Fanore to Ballyvaughan Hike

Fanore to Ballyvaughan Hike

The Burren in County Clare boasts many magnificent walks, of which one of my favourites is the wonderful Fanore to Ballyvaughan hike. On the R477, about 1km north of the turn down to Fanore beach, there is a widening on the right (heading north), where some houses and...
A Visit to Pompeii

A Visit to Pompeii

Until you take a visit to Pompeii, you simply ain’t seen nothing. Famous for having been buried under ash and rock from the Mount Vesuvius explosion and subsequent pyroclastic flow in autumn of 79AD, this is a stunning site. While the ruined houses and public...
4 Days in Rome

4 Days in Rome

What a wonderful 4 days in Rome we enjoyed during February. A really compact city centre means you encounter extraordinary ruins from the Ancient Roman era around nearly every corner. We stayed in a lovely little hotel less than 5 minutes walk from the Fori Imperiali...
Memorable Wildlife Encounters in Mayo

Memorable Wildlife Encounters in Mayo

I get outdoors frequently, although not as often as I’d like. Along the way, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy some memorable wildlife encounters. Here are just some from Mayo, in alphabetical order of the beauties I’ve met, rather than any kind of hierarchical chart....
Kingfisher at Killala

Kingfisher at Killala

The flash of electric blue was unmistakable. I had just seen my first Irish Kingfisher. Although barely 16cm long (similar to House Sparrow; smaller than Blackbird or Thrush), the Kingfisher cannot be confused with any other Irish bird. The Kingfisher image, above, is...
From Castlereagh to Rathfran, a Golden 5K

From Castlereagh to Rathfran, a Golden 5K

OK, so “Golden 5k” doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue like the catchy “Golden Mile”. But that’s the distance by road from Castlereagh to Rathfran; from the site of a once ‘big house’ to the ruined former Dominican Friary, near Killala in north County...