DUBLIN TO DUNGLOE

VIEW FROM JOYCE'S MARTELLO TOWER IN DUN LOAGHAIRE

TRIM CASTLE

CAR CAMPING BY RIVER ERNE

ENNISKILLEN CASTLE

MULLAGHMORE HARBOUR

MOUNTBATTEN MEMORIAL, MULLAGHMORE

FISHING BOATS AT KILLYBEGS

FESTIVAL IN DUNGLOE

OUTSIDE DUNGLOE PUB

Much refreshed on Thursday morning, we enjoyed an excellent breakfast at Tara Hall before venturing out to the waterside just a few minutes' walk away. We soon came across a Martello Tower in which the famous Irish author and poet James Joyce had briefly stayed. Neither of us had read any of his work (his most well known books being Dubliners, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake), but the exhibition within the Tower helped us appreciate his experimental use of language even if we failed to understand it.

We left Dun Loaghaire around midday to head north west. Rubi navigated us out of Dublin without us inadvertently straying onto the toll roads that encircle the Irish capital. Our first stop was Trim. This town was chosen simply because it was a suitable place to take a lunch break on our way to Enniskillen. It turned out to be a lucky choice because it is also the location of the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, and was used during the filming of Braveheart in 1994. Hundreds of Trim locals were employed as extras and Mel Gibson, who starred as William Wallace, was granted the Freedom of Trim in 2010.

By the time we were approaching Enniskillen it was time for us to look for a suitable spot to car camp. Luck was with us again because we quickly found an ideal location in a car park in Bellanaleck, right next to a marina on the River Erne. Supper was enjoyed by the moored boats, as was breakfast next morning.

The following day's drive initially took us to Inneskillen where the free town car park turned out to be right next to Enniskillen Castle (yes, yet another one). This one was really well looked after and contained all manner of historical artefacts, both military and archaeological, which kept us occupied for a couple of hours. We took a walk around the town, visiting the Buttermarket, had lunch on the green by the car park, and then departed for our next destination, which was Sligo.

We didn't actually stop in Sligo but just took a brief detour around it in the car before heading northwards along the coast. We stopped at the pretty harbour at Mullaghmore. It was only a few hundred yards out from the harbour that Lord Louis Mountbatten was assassinated in 1979 when a bomb, secreted aboard his boat Shadow V by the IRA, was exploded by remote control. We took the short walk to see the simple wooden memorial cross placed on the cliff overlooking Donegal Bay.

Our drive continued through Bundoran, Ballyshannon and Donegal. We would be following sections of a road route called the Wild Atlantic Way for the next few days.

By the time we reached Killybegs it was time to find a place for the night, and a free car park with no restrictions suited the purpose. Initially we were alone, but a short while later two more vehicles turned up with the same idea.

We explored Killybegs in the morning and discovered that it is Ireland's main fishing port, its catch being exported to many other countries. The deep natural draft of the harbour is suitable for the largest trawlers. From the new pier, built in 2004 at a cost of €50M, we watched a fishing boat come in and prepare to unload its catch. We would have liked to stay longer but the process was slow and it was time to move on.

We had intended to visit the cliff top viewpoint at Slieve League, but missed the turning. There were so many other places to enjoy beautiful views that it wasn't worth turning back. We stopped near Rossan Point instead.

Our target for the day was Dungloe, which we reached via Andara and Glenties. It was Saturday 5th of August and it turned out that we had arrived in the middle of the 50th Annual Mary from Dungloe International Festival. Lovely girls, both local and from other countries, but presumably with Irish roots, compete to be crowned 'Mary' for the year. In the town centre, there was an array of pictures of Marys going right back to 1968 in one shop window. We listened to a folk singer performing the song 'Mary from Dungloe' outside a pub. It is a lovely song that I knew well.

We made our supper in the car park of a local church and left the car there while we returned to the town centre in the evening to listen to duo, Danny & James, on the outdoor stage. Later back at the car, we decided to stay in the church car park overnight, ignoring the sign at the entrance that prohibited this. We reasoned that no right-minded Christian would kick us out in the middle of the night.