61 Photos That Prove That Ireland is the Most Beautiful Place on Earth

I constantly get emails from people asking to see pictures of Ireland.

At first, this baffled me.

I’d have thought people would just hop onto Instagram or use Google image search.

But no.

These emails pop into my inbox every few days. 

And generally, they sound a little like this:

• Hi. Can I see pics of ierland plese ~ Franz
• Kieth. Where can I find photos of irland for my trip planing. Tnks.

See for yourself.

The Best Pictures of Ireland (That I’ve Come Across Over the Past 3-4 years) 

Photos via Shutterstock

I’ve spent some time looking back through the photos of Ireland that I’ve uploaded to this site.

I’ve also taken a flick through my favourite Instagram accounts, along with some of the pics of Ireland that Tourism Ireland makes available to global media.

The result?

49 pictures of Ireland (or ‘pics of ierland’, for my friend Franz…) that I believe show that Ireland is the most beautiful place on earth.

Let’s hop into it, so!

Ireland Landscape Photos: 10 of my Favourites

In the first section, I’m going to show you a handful of my favourite Ireland landscape photos.

These are photos that I’ve come across over the last few years that I keep coming back to time and time again.

1. The magical Marble Hill in Donegal

Photo left: Gareth Wray. Others courtesy Failte Ireland

When I first saw this snap of the Hill of Tara in County Meath, I’d never been there.

So, the following day, myself and a friend took the handy 40-minute drive from where we live in Dublin to check it out.

If a photo can influence you to visit a place, it’s got that magic sauce.

2. Diamond Hill in Connemara

Photos via Shutterstock

3. The view at Grianan of Aileach in County Donegal

Photos via Shutterstock

You can nearly smell the sharp freshness of the air and feel the wind lapping against your face from looking at the photo above.Magic.

4. The Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary

Photos via Shutterstock

Brian Morrison is easily one of my favourite Irish photographers.

He’s taken many photos on behalf of Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland, and the result is just out of this world.

5. Loughcrew Cairns in County Meath

Photos via Shutterstock

6. The view out over Coumshingaun Lake in County Waterford

Photos via Shutterstock

7. Waterford’s Copper Coast

Photos via Shutterstock

8. Trim Castle in County Meath

Photos via Shutterstock

9. Achill Island  looking magnificent

Photos via Shutterstock

10.  Tintern Abbey in County Wexford looking a little like something from a Harry Potter movie

Photos via Shutterstock

11. Downpatrick Head and the mammoth of a Sea Stack known as Dun Briste

Photos via Shutterstock

12. Bantry House and Gardens in West Cork

Photos via Shutterstock

16. Bull Rock near Dursey Island

Photos via Shutterstock

17. Lough Ouler in Wicklow – Ireland’s heart-shaped lake

Photos via Shutterstock

Yes, there really is a heart-shaped lake in Wicklow.

Here’s a guide to getting to Lough Ouler.

18. The sky above Kerry singing at the Dark Sky Reserve

Photo left: Valerie O’Sullivan. Others: Tom Archer (Failte Ireland)

Did you know that there’s a place in Kerry that has been designated as Ireland’s very first International Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association?

The photo below was snapped there. Find out more about the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve.

19. The tabletop-like mountain of Benbulben in County Sligo

Photos via Shutterstock

20. Scenes along Slea Head in County Kerry

Photos via Shutterstock

I could drive along Slea Head for 7 days straight and never get bored.

Regardless of whether the rain is hopping off your roof or the sun is blazing, there’s always something to have a gander at.

There’s also scenery that’ll make you want to pull in, hop out and stare.

The last photo in the little batch above blew me away when I saw it a few years back.

It was snapped from a helicopter by the lads at the Irish Air Corp.

Green fields and rolling mountains collide with the sheer power of the Atlantic Ocean to make this a photo of Ireland that cemented itself in my mind from the second I first laid eyes on it. 

21. Mizen Head – the most southerly point in Ireland

Photos via Shutterstock

22. Donegal’s ‘secret’ waterfall

Photos via Shutterstock

23. Kerry’s Skellig Islands

Photos via Shutterstock

The Skellig Islands in Kerry have been on my bucket list for about 7 years now.

Every time that I’m visiting Kerry and thinking about taking the boat over to them, the weather is terrible, and the tour is canceled.

There’s something immensely special about these two little islands.

24. The rugged cliff face at Dún Aonghasa

Photos via Shutterstock

I’ve always felt that if there’s a place where Ireland ends, it’s here.

If you visit, please be careful when nearing the cliff edge.

25. The view from the top of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo

Photos courtesy Gareth McCormack/garethmccormack via Failte Ireland

If you manage to get a clear view when you reach the top of Croagh Patrick, you’re in for a treat.

The view out over Clew Bay is just out of this world.

26. The magical Kylemore Abbey in Connemara

Photos via Shutterstock

27. The windy road at Glengesh Pass in Donegal 

Photos via Shutterstock

28. The Antrim coast that surrounds the ruins of Dunluce Castle

Photos via Shutterstock

29. The Carrick-a-rede rope bridge in County Antrim

Photos via Shutterstock

If you’re thinking about road trippin’ along the Antrim coast, check out our road trip guide that takes in the best things to do on the Causeway Coastal Route over 2 days.

30. Silver Strand in Donegal

Photos via Shutterstock

31. The gorgeous village of Allihies in County Cork

Photos via Shutterstock

This is one of my favourite little towns in West Cork.

Follow our 4-day West Cork road trip guide and you’ll end up here.

Wrapping it up

I’ve no doubt that there’s plenty more fantastic photos of Ireland out there.

If you know of one, or if you’ve taken it yourself, pop it into the comments section below.

Keith O'Hara

Thanks for visiting the Irish road trip! This site exists to inspire and guide you on an Irish adventure that’ll give birth to a lifetime of memories!