At Buncrana I treated myself to a manicure with glittery nail polish and a delicious lunch at Oscar's. Also I had my hair chopped at a barber shop which was rough but still an improvement on the expensive hairdresser at home. Then headed for one of the highlights of this trip. After all we have all heard 'Malin Head' on the shipping forecast. It was atmospheric as it was blowing a gale and I struggled to walk along a path from the signal station at Banba's Crow...

Reluctantly leaving Mullaghmore head I continued into Donegal and found Rossnowlagh Beach which is long and driveable although I am still traumatised from being stuck on Inch Beach. Next stop Slieve League, see photo, considered to be some of the highest and finest marine cliffs in Europe at over 600 metres. Terrific views over Donegal Bay and the Sligo Mountains. More of the craggy wild coastal route and I decided to head for on of the britstops pubs which was...

I'd looked in an old lonely planet book for hostel in Sligo. It read that the best one was Eden Hill Holiday Hostel. I asked a couple of people who gave me directions. One lady was just around the corner from it. I turned the corner and there it was - a house of horrors! A huge dilapidated house with overgrown ivy and windows of corrugated iron. It was too late to search around for another hostel. I prefer hostels as they have laundry facilities. Ended up in a...

Planned to stay in a hostel so that I could do some laundry but ended up sleeping in the car park of the Connemara National Park visitor centre with large feral goats roaming around. It was handy to have a coffee and a tasty warm scone in the morning and a short walk where Sach and made friends with some Connemara ponies. There was also a bog museum! As usual mountains and views but there were also some pleasant towns like Westport and Clifden and plenty of tou...

Because of rereading the hilarious book McCarthy's Bar I headed for the one in Castletownbear. It had just been awarded the pub of the year for all of Ireland-deservedly so. It is now run by two sisters Nicky and Adrienne. The front part has various grocery items for sale. There is a little nook where deals were made. Then there is the main bar where I met Verena and Sacha from Germany who had got engaged that day. They loved Ireland and were relocating there. R...