After another trouble free, on time, Ryan Air flight, this time out of Manchester, we arrived safely in Dublin. Our first port of call was the rental car village located at the airport, a short shuttle ride from the terminal. If anyone had ever asked me what make of car I would least like to own, rent or simply go for a ride in, I would have undoubtably said a Skoda, so yes, the leprechauns were obviously laughing at me and we ended up with a Skoda. It was diesel, very economical and it actually looked quite sporty in racey red with black trim, however that's where all the good bits stopped. The manual gear box was really rough and I mean really, really rough, the engine sounded a bit like a racing tractor and even worse there was only one cup holder in the front, such a first world problem! It did however have a sun roof, that didn't open, but no not broken just designed like that. I guess we should have been grateful however as being in my opinion a very undesirable car, unlikely to be stolen.

We spent our first night in Galway having stopped off at Athenry, enroute from Dublin. Athenry is a little town surrounded by the remains of a ancient city wall. We had a look around the castle, and also had a wander around the town where we discovered a very 'Irish' fire station. There were two fire engine doors, directly in front of one however, another building partially obstructing the door and yes I of course I photographic proof. Galway is a very pretty town, through its centre runs the very fast flowing river Corrib. Feeding into the river Corrib are slower flowing canals and along its banks a very pretty walking path that follows the river leading out to the sea. It was a hive of activity down by the river mouth, and a beautiful sunny evening had brought out lots of walkers and people sitting having picnics or a quiet drink. We had a meander through the historic area of town before settling on an Irish Pub for dinner and my first ever Guinness.

Our next overnight stop was Limerick. Unfortunately the beautiful blue sky that had greeted us when we arrived in Galway had disappeared overnight and the stormy grey clouds were threatening rain. After looking through Dunguaire Castle, we headed for the Cliffs of Mohar. Unfortunately it was at this point the heavens opened and the Irish clouds spilled litres of ice cold rain and sleet onto everyone brave enough to venture outside. Apparently the view of the cliffs are spectacular, however as well as heavy rain, low cloud obstructed our view and after getting very cold and wet, despite wearing raincoats, we were actually quite glad to be able to climb back in the Skoda. After enjoying an amazing seafood platter and a Guinness at an award winning restaurant in Limerick we meandered down the side of the river outside the restaurant looking for photo opportunities. On the other side of the river was a beautifully lit castle casting smudged reflections on the river below. We also found a boat ramp, once again in a design that could only be described as Irish. The perfect ramp leading down into the water had a stone wall build across the top of it.

Our third overnight stop was in Cork, but not until we had driven around the 'Ring of Kerry'. Fortunately the rain had stopped, the sky was however very grey, so not so good for taking photos, but a vast improvement on sleet and freezing cold rain. We passed through several little towns along the way including Listowel, Tralee, Glenbeigh and Sneem, the architecture in these towns very different and ranging from colourful terraced houses to thatched cottages. The countryside and coastline around the Ring of Kerry is very unspoilt and in places you could think you were in New Zealand, but then you see stone walls and the ancient ruins of forts, castles and churches and realise how different the countryside is. After driving through the Killarney national park we headed to the Killarney Castle and then through the picturesque township before continuing on to Cork. Checking into our hotel after nine we were given a free room upgrade to an executive suite, which as well as giving us great views of the river below gave us access to the executive lounge with free non alcoholic drinks and free breakfast. Being so late many of the restaurants in Cork had closed for the evening however we found a Spanish restaurant where we enjoyed Tapas and Sangria before settling for the night.

Next stop Waterford, via Blarney Castle and Cobh. Blarney Castle is the home of the famous Blarney Stone, those who kiss the stone are supposed to receive eternal eloquence. So we climbed to the top of the castle and joined the short queue to kiss the famous stone. Immediately before my turn the assistant sprayed the stone with disinfectant and gave it a reassuring quick wipe. The assistant spoke quickly and in a very monotone voice that made him sound like a recording, 'sit down, lie back, put your hands above your head, grab the bars, pull yourself back', at this point I felt like I was a almost hanging upside down with only some iron bars between me and the ground about fifteen metres below. Well my lips were pretty close but still didn't quite reach the stone, so after faking a quick kiss for the camera it was the next persons turn. This whole process took less than thirty seconds and I guess for me unless my near miss of a kiss counted, I will remain eternally unelequant. The gardens and grounds of Blarney Castle and Blarney house are beautifully manicured with tidily trimmed lawns and colourful summer flowerbeds, I'm guessing it must get pretty cold there in the winter however as many of the smaller trees were wearing hand knitted jerseys.

Cobh, on the east coast of Ireland near Cork is the last port where the Titanic stopped and picked up passengers before its fateful journey. The original 'White Star Line' building is still standing and housed inside the 'Titanic Experience' which takes visitors through a thirty minute journey of what passengers may have experienced before leaving port. Outside is the balcony where first class passengers boarded the ship and inside a replica first and third class cabin, a dining room and a small museum. Each visitor receives a first, second or third class ticket with the real name of a Titanic passenger on it, at the end you get to find out some information about your passenger and if they survived or not. Cobh itself as well having a huge history is a very pretty fishing village with colourful terraced houses along the waterfront and a stone cathedral towering behind. From here we headed to The Rock of Cashel, we have seen pictures of this magnificent looking castle and wanted to take some pics of our own. Unfortunately the castles was undergoing substantial maintenance and at least half of it was covered in scaffolding. We did manage however to find a vantage point down a narrow lane where with strategically positioned cameras we could take some pretty good scaffolding free photos.

Arriving in Waterford it was early evening so we decided to take the thirty minute drive to East Dunmore. This small very pretty coastal fishing village is the hometown of a work colleague and arriving as the sun was setting made for some stunning photos. There was a bar and restaurant near the beach so a perfect place to sit back and relax over dinner and a drink before heading back into Waterford for the night. Going on the incredibly interesting 'Waterford Crystal factory tour' the following morning offered some explanation as to why each piece of crystal affords such a hefty price tag. To become a 'master crystal craftsman' takes a rigorous eight years of training. Many of the items made are 'one off' commission pieces and are all hand blown, cut and polished. The gift shop at the end has an extensive range of items for sale, but with limited baggage space the large glass bear, which was my favourite, would have required his own seat on the plane and a small mortgage to pay for it, reluctantly I settled on a couple of Christmas decorations.

Heading north to Dublin the Guinness storehouse was calling us. We had booked tickets online the previous night so we were able 'skip the line' and head straight in. The self guided tour takes visitors on a journey through the process of making Guinness, right from the pure water and ingredients used in the brewing process to the bottling and distribution of this black gold. Each ticket entitled the bearer to a free pint of Guinness at the 360 bar, which on a nice day would have given stunning views over Dublin City, unfortunately for us it was really cloudy so a very grey outlook.

After a catch up drink at a craft beer pub with Derek, an ex work colleague of Tony's, that according to the glass, served 'awful tasteless crap', we headed into the city for a look around. There are several bridges across the 'River Liffey' that runs through Dublin. At night they are beautifully lit casting rays of coloured light onto river below, other than one bridge that was lit in rainbow colours the others were lit in different shades of green, I guess to be expected considering we were in the land of leprechauns and clover. After dinner at a really nice Greek restaurant in the centre of Dublin, it was time to head back to out hotel and once again pack our bags in preparation for the next stage of our great adventure.