Photo Story
Ireland. The beautiful Emerald Isle, with its rolling fields of green, ancient castles, and rainy skies. No amount of photos or words could prepare me for seeing this country in person. As a student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I thought I was familiar with the green landscapes of farm-filled valleys. But Ireland has its own pulse. Every place, from mountain to sea, carries a kind of magic and surrealism within it. My goal during this trip was to capture what makes Ireland feel like Ireland, by paying attention to the landscapes and wildlife that we often overlook when traveling. The result of this was… a lot of bird pictures. It started accidentally, but as I spotted more and more, I realized they gave each location a sense of life, even if some of the birds I am accustomed to seeing.
Some birds felt familiar. I saw pigeons strutting through the streets of Dublin and Cork, just like home. Mallards floated in most ponds at Blarney Castle, St. Stephens and Phoenix Park. Often accompanied by swans in these man-made ponds, another reminder of home. These were comforting sights and small reminders of Pennsylvania. But that was not the only wildlife there. The first new bird I saw was the vibrant blue-and-black Magpie, flashing like a jewel between trees in St. Stephens. I then learned that they were a common bird in Ireland. After taking notice of them the first time, I began to see them everywhere.
There were other birds I saw less frequently though.The Eurasian Coot, with its striking white forehead shield, paddled through Phoenix Park, with two babies right on its tail. I spotted Cormorants drying their wings on coastal rocks in Howth, and got a picture of one taking flight from a rock. My favorite sightings came from a boat around Howth where I spotted Gannets diving headfirst into the sea, puffins bobbing in the surf and diving into the water, and sleek Guillemots clinging to cliff edges. Many of these birds are rarely (if ever) seen in the U.S, and certainly not in PA itself.
The landscapes surrounding them were equally varied. One afternoon, I decided to visit the Wicklow Mountains. The softness reminded me of rural Pennsylvania’s Appalachian trails, but taller, wilder and prettier. I will say that hiking in this national park reminded me more of PA than any other place in Ireland. Later that same day, I was in the cityscape of Dublin bustling with energy. In many ways, Dublin felt like a greener, smaller Pittsburgh. Many of my classmates, myself included, said they felt like they were right back in Pittsburgh when we got off the plane. The biggest difference though is that Dublin does not build any of its buildings higher than the Cathedrals, so there were no big skyscrapers like we were used to seeing in Pittsburgh. Our coastal walk from Bray to Greystones left a lasting impression. The cliffs dropped right down to the blue sea, and every bend in the path revealed another jaw-dropping view. The dart train ran through the side of the mountain where the coast was, right below where our train was above it. In Pennsylvania, we have rivers and lakes, but not the dramatic coastline that Ireland offers.The Blarney Castle grounds offered another contrast: peaceful, almost storybook countryside filled with gardens, streams, and old stone. And on the train rides through rural Ireland, I noticed how the fields seemed to stretch endlessly, not unlike PA farmland, but with more sheep, cows, and more stone walls than fences.
This photo story is a reflection of Ireland through my lens. Each image I took, from a swan in a Dublin pond to the Puffins swimming in the sea, captures its own moment in time.
Traveling from Pittsburgh to Ireland reminded me that beauty exists both in what’s familiar and what’s new. Sometimes being able to see both is what makes an experience even more special.