Days 227-231, 25-29 Jan '15, Clonegal & Huntingdon Castle, Duckett's Grove Ruins, Browneshill Dolmen, Pie & Chips at Leighlinbridge overlooking the Black Castle, Rudkins Mill on the River in Bagenalstown (AKA: Muine Bheag c.1680s - pictured), drive up Mt Leinster for stunning views and a final stroll in Bunclody. We've been working our way through a booklet of driving trips which have, up til now, been fabulous. Maps, highpoints and the handy "blue dot"...

Day 226, 24 January 2015. Woo hoo! Fine Day = River Valley Road Trip! Dunbrody at New Ross and Fish & Chips in the sun, pretty Inistioge with friendly churches, Anglo-Norman Grennan Castle for a photo-stop, Thomastown and a "drive-by" of Jerpoint Abbey, Graiguenamanagh (we kid you not), then home via the back roads. It was wet, gray and drizzly yesterday, and so perfect weather for our "carnic" picnic and outing. But today dawned bright, sunny and with bl...

Days 223-225, 21-23 January 2015, 'The Still' Swans Experience and a CarNic en route to Ferns for coffee and a cookie and then exploration of a 12th century abbey and the ruins of the first Ferns cathedral. (*"CarNic" - new word from moi for picnic held in car because bottom would get wet sitting anywhere else.) Miserable day weather-wise (23rd - Can you believe it, 11 shopping months til Christmas). Drizzly. Gray. Cold. Breezy. Finally getting a bit of cabin-fe...

Days 217-222, 15-20 Jan '15, Caim - "Down on the Farm-let". We finally left the house on Friday 17th after a few days of hibernating. Popped into Enniscorthy for some dog food for the ravening hordes. We also gave in and bought a pair of winter PJs for James. Who would ever have thought we'd need such items - but it was minus 1 the other night (probably minus 4 or so "feels like"). Brrrr. Now that Joan has taken the heat wave back to Australia we're freezing! ...

Days 214-216, 12-14 Jan '15, Dublin Farewell (12th Jan) & Rest. Joan's flight departed the evening of the 12th and we couldn't have her come all the way to Ireland and just show her castles and countryside... So we fed the zoo, loaded up the luggage first thing and headed off for a Dublin day trip. Despite driving rain, freezing winds and mud in our neighbourhood, the roads dried out and we had blue sky and sunshine all day - fabulous stuff. We navigated in...