Brian Lawlor ~ Photos

Acknowledgment: Props to photo bro Darren McLoughlin at Panoramic Ireland, who over two photo tours during trips to Ireland in 2013 and 2017, provided me with a patient, observant, focused approach that made these Ireland photos -- not to mention the scores of other photos not shown here -- way better than they would have been otherwise. Míle Buíochas, Darren.

This is the Rock of Dunamase, a rocky outcrop in County Laois. For the Lawlor family, this is ground zero, ancestrally, Dunamase is the most significant historic structure in County Laois, the geographic origin, as best as we know, of our family. (Nikon D7000 | 18 mm | ISO 400 | f/5.0 | 1/1600 sec.)

A less familiar view of the 700-foot high Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, easily the most photographed site in Ireland. Perhaps one of those famous sites that are so over photographed that it can be difficult to get a shot that is distinctive. Oh well, this was my best effort. (Gotta love that tiny boat to the left-center and the tower atop the cliffs, offering perspective of the scale of the place!) (Nikon D7000 | 26 mm | ISO 200 | f/11 | 1/200 sec.)

An interior shot of the Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary. Most of the high-profile tourist locations are along Ireland's coastlines. That said, the Rock of Cashel is a must-see, notably impressive historic location in the Ireland interior. (Nikon D7000 | 18 mm | ISO 100 | f/5.6 | 1/125 sec.)

More from the Rock of Cashel: A stunning Celtic Cross in the church cemetery. (Nikon D7000 | 24 mm | ISO 100 | f/4.5 | 1/1000 sec.)

The Cross of Cong, a stunning 12th- century Irish processional cross and reliquary, designed to hold a purported piece of the True Cross. Viewable in Dublin at the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology. (LG Nexus 5X)

This is Dunluce Castle, a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland, as seen under repair. It sits on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. IMHO, another must-see. (Nikon D7000 | 18 mm | ISO 160 | f/11 | 1/125 sec.)

Do you really need an explanation of what this is? ... I didn't think so! Shot in Dublin in Toner's Pub. It is the real thing, people. (Nikon D7000 | 18 mm | ISO 200 | f/3.5 | 1/3 sec.)

A black-and-white conversion of the photo, above. A Guinness pint suffers not one bit from the conversion!

The iconic Samuel Beckett Bridge, opened in 2009, over the River Liffey in Dublin. The architect is Santiago Calatrava who also designed the equally stunning Sundial Bridge in Redding, California. (Nikon D7000 | 28 mm | ISO 100 | f/5.6 | 1/400 sec.)