What Is There To See In Ireland?
WHAT IS THERE TO SEE IN IRELAND?
As most of you have probably noticed, I have been extremely quiet for the last couple of months…why you may ask? As a matter of fact, since mid May I have had many reasons for the silence.
First of all, I had a to take care of lot of non-photography related things. I was extremely busy around the house with other personal projects which required a lot of my time.
The second reason for my full stealth mode was that I truly needed a break from social media. As an artist, I put a lot of effort into creating my art but to see it not perform well on the most popular social media apps always make me wonder if I still have it. That’s a silly thing to say, I know! But social media sadly does that to us all.
And lastly, the most valid reason for my disappearance without any sign of life, I visited a country which has a very special place in my heart: Ireland. Ok, I didn’t only go to Ireland, I also went to Northern Ireland which as you probably guessed is on the same island. Was it my first time in Ireland? Of course not! Many things bring me back to that absolutely amazing place…and a couple of these things will be the main subject of this article. Why do I keep going back to Ireland? What is there to see in Ireland? Keep reading below to find out…
COUNTLESS RUINS EVERYWHERE
I travel around the world for landscape photography. I truly love nature…nature is where I feel the strongest bond. Ireland’s nature is so lovely. I also happen to be a serious fan of medieval times. If you happen to be not only a fan of nature and medieval times but also a fan of Game of Thrones, you can be certain that you will have a special bond with Ireland. Many locations in Ireland were featured in the popular series. When you visit them, make sure you have a few tunes from the Game of Thrones soundtrack and you will surely get a few goosebumps moments when you see those locations from the series!
Many of the castle ruins still present in Ireland can be visited today, some 3 to 400 years after they were initially built. Most of those ruins not only happen to be visually spectacular, they will also create the greatest impact in any landscape image. There is a lot of history linked to most of them…and I truly like to see them as the main subject in my images as they tell a great story.
Please, if you visit any of the castle ruins, be respectful and leave no trace. Do not take any rocks, do not break anything…only take memories and a couple of images back home with you! I saw graffitis or engravings on some rocks…why? Why do people feel the need to damage such a priceless piece of history? There is no point in doing so and it deeply saddens me when I see human damage on ruins.
ASTONISHING ROCK FORMATIONS
I am not an expert in geology and what forms the ground on which we walk. All I can tell you though is that the ground in Ireland was formed by multiple eruptions some couple dozen billion years ago. Might be more, might be less…let’s just say it was a very long time ago. So much volcanic activity and so many eruptions have added to the layering system which formed the Irish ground. Over a long period of time this ground has cracked, eroded and broken apart. I am a photographer, not a scientist! All I can say is that time is the one factor responsible for the forming some of the coolest rock formations. Some are made of strong basalt columns. Giant’s Causeway is the most popular place to see basalt columns in Northern Ireland…and for a great reason. It truly looks like a causeway built for giants! How cool is that? To have big basalt columns perfectly interlocked together as if they were forming a giant puzzle…nature will never stop to amaze me!
And of the many rock formations you will find in Ireland, many are made of very brittle rocks which will eventually break apart and transform into cool shapes such as arches! I also happen to be a huge fan of arches. There is a National Park in Utah that has over 2000 different arches…that’s cool but what’s even cooler is an arch surrounded by water and waves crashing against it.
AMAZING RUGGED COASTLINES
As a landscape photographer, I truly love the relation between land and sea. I find it extremely interesting to see the point where the land ends and becomes the ocean… I am not a big fan of beaches in general unless it is a rocky beach with a breathtaking sea arch like the place shown above…but I also truly love rugged cliffs and the drama they add to an image. They add such an impressive sense of depth. Whatever is down the cliff feels so far away and we can definitely feel that sense of depth in an image captured near the edges. Photography is a two dimensional medium. Cliffs will help add that missing third dimension in photography.
Now we need to talk about something…cliffs can definitely be dangerous. What would be a reasonable distance to stand away from the edges? Many people lack the answer to that question. I’ve seen many people doing selfies while literally sitting on a rock with both legs hanging over the cliff. That’s irresponsible. What if that rock you sit on breaks? You will go bye bye! No image is worth risking your life for. Some six or so years ago I saw a teenage girl at the Cliffs of Moher doing some stupid things to get some Instagram fame…I told her it wasn’t worth it and she simply told me to mind my own business. People actually die from doing the exact thing she was doing…the juice is not worth the squeeze.
EVER CHANGING WEATHER
Is there something more boring than the lack of changes? Would you always play golf on the same golf course? No! Would you always eat the exact same meal, day after day? Of course not… As a landscape photographer, I would be depressed if I had the exact same weather every single day. Imagine two straight weeks of blue skies? OMG! That would be depressing, right?
I have good news for you, that won’t ever happen in Ireland! Ireland is one of those places with ever changing weather. That’s right, you could potentially have all four seasons in a single day. If you aren’t happy with the light conditions, just hang around for 30 minutes, it will change! And I love it! But you might want to ask why would someone enjoy such conditions? Because every time a storm passes by, it will leave behind some of the most amazing dramatic light. In Ireland, they call this phenomena Iris Light!
RICH GREEN SCENES
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody that it rains quite a bit in Ireland. That’s a fact! To be realistic, you can expect rain in different forms daily whether it will be as drizzle or scattered showers…it’s very likely that it will rain. If the sky is completely grey all day, no problem! That means you can photograph all day unless it is pouring rain of course. The good news about the abundance of rain in Ireland is everything is so rich and green. You will be able to find rich green scenes everywhere. Not only will you find green grass, you will also find a wide variety of wild flowers. They also happen to love rain… If wild flowers are your thing, the months of June and July will be your best bet.
Photographing wild flowers often means that you’ll need to focus stack to make sure you have everything in perfect focus. But since it is almost always windy in Ireland, that will definitely add to the fun. You will find out how much patience you have once you are home trying to assemble your images.
AND MUCH MORE!
Whether you are a whisky or beer connoisseur, Ireland also will get you there! I am not a big fan of beer but I truly have a sweet spot for Irish Whiskeys. And what better place to find Irish whiskeys than Ireland? That’s right…they are all made there. Of the many distilleries in Ireland, two of the most popular are Middleton Distillery and The Old Bushmills Distillery. When visiting Ireland, it is most likely that you will be landing in Dublin which houses Middleton Distillery among many others…and the world renowned Guinness Brewery. Seriously, you can’t go to Ireland without paying a visit to at least one distillery and one brewery…
Food wise, sea food will be of the upmost quality. I do not eat much seafood in my province because I don’t live near the ocean. But when I travel to places surrounded by water, you will definitely find sea food on my plate on a couple of occasions during my journey. Ireland was no exception. I am a huge fan of proper Fish & Chips. My place of choice for the most authentic fish & chips is Morton’s Fish & Chips in the lovely town of Ballycastle. Their Fish & Chips are just so damn perfect! The batter is not too thick but packed with flavor, the fish is moist and fresh and the whole meal will be extremely affordable for the quality of food. An absolute must try!
…IN CONCLUSION
In conclusion, even after four visits to Ireland, I am still looking forward to returning. This place is truly special to me. Every time I leave Ireland, I have a feeling that I am leaving a little piece of my heart on the island. I live in a wonderful country: Canada. But if I had to choose another place where I would build a house and live a happy life, that place would be Ireland! It has it all for me. I mentioned many points…sceneries, coastlines, ruins, history, green landscapes, fun weather…Irish Whiskeys and Beers. But I absolutely must not forget all the awesome people in Ireland, because Irish people are simply the best!
