Sunset in the west of Ireland, the spring equinox occurred today March 20th, this sees the sun pass the equator and means that all places on earth effectively receive the same amount of night.

In Ireland, the days started to become longer than night on the 18th of March, a few days ago - this is known as the Equilux.

Here, a few moments before sunset on the equinox the bright and colourful sun edges towards the horizon to mark the official start of spring, even though meteorologically spring begins on the 1st of March and in Ireland, traditionally it begins on the 1st of February or Imbolc which is also Saint Brigid's Day.

At the moment daylight length is increasing by over 4 minutes per day, every day in Dublin although that rate of increase will begin to slow all the way to June 21st when the days will shorten again.

Of course, in Ireland seasons are not fixed and there is quite an overlap between winter and spring, we can still see snow and hailstones in April and heatwaves in February and March - one of which is predicted for the coming week.

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.

Few places in the west of Ireland can compete with the scenic beauty of Pine Island and its attractiveness for the photographer.

The small island sitting Derryclare Lough is covered with a fine stand of Scots Pine trees, a native conifer to Ireland the Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris is one of the most obvious trees in the Irish landscape. Here, in the west of Ireland in particular, they grow in places that other trees can't. Out of craggy rocks, on the edge of boggy ground and at altitude.

It's a tree that Monty Python rightly described as the Mighty Scots Pine in their famous Lumberjack Song performed by Michael Palin.

Unfortunately, Ireland's state electricity utility ESB have decided to plaster this fine landscape with electricity poles and cables that pass across the lake via the island.

It's a shame but Pine Island still retains a special charm in all conditions and it is a favoured place for Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops.

The West of Ireland, it's the place that I photograph most often in Ireland along with the Antrim Coast and Dublin.

Here, a typical western scene of rugged mountains, very often coated with a soft green of grass and, here where you see the reddishness, bracken that has died back for the winter. 

Bracken is a type of fern Pteridium that dates back some 55 million years, is highly invasive and can cause cancer in humans (only if eaten) and is poisonous to animals (again only if eaten).

The shortest day of the year has arrived in Ireland and the winter solstice occurred at just after 10:00 today, December 21st.

From here, the winter keeps on for many weeks until the first day of spring but along the way, every day the day length increases by just a little.

Here, in the west of Ireland blue hour ushers in the night; the last remnants of daylight fades lower in the sky as cloud builds to obscure the last warming glow from the western sky.

Morning, and a thin band of sunrise sunlight pierces thick cloud to illuminate the lower slopes of a cloud-covered mountain in the west of Ireland.

Roads like these take you into the splendid scenic views in Ireland as they twist and turn, roll and flow through the rocky, boggy and lush green landscapes of the Irish countryside.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, on a photography tour in the west of Ireland and the rest of Ireland.

The sky above the west of Ireland, in particular Connemara, is more impressive than those of the rest of Ireland.

Big, open blue skies and stormy skies stretching for miles are the likely scenes awaiting the photographer and visitor alike.

Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops run all year round in Connemara, in Dublin and throughout Ireland.

Contact me today to find out more about the places and options for 2021.

I wrote a few weeks ago about that magical moment on top of Croagh Patrick with a wide open panorama and brocken spectre - an atmospheric phenomenon.

You can read about that here, this was on that same fine climb with the plains of Mayo spread out below, the long stony path leading up into the cloud line and the landscape that awaits beyond.

For me photography is about capturing moments and creating a sense of place - Ireland really is my place, from the western landscapes to urban Dublin.

And with my cancer journey over the past two years it has been places and moments like this that keeps spirits high, sometimes reminiscing and sometimes getting out into the countryside to photograph.

Weather plays a big part in outdoor photography, here the evening was cloudy and getting dark after a decent amount of sunlight during the day.

With little hope for sunlight we instead hoped for some interesting clouds and we weren't disappointed. There was plenty of movement and gaps in the cloud cover.

Blue hour came a little early but was well received.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph in Ireland's West and anywhere else in the Irish countryside.

I have written about Connemara here on panoramicireland.com many times before, including here.

It's a place that I know well, a place that I have photographed many times. Often I have stood in the rain, capturing the misty scenes of this part of Ireland, many times I have captured fine sunsets and explored the region's beauty.

Here a scene of fast moving clouds and ruffled water zooms past a tree-laden island and barren mountainside, a riot of colour.