This fortnightly peek into our travels, takes us on a journey around the southern coast of Ireland, which offers so much stunning landscape shots that I am spoilt for choice in this blog. So fáilte to our Ireland focused camera share.

From Graiguenamanagh in the Ancient East to Cobh, in Cork that was the Titanic’s last port of call before its fateful end and the Dingle Peninsula, we have seen such a lot of incredible sights. The coastline here is beyond beautiful and when it is bathed in blue skies and sunshine, then there is little else to touch it.

The weather is always a bit unpredictable here, so you visit Ireland knowing that you could get all four seasons in one hour, let alone one day. Although so far our 3 week trip has been blessed with a great deal of cold spring sunshine that we have been so grateful for. Below is the 17th century bridge in Graiguenamanagh, just north of Waterford and New Ross in Ireland’s Ancient East. What a fabulous place this is, and one of our Irish go-tos.

Cobh or Cove in English is so good that they named it three times. Once upon a time, Queenstown was labeled thanks to the visit of Queen Victoria although these days has returned to its Irish roots. This place is so colourful, quaint and historic and with an Aire along the cruise boat quay, it is one of our favourite spots. There’s so much history here, predominantly the Titanic reference and the port where hundreds of thousands of Irish left their homeland to find their fortunes in America.

Not far from Cobh is County Cork’s most famous castle, Blarney, where you must engage in the touristy ‘Kissing of the Blarney Stone’ said to give you the gift of the gab. What a stunning place this is and despite its €23 entrance fee, the 60 acre gardens and woodland make it well worth the investment. Even in March the blossoms were beautiful.

With the promise of some good weather and St Patrick’s Day, we headed off towards the iconic Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula. 25 years ago we attempted a drive around this prestigious spot only to be blighted by low cloud and drizzle. So we headed over to Sneem, the Ring of Skellig and Dingle.

How brilliant to be in Ireland during their saintly festival, which in truth is more a good opportunity to party than a religious affair. The 17 March, the death of Saint Patrick, is celebrated unashamedly and despite the parade being a bit disappointing, the atmosphere and patriotism was vibrant.

The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula are two of Ireland’s most iconic drives, although are not ones to be undertaken during the coach tour season. The shoulder seasons are perfect for exploring these fabulous landscapes where traffic is minimal, crowds non existent and weather potentially calm and lovely. This was certainly our experience and we encountered some of our most stunning scenery yet.

We have been blessed with a great fortnight of culture, fabulous coastal scenery and some stunning overnight stays, which has made this such a memorable trip, so far. With so much more to come, which I will of course share with you. Until then I will leave you with some abstract shots that I captured along the way, that really caught my eye. Until next time. Kx