The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog

Images of Ireland – 27 Photos to Ignite Your Imagination

Updated: January 17, 2021 by

Images of Ireland – 27 Photos to Ignite Your Imagination

Our favourite pictures of Ireland that we took during our road trip through the Wild Atlantic Way and more!

Images of Ireland

From the rugged coastline of Slea Head to the beautiful Loughs of Connemara, there was something for everyone around every corner. This was by far the best way to Discover Ireland.

We started our trip in Dublin, before leaving for your coastal trip, make sure to spend a couple of days exploring the capital city. Check out our Best Things to do in Dublin, Ireland article for travel ideas.

Now I could tell you about all of the great things we saw but I think that photos would do a better job at that.

The Best Pictures of Ireland

When we drove the Wild Atlantic Way we were simply blown away by the views that we saw. Each turn showcased one stunning view after another

1. Mount Errigal

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Mount Errigal at Sunrise in Donegal, Ireland

Even when we went inland it was beautiful. We worked hard to find this shot over Mount Errigal.

2. Fanad Head Lighthouse

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Fanad Head Lighthouse

Sunset at Fanad Head Lighthouse on the Wild Atlantic Way.

We hiked out to capture this image of the lighthouse at Fanad Head. We had it all to ourselves.

3. Ha’Penny Bridge

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The famous Ha’Penny Bridge in Dublin, Ireland

Ha’Penny Bridge is a famous bridge in Dublin and it’s gorgeous at sunset.

4. Twelve Bens

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Twelve Bens

Even the not so famous sights are gorgeous.

5. Cliffs of Moher

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Sunset at the Cliffs of Moher

Ireland’s most famous cliffs. The Cliffs of Moher.

6. Horse Back Riding in Dingle

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Horseback Riding

Our favourite horseback ride was in Donegal overlooking Slea Head Drive.

Driving the Wild Atlantic Way

Driving the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland will take a while. You will find that you end up pulling your car over every chance you get to take in the incredible scenic views.

7. Wild Atlantic Way

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Driving the Wild Atlantic Way

We drove the Wild Atlantic Way in Style with our BMW car rental.

8. Horn Head in Donegal

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A beautiful Sunset from Horn Head in Donegal Ireland

The Wild Atlantic Way is a 2500km motor route along the Atlantic coast of Ireland.

There are hundreds of places to stay along the way ranging from hostels and B&Bs for as little as €20 a night.

9. Skellig Michael

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Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael is an island located off the coast made famous by Star Wars.

But it is a fascinating spot to visit.

10. Skellig Michael Cross

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View from Skellig Michael

Getting there can be an adventure as there is only a short window for boats to land (and weather can always cause trouble) and it’s a bit of a hike to the top.

But the views are worth it!

11. Lough Eske Castle

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Sunset at Lough Eske Castle in Ireland

There are many opportunities to stay in castles in Ireland. Our favourite was Lough Eske Castle.

12. Dun Aengus Aran Islands

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Dun Aengus Aran Islands

Make sure to take a trip to the Aran Islands.

You can take a flight or ferry out to them.

There’s an ancient stone fort, a unique culture and a beautiful landscape to view.

13. Port Magee

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Fishermen of Port Magee

Port Magee makes for a lazy village to relax for a few days.

14. Fisherman in Rural Ireland

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Fishermen of Ireland

A fisherman repairs his boat near Port Magee

15. Fishing Village Port Magee

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The village of Port Magee in Ireland

Just one more photo of Ireland’s Port Magee.

16. The Slea Head Drive

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The Slea Head Drive is not to be missed along the Wild Atlantic Way

Slea Head Drive is often considered one of the best drives in the world!

17. Killary Fjord

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Looking back over Killary Fjord in Glennagevlaugh, Ireland

Killary Fjord is Ireland’s only Fjord.

18. Wild Atlantic Way

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Morning arrives on the Wild Atlantic Way

Even the farmland is picturesque. Driving the Wild Atlantic Way is one of the most iconic drives on earth.

19. Rossbleigh Beach

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Yes, there are beaches along the wild Atlantic way. Like this one at Rossbleigh Beach

Ireland’s beaches surprised us. They were huge and isolated.

20. Temple Bar in Dublin

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Street Performers abound in Temple Bar in Dublin.

Temple Bar is a must place to have a beer when visiting Dublin.

21. Mizen Head

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Mizen Head

The Cliffs of Moher may be the most famous cliffs, but the Mighty Mizen Head is incredible to see too!

22. Kylemore Abbey

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Kylemore Abbey

You cannot miss the Kylemore Abbey in Connemara

23. Poulnabrone Burren

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Poulnabrone Burren

The Burren and the Hole of Sorrows is just another place you have to visit in Ireland.

The landscape here is like being in another world.

24. Cliffs of Mizen Head

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Water crashes at Mizen Head

The rugged coastline is never ending on the Wild Atlantic Way

25. Most Northerly point in Ireland

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The most Northerly point in Ireland

Here it is, the most northerly point in Ireland.

26. Slieve League

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The beauty of Slieve League in Donegal on the Wild Atlantic Way

27. Dingle Peninsula

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Golden Hour on the Dingle Peninsula

Sunrise is one of the best times to explore the landscape of Ireland. It’s peaceful and you usually have an attractions all to yourself.

28. New Grange

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New Grange is a 5200-year-old passage tomb in Ireland’s Ancient East.

29. Giant’s Causeway

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Okay, so it’s in Northern Ireland, but you cannot include beautiful pictures of Ireland without a shot of the Giant’s Causeway. I seriously haven’t seen anything like this in my life!

30. Killary Harbour

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It is considered Ireland’s only fjord. We’ve had people argue that point with us, but that is what we were told when we were there.

If there is another, I’m not sure what it is, but this is defintely the biggest fjord in Ireland.

31. Rock of Cashel

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The Rock of Cashel dates back to the 4th century and was the centre of Ireland’s power.

The Rock of Cashel offers great photo opportunities of one of a 12th-century tower sitting atop high limestone rock.

32. Dark Hedges

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The Dark Hedges are in Northern Ireland but are one of the most extraordinary locations to snap photos of Ireland.

Made famous by the Game of Thrones, it is now one of the most photographed places in Ireland.

33. Irish Roadtrip

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Ireland is a haunting and beautiful destination. When driving the backroads of the country we came across beautiful images like this.

Have you been to Ireland?

Ireland photos the best images of Ireland

Read More

21 of The Very Best Things to do in Ireland

4X4 Off Road Driving in Ireland – An Adrenaline-Fueled Day Trip

Welcome to Connemara – An Enticing Tour of the Popular Loop

5 Ways to Experience Guinness in Dublin

About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine, the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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Comments

  5. Valerie says

    Where should I start visiting? Its really convincing! Ireland has so many places to visit. The pictures are awesome!Thank for sharing this pictures,I’m really exited to visit Ireland.

    Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      Hi Valerie, We highly recommend starting somewhere along the Wild Atlantic Way (It’s so far besides Dublin the only place we’ve been though 🙂 ) Really, you can choose any section and stick around there. County Kerry is a popular portion for the Ring of Kerry, Mizen Head and Skellig Islands. County Clare is great for the Cliffs of Moher. I would start with one of those personally.

      Reply

  6. Ireland traveler says

    Traveling to Ireland has always been one of my great dreams. These photos are breathtaking and you guys are very lucky to be able to see such amazing places!

    Reply

  8. Christine @thetraveloguer says

    Aw these are stunning photos! I’m really excited to start to explore Ireland when I get back. I used to have zero interest in it because I’m from there, but the more I travel, the more I appreciate how gorgeous Ireland is!

    Reply

  10. Jim Nix says

    nicely shot and processed Dave, my fave being sunset at the Cliffs of Moher – I’ve been to Dublin many times and need to find a way to explore more outside of town, there’s obviously a lot more to Ireland than Dublin (though it’s a fine city!)

    Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      Yes indeed, there is so much to see in Ireland. We enjoyed Dublin, but we truly loved the Wild Atlantic Way. Can’t wait to visit Northern Ireland in the fall!

      Reply

  11. Backpacking Panda says

    Wow!! So many amazing places and beautiful photos…Especially I like the one of Ha’Penny Bridge…Beautiful colors!(=

    Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      Hi Maria, yes we rented a car. We spent 2 weeks in Ireland, but I think the WAW requires more time. We’re going back in October and are going to hopefully spend another week on the East Coast after we finish discovering new sights on the West and North of Ireland.

      Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      I Maria, I can’t remember if I answered this so apologies if it is a duplicate answer. Yes, we rented a car. It’s really the best way to get around, I can’t imagine doing it on the tour busses that we saw. We spent 2 weeks there, but suggest 3 to really explore the WAW. Although, if you choose just one area, two weeks is perfect.

      Reply

  15. john smeeth says

    nice post…….mind refreshing Pictures.I will share it with my friends. and here i want to share, if anyone is in search of adventurous travel then please visit to Kathmandu Guest House with its unbeatable service in Nepal (the country of world 8 highest peak) .

    Reply

  16. [email protected]'s Travelgram says

    I think I should go searching for cheap tickets 😀 I’ve noticed that the last 3 countries I’ve visited all start with I – Italy, Indonesia, India, so Ireland should definitely be next!

    Your pics look gorgeous with this HDR effect!

    Reply

  17. Michelle says

    Lovely photos.

    Weirdly, I’m from the UK originally but have never actually gotten to Ireland yet. It’s on my list though, and these photos have just convinced me it should probably be sooner than later 🙂 Thanks.

    Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      we’ve found that to be the case with a lot of people from the UK. I think we all make that same mistake of not visiting our own backyard. We almost need to see someone from another country or continent visit it with fresh eyes to become excited about it. I know it’s true for us. It took us going to Ireland to want to visit the East Coast of Canada. We said “I bet the East Coast is similar to this experience” Now we really want to go where as before, it wasn’t on our radar.

      Reply

  19. Samantha says

    Absolutely stunning photos! I visited Ireland when I was 7 years old and have been wanting to go back desperately. These capture the rugged beauty and romance I remember from being there, just gorgeous.

    Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      Wow! Lucky you visiting at 7. We saw quite a few families visiting Ireland and it looked like they were having a great time. Your parents obviously gave you the travel bug at an early age.

      Reply

    • Dave and Deb says

      It was high on our list too. We kept saying for years “We have to go to Ireland” During our travels, we always said about places, “I bet this is what Ireland is like” As it turns out, Ireland is completely unique and it’s really not like anywhere on earth. It was a wonderful surprise.

      Reply

  23. Katie says

    Wow.

    These are absolutely stunning.

    Ireland has kind of been on my list for a while now – especially since my cousins moved there about a year ago. But I think it’s just moved up the list a few places!

    Beautiful. Thanks for posting.

    Reply

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