Ireland Impressions

You will make your way north to the quaint village of Cong. Eileen will choose her photo stops based on the weather and interests of the group. In county Clare, you’ll find yourself photographing in an area of rolling hill, sheep, and a myriad of stonewall, on a hillside flowing down to Lough Corrib. The picturesque village of Cong was the setting for John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara’s film The Quiet Man. Photo locations may include Ashford Castle, Cong Abbey, the forest, and river. Outside of Cong you will drive through and photograph the beautiful Connemara Region, also well known for its green marble. Overnight Cong (Dinner at hotel)

The next day you will find yourself in the tidy town of Westport, on the shores of Clew Bay. Each day you will visit some of these typical areas from your home base. There is no possible way to visit all of them, so your tour leader and guide will plan each day considering the interests of the group. The evenings can be spent over photographic discussions in the hotel or at a music session at a local pub.

Westport and the Village of Newport, both capture the flavor of true Irish towns with their tree- lined canals and colorful shops. A short drive away is  Murrisk Abbey, at the foot of Ireland’s Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick.

Another day your first stop will be along the ocean on the Atlantic drive in Mulranny. After lunch on to Achill Island, continue photographing along the ocean, and wind up at the deserted famine village at Keel. Achill Island, wrought by wind and water, is an arrangement of rock, cloud, and cliffs falling off to the sea.

Enjoy photography at a single family-owned working sheep farm. Besides learning about the sheep farm you’ll be able to photograph the herding dogs in action and learn about the traditional method of cutting peat or turf from the ground. It is a fossil fuel used to heat Irish homes and cut from the local bogs. It became a fuel source in the 1600’s following the depletion of the country’s woodlands. Overnight Westport (Breakfast each day, and Dinner two evenings)

Depending on time and the interests of the group, you may make stops in the charming town of Listowel, located on the River Feale, or the village of Adare, known as one of Ireland’s prettiest villages, with its unique thatched roof cottages. Continue making your way to the mightyDingle Peninsula, which thrusts out into the Atlantic, claiming Ireland’s most westerly point. Here, majestic hills soar over vast bowls of unspoiled valleys, glittering mountain streams tumble down to lakes, and soft, golden beaches stretch for miles.

The region boasts of some 2000 prehistoric and early Christian remains. Make your way along the lovely Slea Head Drive, looking out onto the resplendent Blasket Islands, offering us a grand land and seascape. There will be photographic opportunities as we will be overwhelmed with Iron Age and early Christian rocks and ruins. Clustered on hillsides over the cliffs are beehive-shaped stone huts built by monks as a place of worship. The Town of Dingle has a lovely harbor, and painted storefronts will delight your senses. Overnight Dingle Peninsula(Breakfast each day, two Dinners)

You’ll have an early departure this morning making your way back to Shannon airport. Flights typically start returning to the States around 12:30PM or after. Should your airline of choice depart early in the morning, you will need to fly home October 6. In which you will need to overnight at the hotel, which is walking distance to the airport, the evening of the 5^th.  (Breakfast given time)