We recently had the pleasure of spending 9 days in Northern Ireland and Ireland. This selection of Ireland photography is just a sneak peak at the gorgeous countryside we encountered. It honestly doesn’t even begin to show the diversity of light, colour, landscape and wildlife you find on the Emerald Isle. From castles to wild coastlines and fabulous vibrant towns – Ireland is just magical.
Ireland Road Trip
We drove from the ferry port in Larne (Northern Ireland) up through Ballycastle to Portrush and the Giant’s Causeway. We then headed south to Ireland, to County Cavan for some family history research. Then on to Galway (one of our favourite spots on the road-trip); and then down some of the Wild Atlantic Way to Killarney. We also visited the Dingle Peninsular and Cork. It was a whirlwind of a road trip, and these photos are just a taster – we just can’t wait to go back!
Northern Ireland – Causeway Coastal Road
The Causeway Coastal road is quite spectacular, and gave us our first glimpse of the lush and rugged landscape that Ireland is famous for. I recommend a stop at Ballycastle Beach and Bushmills Whiskey on your way north.
Northern Ireland – Portrush + Giant’s Causeway
Portrush is a lovely base for your visit to the Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle. The quaint old harbour area is wonderful to dine, or go to a pub, but it can get quite busy – so parking can be an issue.
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, make sure you tour the filming locations!
County Cavan, Ireland – family history
On our way to Galway, we made a stop in the beautiful Killykeen Forest Park, at Lough Oughter, a series of lakes. On an island in one of these lakes is the ruins of the O’Reilly family castle. Read more about my family history adventures.
Galway to Killarney
Galway was by far one of my favourite places in Ireland. It had a young and interesting vibe, fantastic pubs, and incredibly welcoming people. I recommend Garavan’s Pub for brilliant live music, and Dingle Gin on the optics!
Conor Pass + Dingle Peninsular
I scared the living heck out of my height-phobic husband by driving over Conor Pass to the Dingle Peninsular. At times, this pass was one track with pull-outs, and only a low wall between you and the drop. But the view from the top was totally worth it. Dingle township is super cute, and I recommend visiting Inch Beach too.
Cork
Another city I really fell for was Cork. In fact, I was sad to only have half a day there on our way to the ferry. Cork has a lot of great street art, micro-breweries and clubs. It’s a place that I immediately felt comfortable in.
Ireland Photography
I hope you have enjoyed this selection of my Ireland photography – it wasn’t hard to get beautiful shots. Despite the typical rainy weather of Autumn in Ireland and Northern Ireland, we found the countries to be lush, tranquil and super friendly. It was pretty hard to find dog-friendly accommodations and pubs, but that didn’t deter us. Visit if you can!
Love road trips? Love dog-friendly travel? Let me help you plan!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM Lens; and an iPhoneX.
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AMAZING photos! Ireland is so beautiful, I think you may have just bumped it up on our list, thanks! 🙂
Thank you Adam! You should definitely put it high up on your list – it is the most wild and beautiful country. I loved Galway especially!