We set out from Cork and head for Kinsale and the jigsaw coastline of Cork and Kerry: Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. The scenery surpasses every cliché and we gaze at sleek, fat cows munching contentedly in emerald fields. I decide to use only Irish butter in future.
At Harbour Hill Farm we are met with true Irish warmth by Siobhan (yes, that really is how you spell 'Shivaun') and her husband Nigel. The accommodation is excellent and there are wonderful views of the sea.
This part of the world is also renowned for its delicious food and I am blown away by the creamiest of oats, served in a cocktail glass and topped with sliced strawberries and cream.We head south to the Old Head of Kinsale, a long promontory that juts out into the Atlantic, ending in a tear-drop of land where steep cliffs drop hundreds of metres to the water, and gulls wheel and cry.WRINKLED LEPRECHAUN
Clonakilty is our next port of call, famous for being close to the birthplace of Michael Collins, soldier and politician who fought for Ireland's independence from the British.
We stroll along another street of multi-coloured buildings where vivid geraniums tumble from window boxes in glorious abundance. A festival of transport is in progress. Covered wagons, ancient steam trams and vintage cars line the street, and a horse and trap is tied up to a sign that says "No Stopping". Groups of people dressed in vintage clothes mingle with the crowds, and amazingly, a full orchestra plays, seated on a wide kerb. It's all wonderfully festive.Driving via Skibbereen, the area of the Great Famine of the 1840s, we visit Bantry House gardens. Ancestral home of the Earls of Bantry, the gardens are built on seven terraces. The house is on the third terrace, with stunning panoramic views of Bantry Bay.
On the south side is a formal parterre, culminating in a central fountain surrounded by a ring of wisteria. Behind this are the famous 100 Steps that lead up and up through azaleas and rhododendrons. The spring flowers are over, so instead we set off up a shady dirt road to find a new part of the garden. Just as we are about to give up, a leprechaun steps out of the dense undergrowth.We head for Killarney via the narrow, winding Gap of Dunloe. Killarney National Park is breathtakingly beautiful. Blue lakes reflect the sky, and paths lead through leafy woodland to the famous Torc Waterfall cascading down the rocks.
In June it is framed by arching branches of lacy greenness.WRITE IN AND YOU COULD WIN!
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