PICS: These were the best Instagram photos taken in Ireland this year

After more than 34,000 entries in 20 categories, here are the winners.

Many of you might not know this, but Instagram is not only a place to share pictures of the food you’re eating in the fanciest places in town, although, don’t get us wrong, it is absolutely fit for that purpose too. We’re joking, of course. Irish people are as familiar with the social media app as anyone and on Thursday night, some of the best images taken in Ireland over the past few months were given due recognition at the Huawei Snapys awards ceremony in Dublin’s Mansion House. Winners from 20 categories – which included everything from a selfie to a GAA category – were each rewarded with a bespoke trophy and a prize, while one overall winner was chosen to join a group of 9 winners from other European countries to fly to Shenzhen, China for week long Photography assignment with the Huawei P9. Feast your eyes on some of the winning photos below.

Huawei Grand Prize Winner of a trip to China – Liz Stowe @eliza_dolally for her entry ‘Love is ...’ (from the People category)

Beauty Winner – Owen O’Connor @owenoconnor for his entry ‘Bronagh’

Best Community – Liz Stowe @eliza_dolally for her entry ‘You’re Only Massive’

Family – Charlotte Hancock @charlotteh_90 for her entry ‘Family Love’

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH5L8O8B2aa/

Fashion – David Gannon @davidgannonphotography for his entry

Food – Frances Walsh @thehonestproject for her entry

GAA – Paul Doyle @pdpdoyle for his entry ‘New Flood lights at Netwatch Cullen Park’

Health & Fitness – Sinead Dunne @moonsyoga for her entry ‘Last Weekend in the Kingdom!!!’

Huawei P9 – Sean Og @seanogd for his entry ‘A Wicklow Gap’

Music – Emily O’Neill @throughemseyes00 for her entry ‘@bradleywillsimpson’

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLgyAjUhRau/