Give something back to Ireland this summer

SIR - With the help of a positive vaccine roll-out and on completion of its booster shot we will hopefully be able once again enjoy a very well-deserved holiday break. 

Before we go mad and book our flights to go abroad to spend our money, we should seriously stop and think of supporting our own country first.

It was this country that supported us when our hour of need came, not from any other country, and it’s our country who has to pay back the money that was borrowed to support us throughout the pandemic.

So please stop and look at what this country has to offer the holiday maker. Let’s get to know this wonderful country of ours or let me ask: how well do you know this country of ours?

Let’s take a journey around Ireland and briefly mention a few of the beautiful destinations that are really well worth a visit.

Starting with Donegal, it has some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland, beautiful beaches, plenty for the hill walkers, you cannot give Slieve League a miss at 596 metres above the wild Atlantic and it has some of the highest cliffs in Ireland. No better music can you hear than in Donegal.

Follow on the Wild Atlantic Way, down into Sligo and you have the mighty Ben Bulben to your left, and at its foothills is Yeats Country and his burial spot.

You also have the beautiful Glencar Waterfall. You then slide gracefully into Sligo town with its many affordable bars, restaurants and accomodation coupled with a buzzing night life equalling that of any other town or city in the country which caters for all ages. When  in Sligo take a trip to Strandhill if you feel like some surfing. Do a sweep around by Dromahair in lovely Leitim and see O’Rourkes Table which will lead you on to Lough Gill enroute back to Sligo and on its shores you can visit the completely refurbished O’Rourkes Castle, definitely worth a visit, from there you can take a boat trip across to famous ‘Lake Isle of Innisfree’, absolutely stunning countryside, calm and relaxing.

As you are about to leave Co Sligo with the Ox Mountains waiving you farewell and head into Co. Mayo, we come to Knock West, Airport , the late Mons Horans dream. Regardless of your beliefs, Knock Shrine is well worth a visit. The air of peace and tranquility there is angelicical.

You just have to be there to feel, witness and to understand. With your body and mind at peace, you travel on to Kiltmagh to Foxford and its famous Woollen Millsand and  onto that beautiful spot called Ballina.

From there you can go on to Killala on to Ballycastle and the outstanding Ceide Fields Visitor Centre.

The Mullet Peninsula is beautiful and well worth a visit before heading down for Mulrany and Westport where you are now besides Croagh Patrick, a little further on you come to the fabulous Granuaile Visiting Centre and now you are within striking distance of both Clare Island and Innis Turk.

To complete our sojourn, go back into Claremorris and enjoy some fantastic dancing and beautiful restful accommodation before we continue on to counties Galway, Clare and Limerick, and of course ... Cork!

Michael O’Sullivan,

Allihies,

Beara