Flora and Fauna of Ireland

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I love taking pictures and not just when I am on vacation and as you have already seen, almost anything is fair game. Anyone who knows me knows that I love taking pictures of dogs and flowers and so I present to you a small selection of the flora and fauna of Ireland. Deciding what order to do this in was tough, so I will simply do it in chronological order.

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The first are the beautiful sheep of Cashel. These guys are everywhere in Ireland are so cute, even with their markings signifying to which farm they belong. I liked the ones with the bright pink neon markings the best.

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We later saw some gorgeous red flowers that demanded a photo before I went on my way.

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Right next door we saw this beautiful boxer baby who was behind a gate with a little fox terrier.

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Somewhere between Cork and the Cliffs of Moher, we saw many animals including sheep and cows, but we also saw this trio of donkeys and a horse. The donkeys were hanging out with another donkey (not pictured) and they, like the horse, didn’t seem to mind that we were photographing them. Perhaps they were cold and decided to stay close or maybe they were working on a game play?
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The grounds of Ashford Castle in Cong were beautifully landscaped with a variety of flowers, including an abundance of hydrangeas.
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Next stop is Galway and it’s all about the dogs here! First I saw the most docile and yet beautiful Mastiff near our B&B. I think his name would be Chester or Harold or some other distinguished name and he probably has a cigar after dinner.

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This little boxer baby was walking on the other side of the street from us in Galway. The owner went inside the store, helped the dog into the obligatory “sit” position, and went inside. No leash tied to anything – total trust the dog would stay and no one would walk off with the puppy. If you know boxers, asking them to do this is a task and this little Irish beauty pulled it off. However, at the bank across the street, he opted to tie the puppy who only barked when I started talking to her.

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While shopping in High Street in Galway, my husband spotted this cute statue, which doubles as a collection box.

When on vacation it might be easy to focus on the typical sightseeing spots such as monuments and the like, but don’t forget about the everyday things that you see. My “thing” is dogs and flowers, but yours might be cars and architecture or doors and sky shots. Take lots of pictures and be willing to accept that out of 100 pictures, maybe only a handful are ones that you like. You’ll never know what you will find when you get home if you allow yourself the freedom to take pictures of everything without a judgmental eye.