Name: Ireland Photo Adventure
Item: Ireland Photo Adventure
Author: Photo Workshop Adventures

Although Ireland has modernized dramatically in recent years, some things never change. Ireland has long been a magnet for writers, artists, playwrights and musicians. They were all inspired by the soft light, the gentle mists and almost ethereal scenery – you’ll surely be enchanted by this magical land. We start our adventure in Dublin, the capital, and largest city, in Ireland, but most of our time will be spent in western Ireland, home to Galway and the Connemara region, best known for its natural beauty.

Galway is often referred to as the “most Irish” of all Irish cities. It is arty, bohemian and renowned for its pleasures. The Irish pride themselves on being friendly and gracious hosts and strive to make guests feel at home. Of course, Galway is as much a city as a staging post for what lies beyond – and in this case, what lies beyond is an image of Ireland at its wildest. For every star God put in the sky, it is said, He laid a million stones in Connemara. And those stones – be they meshed into the ground and trodden upon by black-faced sheep, or punching upwards into the magnificent Twelve Bens mountain range – come together in a wonderful mosaic.

Connemara is as much a coastal phenomenon as a National Park. Take a drive, and within a few hours you’ll be winging your way from Maam Cross to the harbor town of Clifden, or from the Gaeltacht village of Spiddal and the coral beach at Carraroe to a creamy bowl of chowder in Roundstone, an old harbor village on the windswept Ballyconneely Peninsula. You’ll recognize a few places from your favorite films too.

And of course we cannot forget The Cliffs of Moher, which stand 702 feet high. Like a scene straight out of a Hans Christian Andersen tale, the cliffs are known as west Clare’s iconic image. Hollywood has taken note: blockbusters Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince and the Princess Bride made the cliffs celluloid stars. On a clear day, views from the cliff tops include the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and the Twelve Bens mountain range. Nature enthusiasts take note: the cliffs are a Special Protected Area due to the myriad species of sea birds that call the cliff face home.

Day 1 | Dublin
We meet at our Hotel, where we begin by discussing PWA’s “10 Guiding Principles of Photography” as well as our “THE ART OF SEEING” photographic technique. Followed by lunch and informal discussions on what our guests are trying to achieve in their photography, subject matters, styles and techniques. We’ll have lunch and then go for a walk through this beautiful town to discover the true essence of Dublin. In the evening we celebrate with our “Welcome Dinner” at one of our favorite Irish pubs. (D)

Day 2 | Galway
We depart Dublin and head west to Galway where we will check-in to our hotel. Once we arrive we discover this pretty city by the sea. Streets, bridges, the cathedral and the Corrib River will be the main attractions here. Colorful streets and city reflections, midday and evening light are found here and they make for fantastic shots in the Celtic city. (B)

Day 3 | Connemara – Inagh Valley – Lennane – Aasleagh Falls
Today we travel to one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland, the very west of Galway county. This is the land where people still speak “as gaeilage” or, “in Irish”. So, it will be thrilling to hear them speaking it, with its arresting lilt. The magnificent scenery of lakes, hills, villages and coastline encompass this wild and exciting region, and all of it ready and waiting for us to discover. Here we will start driving and stopping through boggy roads around Inagh valley. We’ll take spectacular shots of Inagh Lake, Lennane village, Aasleagh Falls, and the only Irish Killary fjord, one of only three glacial fjords in Ireland. We’ll be amazed with the constant light changing in this part of Ireland and its breathtaking scenery. Tonight we stay in a comfy hotel at Delphi valley. If there are good weather conditions, and if desired, we may do some hiking the next morning. (B)

Day 4 | Connemara – Kylemore Abbey – Clifden – Roundstone
We start with a short walk up around Delphi valley, just to gain some elevation to take some early morning pictures of the surrounding landscape. After some stream and mountain shots we head back for a drive towards Kylemore Abbey where we can stop for nice reflections of the abbey on the lake. Next we drive to Clifden, this is the largest village and the capital of Connemara. Here we can enjoy this pretty place and have some lunch. A nice walk around to take some pictures of its colorful streets, bay and pier. Following that, we’ll do a special driving tour through a narrow and bumpy bog road full of Irish sheep and small lakes with great views of the famous twelve beans of Connemara. The lovely fishing village of Roundstone is our next photo opportunity. There are stunning views to take of the pretty village and pier with the huge twelve bean mountains in the background. After our nice day we’ll drive our way back to Delphi valley. (B)

Day 5 | The Burren – Ballyvaughan – Black Head
On day five we get up early and travel to the Burren National Park on the south side of Galway Bay in County Clare. On our way to the Burren we stop in Kinvara to photograph its 16th century castle and village. Then on to the ancient Corcomroe Abbey, a unique 13th century Cistercian monastery. A few miles away is the beautiful village of Ballyvaughan, we’ll probably stop for lunch here at a famed restaurant. Afterwards we drive to Black Head Point to see the real essence of this unique landscape. Blue sea and grey rocks offer some of the most incredible natural art pieces for us to photograph, from small details of flowers and cracks to the wide angle landscapes. We spend the rest of the day around this area taking some shots and getting to know the unique beauty of it, including our visit to Pulnabrone dolmen, a tomb that dates back to the Neolithic period, in the evening. (B)

Day 6 | The Burren – Aillwee Cave – Doolin – Cliffs of Moher
After a good rest in the quiet Burren Hotel and after having breakfast, the group moves to the nearby Allwee cave, a beautiful example of the underworld treasures that Burren holds. The tour inside consists of a 30 minute walk through the colorful rocky caverns. We’ll then walk the coastline to the very west of the Burren, we stop between Black Head and Fanore to take some interesting flower and rock shots. Within a short walk we can enjoy the artistic rounded stone formations on the grey pavement, with the always blue sea backgrounds. We’ll capture the most unusual images ever. For lunch we go to Dooling village, a pretty fishing village with colorful shops and some of the most traditional pubs in Ireland. Here we are close to the top attraction of the day; the majestic Cliffs of Moher. One of the world’s greatest natural wonders, it’s just there in front of our eyes, hopefully we’ll take as much of it our memory cards will hold for the rest of the day. An hour ferry trip by the sea level cliffs is an option here. In the evening we head out to our “Farewell Dinner”, where we will have great fun and laughter as we discuss all the highlights of the trip. (B) (D)

Day 7 | The Burren – Dublin (or Shannon)
On our last morning, we will enjoy breakfast while reviewing our past week’s photos, trade contact information and bid you farewell before heading back to Dublin (or Shannon depending on which airport you are departing from) for our return home. We encourage you to extend your stay in Ireland or the United Kingdom and make good use of everything you will learn on our photo adventure. (B)

May all who come as guests… leave as friends®

INSPIRE. LEARN. CREATE. All while vacationing, experiencing beautiful locations, enjoying amazing food and having great fun. Learn how to turn an ordinary image into an extraordinary image by using your own creativity. Our Photo Adventure Vacations offer a casual structure of discussions and inspiration without any boring classroom lectures.

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