SIX OF THE BEST - IRELAND - 1

The West Coast of Ireland is a marvellous place. We’ve spent half a dozen holidays there, in Connemara, Galway, Kerry, and on the far South-west tip of the country, in a little town called Baltimore, where the next stop west is America.

ARTIST'S PAINT PALETTE IN KINSALE



THIS IS THE BOAT HE WAS PAINTING

There has been a massive change in the country over the past 10 years or so, mainly fuelled by EU monies (actually, part of that is yours and mine, but that’s another story). Our last visit was in 2003, when we spent two weeks in Clifden, west of Galway, in the middle of nowhere. Not a single drop of rain fell, and with the azure skies and white beaches, you could be mistaken for thinking you’d been transported to the Caribbean. The people were friendly, the scenery was stunning and we did not eat a bad meal anywhere – and the pubs weren’t bad either!

THIS GUY WAS CATCHING OUR EVENING MEAL

GALWAY SHOPFRONTS

CLOUDS OVER CONNEMARA

GUARDING A HOUSE ENTRANCE IN CLONAKILTY

I’m sure some of the towns are set out for the tourists, with an utter riot of colours for the house and shop fronts. But it really does come across as a happy part of the world, with a real buzz about it – a positive feel to the way of life and the people. Perhaps they are a bit like the Americans, where the whole of the race seems to be putting on an air of optimism, and underneath it’s not quite as solid. But not many of them drop their guard, and the result is a real desire on the part of the visitor to go back.

In this collection of pictures, I’ve tried to picture the colour and the beauty of the scenery. Many pictures you see of Ireland are grainy, Black and White images, taken in dreadful weather of depressing vistas, needy urchin like children, or battle-scarred suburbs, with a concentration on religious sectarianism. I am not saying that this side of the country does not exist, but my viewpoint is simple – there’s a very different side to be seen if you look.

This is me looking.