It’s good to live in a place that actually gives you pleasure.   Somewhere where there is space, scenery and clean air; somewhere good for the soul.   As I said in the last (tangential) piece, ours lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, at the end of a short wooded glen near our home.   Officially the whole walk is 16 miles in length, from Holywood to Donaghadee (or vice versa).   The Walk Ni site has details of this and a load of other good walks province wide: http://www.walkni.com/walks/2/north-down-coastal-path/ It's hard to beat a good sunset.  This is looking West, towards Belfast further up the lough. It is pretty much all good, with only a few short sections on road.   The vast majority is paved, although a few sections are narrow where the path rounds a rocky headland or two.   There are also a few sandy beaches to cross.   That said, since it is at sea level, there are no major hills unless walkers get side-tracked along the w...

My mother died earlier this year, so while her stories of growing up and making her way her in Ireland are still fresh, I thought I would write a few down.  I hope you enjoy them.  _____ We all know that the last 40 years or so have been a time of massive change throughout the world, not least because of technological change.   The transformation of Ireland from insular island to outgoing European state has been no less spectacular in that time.   Go back another 40 or 50 years beyond that, a time still in the living memory of many of our older citizens, equally great influences like the great depression, world war and the birth pains of the Free State itself were making their mark.   Into this maelstrom, in 1929, my mother was born on a small farm in the Ox Mountains of Co. Sligo, right on the border with Mayo. The middle child of three, they seem to have had an idyllic upbringing. My grandfather was obviously in love, for at some point the family move...