ireland's photo tours have been providing inspiration, training and enjoyment to photographers beginners and advanced throughout Ireland

Dublin's famous Long Room Library has also been closed as of today, March 10th so why not check it out in Panoramic Ireland's 360-degree panorama here.

The Irish coastline is a spectacular mix of landscapes - from coastal villages to sandy beaches to rocky coast.

Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops have always covered the coast of Ireland and 2020 is no exception, join us on a photography workshop in one of these fine places to photograph blue hour and more:

Copper Coast, Waterford

Galway & Mayo

Clare

Dingle & Co. Kerry

Antrim Coast & Giant's Causeway

Dublin's Coast

Cork

Donegal

Sligo