Come and join Ireland and the world enjoying one of the most amazing human-natural spectacles, the winter solstice sunrise into the burial chamber at Newgrange, Ireland.

I have written about Newgrange before here on Panoramic Ireland, the ancient burial mound that should rightly be considered Ireland's greatest.

Older than the pyramids (by 600 years!), older than Stonehenge and much superior to that monument in terms of its construction, Newgrange covers more than an acre and it's possible to climb inside on a guided tour - by lottery on the days closest to the winter solstice on 21st December.

For approximately 17 minutes on the shortest day of the year, and a shorter amount of time on the days either side, the chamber receives direct sunlight - if there is any to be had.

In 2024, the solstice will be the morning of the 21st of December at 09:20 when the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn and hence at it's lowest latitude relative to Earth. From here on the days get longer.

So for 2024 the livestream from inside Newgrange will be on Saturday December 21st from 08:40 (Irish Time, obviously) and will have voiceover by Dr Clare Tuffy and Dr Frank Prendergast. It's available to watch in these places:

• RTE Player
• OPW (Office of Public Works)
• Heritage Ireland
• OPW - YouTube

If you're in Ireland for the winter solstice or beyond, Panoramic Ireland (that's me) create photography tours in Ireland for photographers and anyone interested in seeing more of the beauty of Ireland including our wonderful landscape and heritage.

For more information contact me via the contact page.

You can never guarantee snow in Ireland but it does snow a little every year even if only in the mountains.

Here, the famous MacGillycuddy's Reeks with Carrauntoohil the highest peak at 1038.6 metres above sea level, it is Ireland's highest mountain and only one of three peaks that top 1,000 metres.

The snow line can be seen easily and the tops of the peaky mountains almost match the clouds moving out of scene to the left.

These mountains sit on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, home of the famous circuit scenic drive the Ring of Kerry but are seen here from Dingle, the peninsula that brings you as far west as it is possible to go in Ireland.

The foreground is bathed in a golden glow, typical of the clear winter light on sunny days in Ireland.

Panoramic Ireland are running photography workshops and tours in Dingle, County Kerry in 2023. Use the Contact page to find out more or visit: https://panoramicireland.com/photography-workshops-ireland/book-a-dingle-ireland-photo-tour

This week has seen plenty of cold weather again, nothing too cold but enough for ice, frost and, in some parts of Ireland, snow.

So we headed into the mountains, to photograph some of the ice and frost, no snow here.

Here, on the climb towards the ridge and peak there was plenty of white on the hard forestry road.

And with the late afternoon sun was dipping just below that ridge, the perfect time for a starburst.

While researching new locations for photography workshops recently, I found this very scenic woodland for the first time.

Not a famous location, and all the better for it. This woodland is quiet and has a mixture of native and non-native broadleaf trees.

Unfortunately it is increasingly being surrounded by large conifer plantations that often result in the decline of these deciduous arboreal islands and the life that exists therein.

I don't think it is an ancient woodland, rare places in Ireland, but it certainly is old and has the look of a very pretty wood indeed with narrow, twisting paths, a river, moss-covered rocks and trees, as well as plenty of wildlife.

I will be back here to photograph and to lead photography workshops so if you would like to join me to learn how to photograph woodland scenes, contact me to improve your photography in 2023 in Ireland's fantastically scenic woodlands.

Beautiful golden light in the Mourne Mountains, County Down, as the recent cold weather comes to an end.

Ireland has in recent weeks seen days with low temperatures, as low as -9C - winter is well and truly here. 

But now, in a quick change, we have reached 11C - a change in some places of 12 degrees in 24 hours, 20 degrees in less than a week.

With the temperature warming fast and rain forecast, I took the opportunity to walk into the mountains to photograph the snowy landscape.

On the steep road up into the mountains I met a woman, man and their dog, they told me of a long-abandoned village in the mountains; we chatted for a few minutes before I was on my way again walking up that steep, narrow road covered in snow.

Ascending the steep incline to the high ridge, I was almost floored by a strong and constant westerly wind that brought clouds and clear spells minute by minute.

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.

Panoramic Ireland hasn't seen much snow this winter, unlike in previous years.

The Winter of 2021-2022 has been somewhat mild with a lack of snow, even in the mountains.

Here in February, a narrow mountain road leads on into the distance towards distant mountains through a landscape of reddish-yellow winter heather and gorse.

Winter and spring can still bring snow in 2022 but for the moment all is still colourful in the Irish landscape.

A fine afternoon sky from today in Ireland with rays of the sun . 

Sunbeams break through fast moving clouds as the sun edges past the hypotenuse of this nebulous triangle into clear blue sky for a short time.

The hills and low mountains of Ireland, illuminated in places into the distance.

After a fine scene of golden winter light yesterday, this definitely made a perfect afternoon outing with camera to mark three years since my cancer operation. Indeed it reminded me of this image from the time of my chemotherapy.