Photo Ops in Ireland

Top 10 Can’t Miss Photo Op Adventures in Ireland

Ireland is a truly magical place to photograph, with varied landscapes, warm and welcoming people and yes, 40 shades of green. Ireland is home to stunning architecture, ancient ruins, quaint villages, magnificent gardens, unspoiled natural scenery and a lively night life. With so many breathtaking scenes, Ireland is a visual masterpiece just waiting to be captured.

Photograph the Footsteps of Giants

The stunning Antrim Coast is considered one of the most scenic coastlines of Ireland, awe-inspiring rocky coastlines juxtaposed with lush green glens and forests. Along the Antrim Coastline, you will find the source of many a myth and legend. The Giant’s Causeway offers one of the most unique natural landscapes in Europe, formed by over 40,000 hexagon-like basalt columns interlocked in honeycomb fashion.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a magnificent kaleidoscope of brilliant colors, lofty ceilings and intricate stone and woodwork. Built in honor of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick; St. Patrick’s Cathedral is remarkable in form as well as for its religious and historical significance. Unusually, Dublin has two cathedrals belonging to the Church of Ireland, which act effectively as co-cathedrals. It is the largest church in Ireland and is said to be the earliest Christian site in Ireland as well.

Pub Crawl of Dublin

What better way to experience Ireland than to take a pub tour in the capital city. Just a stone’s throw away from the Guinness Storehouse, you can capture and listen to some of Ireland’s favorite tunes and hear the stories behind Irish music, all the while having a few drinks in some of Ireland’s most popular bars.

Kilkenny Castle Gardens

Set amid 50 acres of charming and extensive gardens and woodlands, overlooking the River Nore, the 800-year-old Norman castle, Kilkenny Castle remains in remarkable condition. While photography is not permitted indoors, the castle’ long established rose garden, mature trees and ornamental lake provide a wealth of photographic opportunity.

The Burren, County Clare

The craggy landscape of The Burren is one of Ireland’s most famous natural attractions. The Burren is often described as a botanist’s paradise with 635 different plant species, including 22 of Ireland’s native orchids. Amid the rugged outcrops of limestone, you will find a wealth of Ireland’s ancient history: megalithic tombs, Celtic crosses, a ruined Cistercian Abbey and more than sixty wedge tombs.

Glenveagh Castle & National Park

The remote and hauntingly beautiful Glenveagh National Park, in the heart of the County Donegal Derryveagh Mountains, lies Glenveagh Castle and its lush gardens. The park itself consists of 16,000 hectacres of jagged mountains, rich bogland, pristine lakes and a myriad of wildlife. Glenveagh Castle, a Scottish Baronial castellated mansion house was built to resemble Balmoral, Queen Victoria's Scottish highland residence, with a four-story keep and turrets made of thick granite. Glenveagh’s gardens are known for its rhododendrons and its displays of color in its Walled Gardens.

Town of Kinsale

Be captivated by the quintessential charm and character of Irish towns and villages. Narrow streets lined with shops, beautiful buildings and traditional bars spewing lively music and craic. With many to choose from, we chose the medieval, sea-side town of Kinsale. A popular holiday resort known for its gourmet restaurants, golf and water based activities.

Ring of Kerry

The picturesque Ring of Kerry offers the photographer a variety of subjects from Iron Age Forts and Bronze Age Stone Circles to old monasteries, some of the finest beaches in Europe and a spectacular landscape. With creative names like Ladies View, Torc Falls, Molls Gap and Rossbeigh, this mystical and unspoiled region of Ireland will captivate you and your creative imagery.

Dingle Peninsula: Verdant, Craggy and Pristine

Drink in the exhilarating blend of mountain, sea and sky of the Dingle Peninsula. Stretching 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland’s south-west coast, the coastline consists of steep sea-cliffs fragmented by numerous sandy beaches offering breathtaking opportunities for swimming, surfing and waterside-walks. The Dingle Peninsula is scattered with over 2000 archaeological sites including the Gallarus Oratory and a good concentration of Bee-hive huts, dry-stone huts with a corbelled roof dating from the 1100s.

Capture Traditional Life

If you are looking to capture traditional Irish life, plan a visit to a local farm such as Rathbaun Farms in County Galway. Here you’ll learn about traditional farming methods, watch the resident border collie herd sheep and chat over tea and scones by the peat fire. Ireland’s visitor farms are working establishments showing the undisputable link between traditional life, love of the land and its domestic animals. Ireland’s country-side is burgeoning with photographic opportunity.