Miss the greens of St. Patrick’s Day? Visit the Wild Atlantic Way

Amazing instragramed photos that show just how amazingly ‘green’ the Wild Atlantic Way is.

With Instagram’s emphasis on the beautiful and spectacular, it’s no surprise that the Wild Atlantic Way features prominently. Instagram users have posted more than half a million photos using the tag #wildatlanticway since the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way.

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Instagram has become firmly established as the place to post your favorite photographs. It’s the photo-sharing site where you can be the envy of all your friends. And it’s the repository to store those stunning reminders of a great holiday or mini-break.

All six regions along the 2,500km route were captured and the vast collection of photographs is a treasure trove capturing the sheer variety of the Wild Atlantic Way in all the seasons.

Read more: Breathtaking video of the Wild Atlantic Way has us pining for the west coast

Anyone who searches for #wildatlanticway images will be struck by how green the predominant color of is so many. It’s not just the mountainsides and the valleys that look resplendent in green, but - on occasion - the Atlantic too. It’s a reminder that there’s a perfectly good reason why Ireland and the color green are forever entwined.

Here’s a selection of some very special photos taken by some of our amazingly talented Irish photographers and posted to Instagram and they demonstrate just how gloriously green the Wild Atlantic Way is.

Murder Hole Beach, Co Donegal - photographed by Tom Archer

Donegal is justly famed for its brilliant beaches, but this intriguingly named one is perfect for those seeking somewhere completely off the beaten track. It’s not the most accessible beach on the Wild Atlantic Way and local knowledge is usually required - but you’ll feel as though you have the place to yourself.

Emery Celtic Cross, Killea, Co Donegal - photographed by Gareth Wray

Named after its creator, the late Liam Emery, this spectacular sight visible to those flying overhead, is created by the planting of two different species of pine trees. The outer trees are evergreen but the ones that form the shape of the 100m Celtic cross drop their needs in winter and turn this striking gold color.

Benbulben, Co Sligo - photographed by Ian Mitchinson

It’s arguably Ireland’s most distinctively shaped mountains and an icon of Yeats county. The poet himself was drawn to this special place and he immortalized it in the line “under bare Ben Bulben’s head”. He is buried in its shadow and today many poetry lovers make the pilgrimage to Drumcliffe cemetary to see his final resting place.

Read more: Galway and the West tours

Mullaghmore Head, Co Sligo - photographed by Conor Flanagan

Yeats County is on the itineraries of surfers everywhere and the waves are especially huge off this rugged headland. It’s no surprise that some of the biggest names in surfing have brought their boards here - the waves have been known to rise to 15 meters. It’s a perfect area to explore on foot, too, and the gothic edifice of Classiebawn is a key part of the scenery.

Read more: Exploring the remote and rugged wonders of Donegal

Downpatrick Head, Co Mayo - photographed by Iain Miller

The sea-stacks that lie off the Connemara coast have long intrigued visitors, and Dún Briste is especially famed. They evoke the great passage of time and the sense that the Atlantic has hewn the coastline here for millions of years. For daredevil adventurers, climbing rocky towers like these put all their skill and fearlessness to the test. It’s little wonder lovers of the Great Outdoors feel so drawn to the Wild Atlantic Way.

 Clifden, Co Galway - photographed by Ferghus Foyle

“Even the ocean is green in Ireland!” reads the caption on this sumptuous photograph and it’s true that from certain angles and at specific times of the year, the Atlantic takes on a spectacular greeny hue. Clifden is the ‘capital’ of Connemara and the perfect place from which to explore the undulating landscape of this beloved national park.

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 Loop Head, Co Clare - photographed by Jordan Drennan

The giant letters that spell out Ireland as Gaeilge date from the early decades of aviation. Together with an identifying number, they were a pre-GPS navigational aid. The location of this one - at the tip of Loop Head - offers a reminder that you’re in the very extremity of Ireland. Next stop, America.

 Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare - photographed by Bernard Geraghty

The most storied cliffs in the entire country are usually photographed from above and at a distance, but this worm’s eye view captures the sheer size of these much-adored natural wonders. Seamus Heaney loved this part of the Wild Atlantic Way and a line from his Clare-set poem, Postcript, seems apt: “Catch the heart off guard and blow it open.”

 Skellig Michael, Co Kerry - photographed by Valerie O’Sullivan

The otherworldly sight of this fabled mountain has captivated viewers for generations - including the monks from the early centuries of Christianity to choose to live there. In recent years, Skellig Michael has become a global icon thanks to being featured extensively in their latest Star Wars movies. The filmmakers were looking for somewhere out of this world - and they got their wish.

Read more: Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Way tours

 Allihies, Co Cork - photographed by Chris Hill

The last village at the end of the picturesque Beara Peninsula lies between mountains and the jagged Atlantic coast. It used to be celebrated for copper-mining and remnants of that industry still dot the hillside here. The Allihies Copper Mine Museum commemorates the area’s mining heritage - one that can be traced back to the Bronze Age.

(bonus shot) Dún Briste, Downpatrick Head, Co. Mayo as captured by Bernard Geraghty of BG Landscape Tours 

Number 11 is for readers hoping to catch a leprechaun and steal his pot of gold this weekend, legend goes that you will find him near the base of tree at the end of a rainbow counting his treasure.

Do you have beautiful photos of Ireland you'd like to share with us? Email them to [email protected].

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