Co. Wicklow
Although it's very close to Dublin, County Wicklow has remained relatively unspoilt by domestic and urban development. As you can see on the photos on this page, you can expect to see lots of green areas, hills and open water (rivers, sea, lakes). In my opinion, this county summarises the best of what you can see in the rest of Ireland. It's likely the reason why it’s called the Garden of Ireland.
There are several places to visit in Co. Wicklow, here's a few ideas (knowing more photos will be added when they're ready!).
Camera used: Canon EOS 1200D, 18-55/50-250mm, No Flash.
Glendalough National Park
Glendalough site was set in a glaciated valley with two lakes. It displays monastic remains founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. There you'll see a round tower, stone churches and several decorated crosses. Note that similar round towers can be seen in Counties Monaghan and Offaly.
Glendalough National Park
After visiting the National Heritage Site, it's time for you to go walking around the Upper (pictured) and Lower lakes. You will need at least two full days for that to fully explore the area (there are quite a lot of paths, depending on your degree of fitness).
Glendalough National Park
You can climb on the mountains located on the left-hand side of the Upper Lake. The climb has a number of "stairs" to assist walkers to climb the hill. The climb is quite steep, however the view from the top is quite rewarding (photos to be added in the future).
You can take the path located on the right hand side of the Upper Lake (on foot or by bike). The walk is actually easier (it's quite flat) and less crowded... In my opinion, the path leads to one of the prettiest spot in Ireland.
Glendalough National Park
From a photographic point of view, the sun position and the number of tourists were quite a challenge.
It is probably better to arrive early during the day or late in the afternoon (which wasn't the case during my last trip).
Great Sugar Loaf (Seen from Powerscourt)
The "Great Sugar Loaf" mountains climb can be relatively easy to organise. Although they are only 501 metres high, their isolation from other hills and volcanic appearance makes them appear much taller than they are. They dominate much of the Dublin and Wicklow landscape and have a very characteristic conic shape that makes them look like volcanoes, however this is not the case.
Powerscourt House and Gardens
At only 19 km from Dublin, go and visit the Powerscourt estate especially on a sunny day. Firstly, you can admire the external walls of the House, which were built in the 18th century. The inside of the house (which was heavily restored after a fire in 1974) couldn't be visited. However, feel free to spend hours in the Italian garden dating from 1843, with its pool, its fountain, its flowers and its majestic marble statues.
Powerscourt Japanese Gardens
Powerscourt Estate also has a Japanese garden. This always makes me think of my trip to Japan in 2001. These gardens are always great for photography because of the colours of the trees and the beauty of the little bridges. Powerscourt Japanese garden can be compared with the one located in Co. Kildare.
Powerscourt Waterfalls
The scale of the waterfall can make you feel quite small. There you can enjoy 121m of cascading water, but note that this can be an extremelly popular site and some sunny days, it is difficult to get a decent shot (cars parked very close to the waterfall, people climbing rocks everywhere, barbecues)...
More to come in the next few months :-).