Winter isn't over just yet, despite the traditional start of spring in Ireland being 1st February - the feast day of Saint Brigid, the whole of Ireland is now covered in snow on March 1st and today March 2nd caused by the so-called Storm Emma and 'Beast from the East'.

This image is from Armagh City, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, being the site of an ancient fort, Navan Fort, and the place where Saint Patrick established his principal church in Ireland in 444 AD.

Not very high, the mountains of Ireland are nevertheless full of character and are actually often dusted with snow in the winter.

At 1,038m, Carrauntoohil is the highest point in Ireland; we don't have much in the way of high altitude but in the winter there is snow at 300m and above in many of the mountains for some of the year.

At the end of that beautiful hike in the mountains, after the day looked to have finished early with a snow-storm darkening the sky, this is the reward of a bright and colourful sunset.

Looking out from the snow-filled mountainside towards the sun as it passed across the horizon, there was the sound of silence save for the sound of our shutters, a gentle breeze and the call of some crows.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, for a private photography landscape tour in the magic of Ireland's mountains, snow or no snow and suitable for all levels. Honestly, if I can climb it then so can you.

Find out more and feel free to ask me any questions.

See more like this: Path to the Sun, Ireland in Wnter

The snow appears to be gone for the moment but while it lasted the landscapes of Ireland's mountains were transformed.

No doubt we will see more before the summer arrives.

To join me on a photographic expedition into the mountains, contact me here.

See more of the journey into the mountains on this YouTube video.

I often get asked if it snow in Ireland or does the sun shine in winter in Ireland.

And on certain days it is possible to say yes to both.

This week has seen plenty of snow here in Ireland, and it has also seen lots of blue sky and sunshine - with all three on the same day so I can answer yes to both of the typical questions. Yes, it does snow in Ireland and yes, the sun does shine in winter.

Here, a scene from the mountains of Ireland from a photography expedition above the snowline into the white world of winter.

To join me on a photography expedition in the mountains in any season contact me using the contact page.

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.

Photography and Ireland. It doesn't always involve snow, not even in the mountains.

As I looked out to green fields and sunny blue skies on the mountain slopes today, not a drop of the white blanket to be seen, it seemed a far way away from this image where, during a photography workshop on how to photograph snowy landscapes we made our way up the mountain - its road snow-covered and icy, at one point it was almost impossible to make it up the ever-steepening slopes.

Along the way DK and I had plenty of landscapes to photograph. I explained how to photograph the often bright snow to gain the best from any weather conditions, afterwards we warmed up and had a short session on how to edit images in Lightroom.

Why would you want to take a photography tour / workshop / experience with me, I hear you ask.

The green fields of Ireland, looking lush green on a December day with snow-covered mountains.

Ireland doesn't receive a lot of snow, given that Dublin lies on the same latitude as Edmonton in Canada and northern Donegal is almost parallel with Moscow.

As I write this I'm sitting in front of a warm fire with a cup of tea ready to do its job of warming me up from the inside.

A near perfect reflection on the lake, snow covering the rugged, well-weathered peaks of the volcanic landscape of Slieve Gullion in South Armagh and sunrays all combine to give a sense of the beauty of this part of Ireland.

Snow rarely lasts for more than a few days when it falls in Ireland. Save for in the high ground, above 600m where it might persist for the winter months on northern slopes.

So on waking today when I saw snow in the mountains it was a sensible decision to venture in search of the white stuff.