I love Ireland, have done ever since I was a child, and as an adult I love it more and more every time I visit. I am lucky enough to have family in Ireland so have opportunity to visit more often than most, and each time I leave wishing I could stay longer. The people are incredibly friendly, the landscape is lush, green and beautiful, and the whole country just makes you feel so welcome from the moment you arrive.
This time we managed to fit in a morning 5km parkrun round Ward Park in Bangor, an afternoon in Belfast looking round the brilliantly done Titanic Quarter, and even a visit to Stormont, the seat of the Northern Irish parliament.
However the highlight of the trip was the evening we spent in a traditional Irish pub in the Bangor Marina. Feeling the need for at least 1 taste of Guiness whilst there, we wandered down to the waterfront one evening and happened to walk past a bar with lovely music floating out of it. Popping our heads round the door it looked like just what we were looking for. A few locals leaning on the bar, a guitarist/singer strumming away in the corner with the occasional play of a harmonica, a roaring open fire and an ancient bar decorated with old framed photos and battered leather armchairs.
We passed several happy hours in here, particularly loving the quotes that covered the walls. I’ll include a few in here. It seems that when in Ireland, North or South, time slows down, people chill out and with no agenda at all, just want to have fun.
What a wonderful place…
Sharon Wray Writing 