Ireland: County Mayo
This tour is based in Westport and Ballina, two charming towns of County Mayo, the gem of Ireland's west coast. From there we’ll make daily excursions to far-flung places such as Achill Island in the north and the edge of Connemara in County Galway to the south. Ruined abbeys, the castles of Mayo’s legendary Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, and deserted-village timescapes all await.
Workshop Details
April 15-23, 2024 — Completed
This is an 8-night, 9-day photography tour. Your adventure begins on the morning of April 15 and ends when we drop you at Dublin Airport on April 23.
$7,295 (singles) or $13,995 (two people sharing a room) + applicable taxes.
Skill level
Open to all who have an understanding of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras.
Group size
10, with 2 instructors — 5:1 ratio
Workshop Leaders
Registration
This event has passed. Thanks for your interest!
| • Deposit of $2,295 (single) or $3,995 (two people sharing a room) is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $5,000 (single) or $10,000 (two people sharing) is due on December 17, 2023. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is December 16, 2023. (see cancellation and refund policy). |
| • The tour fee does not include airfare to Dublin, or meals other than dinner on the first night and breakfasts. |
The County Mayo Experience
County Mayo is just north of Galway on Ireland’s west coast. Mayo is not as busy as the better-known parts of the west coast further south, but it has everything a photographer could ask for. Dramatic landscapes of rolling hills crisscrossed with ancient stone walls, seascapes of the beautiful Clew Bay dotted with dozens of islands, ruined abbeys with churchyards filled with Celtic crosses, tiny villages, and even a few castles that once belonged to Mayo’s notorious Pirate Queen.
Every day (and night) will be an adventure. We’ll make excursions in different directions each day to explore and photograph different aspects of the Irish landscape and culture. We’ll choose from a wide range of locations and subject matter based on the group’s interests, with an eye to the ever-changing weather.
A typical day will begin with a late breakfast at our hotel, followed by setting out to explore an area with both a planned itinerary as well as unscheduled stops as things catch our attention. Most evenings we’ll have dinner back in Westport or Ballina, with some downtime to refresh and regroup before heading back out to photograph. If there’s a rainy night, or we don’t feel like photographing, there is a lively pub scene with traditional music sessions every evening.
One day will be spent circumnavigating Achill Island, in the lonely northwest corner of County Mayo, with its dramatic sea cliffs, quiet villages, historic archeological sites and the blue flag beach at Keem Bay.
Another day will be spent following the coast south past Barnabawn and the Silver Strand to the Lost Valley, where we will have a guided walking tour by a member of the Bourke family, who have farmed the land there for over 3 centuries.
There’s just so much to see and do—Mayo really is a cornucopia of opportunities.
What You Should Know
Night photography experience is helpful, but not necessary. Participants must have at least basic photo skills, know their cameras well, and be comfortable shooting RAW in manual mode with a DSLR or high-end mirrorless camera.
Like most of our Voyager Series tours, this trip is well-suited for couples, even if one partner isn’t a photographer. The days and nights are full of photographic opportunities, but the days are so rich with cultural, historical and natural experiences that there’s something for everyone.
Every day and night will be filled with activities, but there’s always the option to take a day off and spend it in town, or a night off to hear some music in the pubs, or even just to take a break.
Tim and Lance will always be ready to answer your photography questions, or to help you in the field with techniques or composition tips. You can make what you will of our photographic locations, whether you are a casual photographer or a professional on a mission to develop a portfolio of Ireland images.
We generally spend a minimum of an hour and as much as 3 or 4 hours at each location, so you’ll never feel rushed.
If you would like to attend this tour but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-workshop tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Alternatively or additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-workshop reads.
What You Will Learn
As this is a photo tour rather than a workshop, the emphasis will be on getting participants to great locations with great light, and making sure that everyone has the trip of a lifetime. We figure that you don’t travel to Ireland very often, and you wouldn’t want to spend your time in a classroom. As with most of our international tours, we will not be holding formal lessons or image reviews, but rather assistance as needed in the field. We’ll be photographing day and night.
That said, we do encourage you to think about and set goals for the trip.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GAIN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?
great images?
lasting memories?
a break from the work-a-day stresses?
learn some new photography skills?
learn about the history and culture of Ireland?
all of the above?
The instructors will be available for one-on-one guidance in the field. We’ll be glad to review your images with you during quieter moments, but there won’t be formal group image-review sessions.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
Your adventure begins with an overnight flight from North America on April 14. You’ll meet the group at Dublin Airport (DUB) about noon of April 15, and we’ll drive together to Westport, our base for the week.
You may wish to come a day or two early and visit Dublin. If you plan to spend time in Dublin, we recommend staying in the city center. If you just want to rest up, there are hotels closer to the airport with shuttles back to the airport. We’ll get you back to Dublin in time for the afternoon flights on April 23. Westport is about a 3-hour drive from the airport. Exact pickup and drop-off times will be announced once flight schedules are published.
Lodging & Food
We’ll spend 5 nights at a comfortable, 4-star hotel in Westport, and 3 nights at a similar hotel in Ballina. Breakfasts are included each day, but, except for a welcome dinner on the first night, other meals are not included in the cost of the trip.
We’ll have some meals together as a group, and others on our own, based on each day’s schedule and where we find ourselves. There is a wide variety of restaurants catering to all tastes, and Irish food is much better than it’s outdated reputation.
Weather
Expect temperatures ranging from 45 to 60 F day and night. There will be sunny spells and spotty showers. It might rain a lot. It might not rain at all.
Recommended Attire
Comfortable, layered clothing (including waterproof top and bottoms) is essential.
A sweatshirt and medium-weight jacket will be useful, and a base layer might not be a waste of packing space. Layers are good.
Comfortable and waterproof shoes are recommended for getting around. There won’t be any strenuous hikes, but we will be on trails and beaches, so quality trails shoes or hiking boots would be optimal. We’ll be outside, all day, in nature.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this workshop is Easy, with Moderate optional. (See more about our classifications.)
No vigorous activity will be required during the workshop, but please consider your physical abilities prior to registering.
We’ll be taking several long walks, on terrain varying from clifftop trails, to beaches, to paved trails. We will also be traipsing around cemeteries in the dark, so be prepared to carry your gear over uneven ground at night.
Most locations are relatively close to our parking spots, but there will be daily opportunities to get in your 10,000 steps if you’d like.
Considerations
IMPORTANT: We encourage reading our FAQs section for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our workshops.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
A Fateful Journey …
“The radio was turned off, the TV was never turned on, and back then we didn’t have international plans on our primitive cell phones.”
My first time leading an international photo tour was October 2001. Let that sink in for a second. Less than a month after 9/11. Nonstop news about the attacks, fear of travel, and the uncertainty of whether or not we’d even be able to go made for a very anxious few weeks leading up to our departure date.
Fortunately the stars aligned and we were delivered to the very capable hands of our local guide, Olcan Masterson. He picked us up at the airport, and we were off on a new adventure.
The radio was turned off, the TV was never turned on, and back then we didn’t have international plans on our primitive cell phones. Olcan took us around to many of his favorite places in Mayo with a keen understanding of what photographers were interested in.
It was a really great trip, and the time in a new environment, away from the 24-hour news coverage, was exactly what we needed at that moment.
Here we are 22 years later. Tim and I brought a group to Mayo in June 2023 after scouting together in 2022. A lot has changed in Mayo, in Ireland, and in the world since that first fateful trip, but Mayo is still a land rich in history and culture, rich in photographic opportunities, and still one of my favorite places to visit.
