The last section of our road trip around Ireland sees us loop from Sligo to Belfast for a few nights then onto Dublin before flying back to London.

Our night at Sligo is spent in the Ballygawley area in Castle Dargan which is peaceful in its golf course setting. There was a castle here but now there simply stands a couple of stone walls to the side of the third fairway. Period style buildings made to modern standards now greet guests and golfers making it comfortable, quiet and it exudes an air of elegance. Plus, the meals at their restaurant were mouthwatering.

We first stop in the heart of Sligo to pick up a nice coffee before hitting the road. There we see the remains of the Sligo Abbey and some of the town’s more beautiful buildings such as their Courthouse.

On our drive north, we hit the first rain of the trip, so consider ourselves to be quite lucky to have only had one day of rain throughout the fourteen-day trip. The other thing we realise is that we have not left nearly enough time to explore Northern Ireland and have to make do with a few select places only.

We pass through Donegal then head to the Fanad Head Lighthouse which is the furthest north we will travel on this trip. Northern Ireland is not disappointing us, even under grey skies. The country scenery is magical with rolling green hills, mountain ranges and lakes impressing us. The northern shoreline is as rugged as its southern counterpart and beautiful in its strength to stand up to the ravages of wind and sea. It’s a long drive up to Fanad Head but it is well worth the time and effort.

With the weather closing in we decide to head straight to Belfast and take our chances it will clear tomorrow and allow us to explore more of the north.

What a difference a night makes. We wake to brilliant blue skies, so it is into the car and away. The only downside is that another one of my lenses is refusing to focus properly so I’m down to just a wide angle for the rest of the trip. (I have already had my favourite “go-to” lens fail last month so it’s looking bleak for the remaining trips we have planned. Maybe it’s time to invest in newer equipment? But somehow, I think, Stacey the CFO of this operation, will not be open to that suggestion.)

Today’s loop takes us north again, this time to Giant’s Causeway which is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns across a shoreline. It’s also a scenic walk along the coastline and up the headlands. While the walk down is easy and steady, the walk back up is breathtaking. There is a steep path followed by a steeper staircase but it’s worth the effort to see the whole coastline from up high.

From Giant’s Causeway we work our way along the coastline to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and take advantage of a view from a local park.

As I mentioned above, this part of the coast is as beautiful as the southwest and we have been lucky enough to see a lot of Ireland in the best weather conditions. We travelled back to Belfast to look around the city but it’s not a pinch on the countryside and coastline. We’d like to spend more time here which may mean a future trip. But for now, we are more than happy with what we saw.

Thanks Ireland for such a great holiday. We may see you again in the future.