Mustique : Book now with SJ Villas
Ireland
Natural beauty and proud traditions on the outer edge of Europe.
It’s said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blarney rings true. The people, for starters, are famously friendly. Whether you’re tapping your toe to traditional music in a west Ireland pub, or listening to poetry at a literary festival in delightful Dublin, the reception is sure to be warm and welcoming.
Then there’s the history, which stretches all the way back past the fabulous remnants of Ireland’s monastic past at the likes of Glendalough, Clonmacnoise and Cashel, to the prehistoric monuments found at Brú na Bóinne in Meath and Carrowmore in Sligo.
And all this before we even talk about the scenery. While Ireland’s east coast is frequently smooth and tidy, the west constantly looks in danger of collapsing into the sea.
This may sound less palatable but it actually makes for an endlessly dramatic coastline, filled with views that seem straight from the pages of a Tolkein novel.
Aware of this fact, the Irish have created the Wild Atlantic Way, the world’s longest signposted coastal drive, which runs for over 1,600 miles along the country’s west coast, from Inishowen in County Donegal through Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick and Kerry, before finishing at Kinsale in County Cork.
Highlights – of which there are many – include the Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry and the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, which rise 214m straight up from the cold Atlantic. All three are reachable from the enchanting Glin Castle in Limerick, our featured Irish property.
