Join us for 10 amazing days in Ireland this Fall!
We’ll start with a night in the historic city of Dublin, before crossing the country east to west to the ancient Aran Island of Inis Mor. From there we’ll ferry over to the village of Doolin and the Cliffs of Mohr. And a ride through The Burren on our way to our 4 days at a stunning country house in the village of Kenmare, the Jewel of the Ring of Kerry. Private vans and local drivers will provide us ground transportation for the entire trip.
October days and nights are in the 50’s, making it a perfect time to ramble along the coast of Ireland. Being outside during the day will be comfortable, and sitting by a cozy fire in the evening is a fine way to end a good day.
This time of year the sun sets at 6:45 – plenty of time for post-dinner nighttime shooting!
TIMELINE:
October 7th
Arrive Dublin, Ireland
October 8th
Dublin to Connemara Airport on the west coast via private van. Fly to Inis Mor Island
October 9th and 10th
the Aran Island of Inis Mor
October 11th
Inis Moor to Doolin by ferry.
October 12th
Doolin to our country house in Kenmare, on the Ring of Kerry, by private van
October 12th – 16th
Cliffs of Mohr, the Burren, the Ring of Kerry private tours, and more
October 16th
workshop ends when we arrive back to our hotel in Dublin for one last evening
WHO WE ARE:
It’s important to know who’s leading you on workshops, and we strive to work with the very best!
South x Southeast has been a leading workshop provider since 2015, with notable instructors including Peter Essick, Elizabeth Avedon, Sylvia Plachy, Molly Roberts, and more. Our instructors have vast experience and knowledge in the nature, fine art, documentary, and photojournalism worlds. Please see the What People Are Saying page for more info!
South x Southeast also encompasses South x Southeast Magazine (sxsemagazine.com), South x Southeast Shop (sxseshop.com), and South x Southeast Gallery (sxsegallery.com). If it’s photography, we’ve got you covered!
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Tom Fahey, Instructor, noted photographer and educator
Thomas Fahey has been a commercial photographer working in the US and the UK for clients such as Tommy Hilfiger, Men’s Wearhouse, AOL, Womens Wear Daily, Entertainment Weekly as well as many other designers and magazines. It has been his pleasure and privilege to work with some of the biggest names in these industries.
Tom has been capturing images of the world and its people for the past 35 years. He loves working with clients to find solutions for big projects like advertising campaigns and catalogs, but he equally enjoy working with individuals one-on-one, and in workshops.
As he puts it – My associates and I do what we do because we love it, and we enjoy the people we work with. We are grateful to have each day as we travel together to new places and all the potential they hold for us. As the sign in the kitchen of our Irish American household reads, ” May the road always rise up to meet you!”
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Nancy McCrary, South x Southeast Workshops, logistics and planning, tour guide
Nancy founded South x Southeast photomagazine in 2011. In 2015 she began SxSE photoworkshops, followed by the opening of SxSE photogallery at her farm in Molena, Georgia in 2017. From 2005 – 2013 she was co-director of SlowExposures Photography Festival in Concord, Georgia. Prior to South x Southeast she was managing editor of a number of various niche magazines including International Tattoo Art, PopStar!, Contents, and Mutts. She resides on her farm in Georgia.
email: nancy@sxsemagazine.com
Insta:
sxsemagazine
sxsephotogallery
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What previous workshop participants are saying….
-As a participant in the South x Southeast Photography workshop experience with Peter Essick, I appreciated the opportunity to explore being among trees and moving water. That was a new way of seeing in the area we photographed. The group dynamics were lively and supportive.
I felt the support of Peter and that we had time in most settings to take “more time” to explore a different angle or advantage of light.
I particularly liked the learning aspect about Cumberland and the Okefenokee.
Great all round experience.
Thank you Nancy for your organizational skills and gathering a congenial group of fellow photographers. —Wanda Hopkins
-I have been on several trips with Nancy McCrary and they never disappoint. She always engages photographers who are helpful and willing to share their knowledge. Her attention to detail with regard to accomodations, meals, daily outings, and other logistics is thorough and she attracts talented and considerate photographers. Nancy herself is a wonderful artist and very accessible. Her workshops appeal to any level of photographer. There are always professionals who attend, but if you’ve only just begun she encourages everyone to share knowledge. The groups she leads are supportive and I learn something new every time. After having photographed full-time for a decade, I rarely attend workshops anymore. That being said, I always love going to ones Nancy organizes since they are always in beautiful places and so much fun. –Lynne Buchanan
-In October 2021 I participated in a photography workshop organized by Nancy McCrary, director and founder of SxSE. The workshop was led by a well known Atlanta photographer Peter Essick.
It was a very fulfilling experience. Nancy McCrary showed off her fantastic organizational skills. The photo excursions on St. Mary’s, Cumberland Island, and to the Okefenokee Swamp were great adventures and a paradise for us photographers. I met many interesting people and had a chance to learn more about Nancy and her wonderful ways of interacting with people. She provided camaraderie, great food, and wonderful places to photograph. Peter Essick shared readily his photographic knowledge and offered constructive criticism. The workshop was a unique experience that I would love to repeat. –Malgorzata Florkowska
ITINERARY
Please note:
Everything we do is a choice, and if someone chooses to sit out an activity or tour that is perfectly okay. There will be plenty of other opportunities.
Day 1 : (10/7) Arrive Dublin
Most flights from the US arrive in the morning, having left the previous day. Once you arrive at DUB, you’ll taxi into Dublin from the airport to our hotel in the city centre. This is a day to get your “sea legs”, so to speak.
In the evening we’ll meet and get to know each other, and Tom Fahey will give a presentation on his photography career.
There will be a time to ask last minute questions, and go over our itinerary. The Welcome Dinner will follow before an early evening for an early start the next day.
Day 2: (10/8)
And, we’re off! After a breakfast at the hotel, our private van will pick us up for a ride across Ireland! We’ll have plenty of time for photo ops and lunch along the way before our 4pm flight to the Aran island of Inis Mor. Our first views of the Wild Atlantic will be from the air!
We’ll settle into our hotels and BnB’s, and meet for dinner and an evening photo stroll around the village of Kilronan.
Days 3 and 4: (10/9/10)
Our van and driver will pick us up after breakfast, around 9, for our first day of shooting on Inis Mor.
Inishmore is one of western Ireland’s Aran Islands. It sits at the mouth of Galway Bay and is known for ancient sites, like the prehistoric, clifftop fort Dún Aonghasa. Nearby is the Worm Hole, a rectangular natural pool. The medieval Christian ruins of the Seven Churches are in the northwest. Clochán na Carraige is a stone structure with a beehive roof. Kilmurvey Beach is known for birdlife and a nearby seal colony.
We’ll do an evening of nighttime shooting on the beach as well.
Day 5: (10/11)
Carb up! It’s a big one. First, we’ll have our first views of the Cliffs of Mohr from our morning ferry to the village of Doolin. We’ll settle in to our hotel, enjoy lunch, and set out by foot on a cliff walk. Afraid of heights? You can hang back away from the edge with me! This evening, after dinner, you might want to revisit the night sky and dark ocean from this elevation.
Day 6: (10/12)
It’s time to head south for a day of spectacular photo ops! After breakfast, our van and driver will deliver us mid-morning to the Cliffs of Mohr. We’ll spend time admiring that beauty before heading out for a drive through The Burren National Park. The Burren is internationally famous for its rocky landscape, unusual combination of flora, thousands of archaeological sites and unique farming traditions. Because of these unusual features, most of The Burren is designated by the European Union as a Special Area of Conservation.
Leaving The Burren we’re going to be hungry. So, we’ll head for the country market town of Ennistymon in County Clare, near the west coast, for lunch. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street.
Post-lunch we settle in for a 3 hour drive south to our country house outside of Kenmare.
Day 6, 7, 8, 9, : (10/12, 13, 14, 15)
We’ll enjoy an afternoon drive down through the countryside with a few stops along the way. And then settle into our country house outside of the village of Killarney for the next 4 nights. This is a lovely and large home with an extraordinary view over the mountains from the back deck and yard.
It is well appointed with large comfortable rooms, a wonderful kitchen, grounds, gardens, and sitting areas. And, just a five minute walk to the center of the village. With 7 bedrooms, and 7 bathrooms, there is plenty of space for everyone. There may be double occupancy depending on the number of people (twin beds).
Each morning, breakfast sandwiches will be prepared, with cereals and fruit, coffee and juice available for you to serve yourself, before we take off for a day of exploring sites along the famous Ring of Kerry. Lunches will be in local spots along the way. And dinners will be at the house, provided by a local chef.
The last evening in Kenmare we will have group reviews of work we’ve made in Ireland, and a farewell dinner.
Day 10 : (10/16)
We load up in the morning and head back to our hotel in Dublin for one last night. The workshop ends when we arrive, and you’re free to fly out later in the day, or enjoy one last night in the beautiful city.
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What’s Included
9 Nights Inclusive (10/1-10/15), double occupancy in Kenmare, single occupancy in Dublin and Inis Mor
Flight Connemara to Inis Mor
Private vans and drivers each day outside of Dublin, with plenty of room for your camera equipment and luggage
Airport transfer reimbursement ($90 per person)
All park and conservancy fees
Entry fees to Don Angus, Cliffs of Mohr, Rock of Cashel, Dingle peninsula, and more
What’s Not Included
Alcoholic Beverages
Airfare from your home base to Dublin
Passport
Travel Insurance – we strongly suggest you purchase this
Tips
Meals and miscellaneous expenses on day 16 in Dublin
Preparation
1. I always suggest bringing ear plugs, or sound reducing headphones. I no longer travel without them!
2. Purchase Trip Insurance. I have used Allianz many times and they’re a solid, reputable company in my opinion.
3. Bring a water bottle! There are strict laws against single-use plastics in Ireland. However, there are free fill-up stations for water bottles along the way.
Camera Equipment:
Clothing/Packing
Weight will be a big issue since we are taking an Aer Arann flight to Inis Mor and we will be very limited to how much we can carry. Checked baggage allowance: 15 kgs (33 lbs.) per passenger on our flight to Inis Mor. The maximum total weight for any one piece of checked baggage is 70 kgs (ie. 17kgs extra paid for in excess baggage fees). You can pay for extra but it’s still good to keep it as light as possible.The house in Kenmare will have a washer/dryer.
Drones in Ireland
Click here to read about rules and regs.
Click here to read about bringing a drone into the country.
We do not recommend bringing a drone, for obvious reasons. But, if you would like to do so, please read both of the above articles.
RATES:
SxSE Workshop Friends Rate – (2+ workshops in the past 3 years)
Check: $7300 (e nancy@sxsemagazine.com for instructions)
Credit or Debit Card: $7578 – Go Here
Early Bird Rate – pay before July 15th
Check: $7800 (e nancy@sxsemagazine.com for instructions)
Credit or Debit Card: $8100 – Go Here
Regular Rate – deadline September 1st
Check: $8200 (e nancy@sxsemagazine.com for instructions)
Credit or Debit Card: $8511 – Go Here
Questions? E nancy@sxsemagazine.com
Hope to see you in Ireland soon!
