Donal's stunning 'phone photographs' of Inishowen, Derry and the North West are going viral across the world

‘Donal Kearney's Phone Photographs' has almost 19,000 followers on Facebook and a recent photograph of Mamore Gap in Inishowen has amassed almost half a million likes and over 4,000 comments in less than two weeks.

The gorgeous photograph is one of many taken by Donal that has gone viral in recent months, with positive comments coming from fans in places like America, India, Samoa and right across Europe.

Speaking to the Journal, a delighted but modest Donal told how he first became interested in photography when he bought a camera. However, that camera is 'now sitting in a bag in the house' and he takes pictures on his phone when he is out and about.

His eye for a great picture and the stunning landscape of the North West created a winning combination and Donal said he also uses various 'apps' to enhance the beauty that is already there.

"I don't really know how I first started taking pictures, really. I bought a camera, because I saw one and thought it would be good to have and my interest just grew from there. I kept upgrading the cameras and bought a digital camera, but then I just began using my phone. I've used it for a year or two - it's a Samsung S22 plus - and people say to me that I must have a great phone, but it's also the apps I use on the pictures. The apps and editing help me make the photo a bit better."

Donal added how he likes 'dabbling' with editing and said many people tell him how they look at local landscapes in a different way after seeing his pictures.

"People will say to me that they pass somewhere every day and maybe stop seeing it. But then they'll see it in one of my photographs and look at it in a different way. There's a photograph in everything."

Donal has been inundated with people looking for prints of the photographs he has taken and sells them 'just for what it costs me to make them’.

They are stocked in ‘Home Sweet Home Donegal’ in Fahan and prove very popular.

The demand for prints, he said, began when he posted a photograph of a robin at Castle Bridge one snowy day, which gained over 23,000 likes.

"I was out a walk. We had a snow day in work and I saw the wee robin. It honestly wasn't a photo that really stood out in my head - I thought there were nicer ones of Swan Park that I had posted. But people just loved it. I was delighted. I got a lot of requests then for prints and it went from there.I must have sold 40 or 50 copies of that robin. I'm amazed that people want to buy them. It's brilliant."

Donal added how he is 'very lucky' that he lives in such a beautiful place and has such wonderful scenery for his photographs.

You can see Donal's photos on 'Donal Kearney's Phone Photographs' on Facebook and buy prints at Home Sweet Home Donegal in Lisfannon.