Guide Photography Contest – Results!

Posted on Nov 16, 2018 by Dawn Rainbolt

At Wilderness Ireland, we’ve got an amazing collection of expert guides who come from all walks of life.

This year, we decided to add a little friendly competition amongst our guides. Each guide was given a camera while out on their trips for the purpose of trip photography – as well as given a mission. The challenge? Who can take the best photo while guiding a trip in Ireland!

With so many amazing photos submitted, it was hard to narrow down to just 12 photos. See below for the top three winners and honourable mentions. Who knows, maybe your next Ireland trip’s guide will win next year!

Click in to each guide to read their bio.

1. Eoin Warner – The Conor Pass, Kerry

Our winning photograph was taken by our own ‘celebrity guide’ Eoin Warner, who is known for hosting a series of wildlife shows – both in English and the Irish Gaelic language! Eoin couldn’t actually speak Irish as a child. In fact, he was so determined to learn the language of his ancestors that he spent time living in a Gaeltacht region of Dingle to become fluent! Other interesting tidbits about Eoin? He’s also an expert bee-keeper!

This photo hails from one of Kerry’s most spectacular places, the Conor Pass. A breathtaking photo op in the mountains on the Dingle Peninsula, it is the highest mountain pass in Ireland! A narrow and twisting road, the Conor Pass a jaw-dropping biking country for those who love a challenge!

Enjoy this view on our NEW biking trip, Biking the Kerry Peninsulas.

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2. Calliam Johnson – Mam Ean – Connemara

Shot by guide Calliam Johnson, Callium is a bit of a mystery! New for 2018, he has made a splash in his first season of guiding with us – including photography! Callium has lived, guided in and travelled to far-flung places like Peru, Bolivia and Kenya and brings the knowledge he earned there to the trips he guides in Ireland.

This photo was taken while hiking the trail of Mam Ean, a low-level but rugged pilgrimage route in Connemara. It is dotted with the stations of the cross – which seem so out of place in this remote landscape! – and is associated with St Patrick.

As spotted on our trip, Hiking the Mountains of Connemara & Mayo. 

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3. John Neary – The Cliffs of Moher

Guide John Neary loves photography and videography (you might spot some of his work on our Facebook page!). From a small village in the Irish midlands, John is an expert in all things Ireland. Fun and friendly, John left behind the sparkling corporate world of banking, trading a skyline office for dramatic landscapes!

The Cliffs of Moher are generally on everyone’s list. These sheer cliffs fall some 200 metres dramatically into the sea. Though not the tallest cliffs in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher are the most famous, and certainly quite dramatic! Please note, however, that standing at the edge (like the man in the picture) is dangerous due to erosion.

As spotted on our trip, Hiking Connemara to the Cliffs of Moher.

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Our top honourable mentions:

Duncan Warner – Mweelrea Mountain, Mayo

The tallest mountain in Connacht, Mweelrea stands at 814m (2,670 feet), Mweelrea is a challenging hike thanks to steep slopes and boggy terrain – but the summit views are well worth it.

Hike Mweelrea mountain on our Connemara & Mayo hiking trip. 

Georgia MacMillan – Horn Head Peninsula

Rough, rugged, windswept – Donegal is a land of myth and legend, a land where history and mythology shape the landscape. Horn Head is just one of many hauntingly beautiful headlands.

Hike the wilds of Donegal on Hiking the Causeway Coastal Route & Donegal. 

Dean McMenamin – Biking Sky Road, Connemara

 

One of Connemara’s most scenic places to explore on a bike is the aptly-named Sky Road – perfect cycling lanes overlooking ocean panoramas and Connemara hills.

Cycle this photo on Biking Connemara & the Aran Islands.

Duncan Warner – Leenane Hill, Connemara / Mayo

Beautiful colours and scenery in the hills of Connemara. Climb Leenane Hill for views of Killary Fjord, Connemara National Park, and the bogs and lakes of the Connemara region.

Hiking in Connemara’s vast landscapes? If this sounds like your kind of holiday, check out our trip through the mountains of Connemara & Mayo. 

Michelle Hughes – Mt Brandon, Dingle, Kerry

Mt Brandon is one of Ireland’s holy mountains, so-called for their association with various saints and pilgrimages – in this case, St Brendan the Navigator.

Itching to be there? Hike Ireland’s Dingle Way to climb Mt Brandon!

Georgia MacMillan – Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is a place dipped in mythology – in fact, Irish myth states that the causeway and its 40,000 basalt columns were created by a warring giant! Science states it was due to a volcanic eruption. Which is it? You’ll have to visit to decide for yourself!

Get to the Giant’s Causeway yourself on our trip, the Causeway Coast & Donegal. 

Duncan Warner – Croagh Patrick Mountain, Mayo

Another holy mountain, Croagh Patrick is associated with St Patrick, who legend has it, fasted at its summit for 40 days. While this might be stretching reality a bit (the summit is really windy!), follow in his footsteps to the top for fantastic views.

Climb Croagh Patrick mountain and more rugged peaks in Connemara & Mayo. 

Paul Quinn – Kayaking in the Burren, Clare

Sometimes exploring a place from an unusual perspective yields unexpected yet amazing results! Try kayaking the Burren, taking in its weird geology from the water.

While not currently on any scheduled trips, tailor-make your own dream vacation to the Burren and beyond!

John Neary – The Burren National Park, Clare

For an intimate look at the worldliness that inspired JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth, hike the rugged exposed limestone of the Burren National Park.

Make this photo reality – jump onto Hiking Connemara to Cliffs of Moher or even a bike tour of Connemara and the Burren if two wheels are your preferred method of exploration!

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Thanks to all of our amazing guides and all of the submitted photos from 2018 – whittling it down to these 12 winning photos was no easy task!

Inspired for your next trip to Ireland? Check out a few of our favourite trips below!

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