This Summer I'm exploring more of Ireland with lots of day trips away. We have no holidays booked for abroad so I'm making the most of what we have to offer here in Ireland. One place I visited in the past few weeks was Carlingford in County Louth, it is such a pretty little town with a great buzz and lots to see and do. So if you are exploring Ireland's Ancient East, do stop off in Carlingford...

This weekend was a bank holiday here in Ireland and I took an extra two days off work. I visited County Louth on Friday and came across the quaint port of Greenore. It is very small but pretty all the same. There is a tiny village with brick houses which were built for the railway workers and the port workers years ago. There are also some arts and craft design homes which were originally built for railway drivers, they are so beautiful and very unique for Ireland. We spent a short time in Greenore as we didn't have much time and we wanted to visit Carlingford as well. I really loved this wee place and would love to return again.

Recently we visited Belvedere House and Gardens near Mullingar in County Westmeath. We had visited before so just spent a few hours wandering around the house and gardens. It is a lovely place for a day out and we booked online before we went €6.50 per adult. My last post includes some photos from the walled garden and glasshouse. Here is the house itself and views of the larger gardens. The weather has wonderful here in Ireland for the past two weeks but some rain came yesterday. The garden will start to flourish now so I'm off to the garden centre today to buy some Antirrhinum (snapdragons), Nemesia and perhaps some Sweetpeas. I have two new trailing Hydrangeas that I set last year and they are going to bloom this year as the blooms are appearing. My Lupin is also doing well but it appears something may be eating the flowers buds!!! I will have to investigate...