Ted Evans Loc: Jasper, AL

Fellow Hoggers. Want to go to Ireland in
2018, with photography as main attraction.
i'm open for general advice as to time of
year for wildflowers in countryside, scenics
on the coast, tour or rental car, best companies to use for lodging, tours, photo
guides etc. and any other advice and
recommendations that come to mind. If
you have photographed there before, your
comments and advice are wanted and
needed. I have a 5D iii and 7D ii with
100-400 II and 24-105 II, as core equip.
Ted Evans. Wife will be with me.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Take all; have wife carry camera bag.

repleo Loc: Boston

We go to Ireland at least once a year - usually to visit family.
For accommodations a good place to start your research is here http://www.discoverireland.ie/. Bed and Breakfast (B&B) are really the best option for touring in Ireland and for meeting local people.
For suggestions on the best of the coastal scenic areas research the 'Wild Atlantic Way' at http://www.wildatlanticway.com/home. My favorite area is the Dingle Penninsula in County Kerry (especially Slea Head and Coummenole Beach) and of course the Cliffs of Moher. The tiny village of Doolin just North of the Cliffs is the cradle of Irish traditional music and worth an overnight stop. If possible include a day trip to the Blasket Islands from Dingle.
We spent a couple of days following the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland last year and I was awestruck by its beauty. See my postings 'Mini Theme ' http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-430374-1.html and http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-426332-1.html for some sample shots.
A really nice alternative to a driving vacation is to rent a cruiser on the River Shannon. http://www.shannon-river.com/Default.aspx. These give you access to hundreds of miles of rivers, lakes and canals including picturesque stone harbors and locks and nature close-ups. The boats are comfortable, easy to drive and the prices are very reasonable when you consider you are getting transportation and accommodation and can self-cater. Cruising the Shannon is really special and gives access to a slice of Ireland you can't see by road.
Driving in Ireland is on the left - same as England. I'm used to it, and thousands of tourists every year mange it with no problem. Most rental cars are manual transmission so you will be shifting gears with your left hand which may take some getting used to. Auto transmission cars are very expensive. Ireland has a good infrastructure of new highways between its major cities, but roads in scenic areas and rural areas are often barely one and half lanes wide for two way traffic. I always book my rental cars through AutoEurope and have never had a problem. Look for 'all-inclusive' or ' zero deductible rates as 'CDW' insurance may have a deductible of over $1000. Credit card insurance usually excludes Ireland, Italy and Israel for some reason.

Weather in Ireland is always unpredictable. Temps in the 80's are rare which is good because there is not much air conditioning. Temperatures are mild, but the air can be damp and it is always windy and showers are never too far away. The countryside is green all year round. Daffodils are up by end of February and roses bloom until Oct / Nov. Yellow gorse and purple heather on the mountains are spectacular in Sept. Evenings are bright until after 10:00 pm in July / Aug. I would recommend any time between end of April and end of October. Summer airfares are exorbitant. We usually go in May or October.
If you opt to spend a couple of days in Dublin there are a couple of really great day trips you can take. Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains are beautiful and makes for a great day. Howth Harbor and the summit is only 30 minutes away by DART and is very photogenic. Newgrange is an hour's drive - very interesting but not so much of a photo op.

I think your 24-105 will cover 90% of your shots. If you cruise the Shannon or visit the Blasket Islands I would bring the long zoom for some nature shots, otherwise I wouldn't see much need for it, but I don't like long zooms anyway. You can get some great fast moving cloud formations so bring a good ND filter and tripod for some dramatic skies.

Hope this gets you started. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

TheDman Loc: USA

Just drove the circumference last year on a photo trip. I would never dream of taking a tour; I need to be in complete control of my schedule. The southern half of the island is far more touristy, but to me the north was far more beautiful. Malin Head, Fanad Head, Dark Hedges, Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Ballintoy Harbor, the Poisoned Glen... I could go on and on about the north, and I didn't even get to see everything. Antrim and Donegal are not to be missed.

I've been to the British Isles 5 times now, all around the last two weeks of May, and each time have had fantastic weather. I say go then.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Gap of Dunloe, Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Stone

jimmyrock

Read the book "The Last of the Donkey Pilgrims" by Kevin O'Hara before you go. You'll get inspiration like you never thought you could. Did it by car for nine days and would love to go back.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

The only addition I would make is a wide angle zoom. For the 7DII maybe the 10-18 at $279, if money is tight or the 10-22 now on sale for $440.00. A little wider would be the Sigma 8-16 at $700.

The full frame equivalents get a bit pricey.

I really regretted not having a little more width when I was in towns. Some of the most interesting spaces were a bit tight.

TonyBot

Second everything Repleo said, and add: B and B's are great, as are most of the luxury accommodations (i.e. castles). We have done the gamut. The people are friendly and helpful in both, and make Ireland one of the best places to go. The Dingle peninsula is a definite must. If you stay in Killarney, you will get Dingle as well as "urban" Ireland. We rented a car for the whole trip, and did a "tour", but expect that we will hire a driver for the next Dingle trip - someone who we will warn that we may suddenly see something and ask him/her to "stop!"
I would definitely include Dublin, to include Trinity College and the Book of Kels. And of course the Cliffs of Moher. (and almost everything in between). This trip was sorta the "southern" loop, but next one will be longer and go more north.
And, most definitely, a very wide angle lens - I used the 10-22 more than 50% of the time - as part of your kit.
Due to business considerations, we went in early November, when it was definitely cool and wet, but still worth every minute!
Enjoy your trip - I am sure you will!

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

When we went to Ireland, my wife and I first went to a travel agent who set us up with a car rental and a catalog & book of certificates for Bed 'n Breakfasts. Driving yourself and staying at B 'n B's is the way to go. We flew in to Dublin and spent 10 days leisurely driving around the south coast eventually flying out of Shannon. Ireland is so well set up for this type of vacationing. We would get each morning up to a fabulous homemade breakfast, decide where we wanted to go for a little photography that day, pick a good sounding B 'n B from the listings and then call ahead and reserve a room. We stayed at everything from a converted Keep (early castle form) to a country farmhouse. We not only ate well and met great people, but our hosts were locals who could direct us to the best sights, pubs, etc.

We were lucky it only showered off and on for a single day there (in June), but even the best days were mostly cloudy to overcast...fine for mid-day photography. The south coast of Ireland is a lush as you'll see and we were surprised to find many gardens hosted tropical plants. There are great ruins every quarter mile (my wife loves historical stuff), 300 year old formal gardens open to the pubic and each little town we drove through was a photographer's heaven. Equip yourself for rain and make your schedule flexible enough to stay a couple of days in the same place if you want to. We spent 3 days in the Dingle Peninsula because we liked it so much.

Fourlocks

PS - Check Ireland's latitude...if you want to get some sunset-to-dusk shots, plan on staying set up until 10:00 in the summer!

repleo Loc: Boston

Good info Fourlocks.
Just to expand on the gardens - The National Botanic Gardens (fabulous), Malahide Castle, Powerscourt Gardens, Mount Usher and the Japanese Gardens in Kildare are all in, or within an hour of Dublin City. Birr Castle in Co Offaly is also very worth seeing. Garnish Island in Glengarriff Co. Cork is a real gem.
Bunratty Folk Park is a re-created 19th century village. It is very well done with great photo ops for the Ireland of yesteryear. Obviously, it is a 'tourist attraction' - but then you are a tourist so don't fight it.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

If you can afford it, spend a night or two at the Powerscourt Hotel. It is amazing. And expensive.


Note about speaking to the Irish. They will be fascinated by what you are doing and why you are visiting. But if you want to know about them, you will need to ask. You could be talking to the greatest photographer in Ireland and not know it because they are more interested in talking about YOU and your photography. They may still give you great ideas and advice on photography in Ireland, but they won't brag about themselves. They would rather find out about you and make you feel welcome. They are just that hospitable.

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

Heading there in July for 10 days for some golf. I have the same equipment.
If I get anything worth while, I'll try to let you know.

repleo Loc: Boston

Use the 100-400 off the tees and the 24-105 off the fairways and you should be all set.

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

Rest assured the 24-105 will be zoomed to the hilt. My shots need no encouragement to see any more landscape than they already do!

TheDman Loc: USA

Powerscourt Hotel is truly amazing and the ground are very nice, plus the nearby waterfall is good for some shots. But as far as manicured grounds go, the best I saw in Ireland was the Ashford Castle in Cong, just north of Galway.