Picture by NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins taken last night. (Pic: @Astrollini/Twitter)

MAYBE IT WAS some kind of pay-back for the weeks of terrible weather we’ve endured lately, but the Aurora Borealis over Ireland last night was one of the clearest displays in years.

As often happens, Inishowen at the northern tip of Donegal was one of the best places to see the shimmering solar phenomena which lit up the skies.

Conditions were perfect last night for the display with little or no cloud to block out the lights, and many photographers and stargazers took to the area around Inishowen to catch the spectacle.

John McCandless took this brilliant photograph at Malin Head just before midnight last night.

Brendan Diver got this photograph at Ballyliffin in Inishowen:

Brendan Diver also got this great shot of someone who was particularly excited to see the Northern Lights:

Adam Rory Porter took this photograph of an old church at Linsfort in Inishowen:

Ali Farren got this photo at Malin Head:

This photograph was taken by Justin MacLochlainn at the Mamore Gap in Inishowen last night. Lucky kids getting to see something this spectacular.

The folks at Inishowen Photography got this gorgeous long-range shot of the lights:

Dallan Doherty got this photograph at Fort Dunree in Inishowen:

Daniel McGlashin got this photograph of the lights shimmering above the Bluestack mountains:

This pic by Discover Inishowen shows the Aurora clearly visible in Malin Town:

The lights were also clearly visible across the Irish Sea, as these photos at St Mary’s Lighthouse at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside show.

(Pics: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

Originally published 9.38am

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