It is our custom to spend a few days of July in a different part of Ireland. This time, I didn't feel like a long drive, so it was my suggestion to go to Fingal (formerly part of County Dublin), only about 90 minutes from Belfast.
Balbriggan is a coastal town with a great beach, but it's not very touristy. There's one good hotel, the Bracken Court, and a few pubs and restaurants. There is also a railway station for the line to Dublin.
We arrived in the afternoon and parked the silver machine in the hotel's underground car park (free for guests) and took a stroll around town. Given that the weather had been variable during the start of July, we were lucky to be in warm sunshine. The beach and little harbour at Balbriggan looked just perfect.
We decided to try the Thai place, Karma, for dinner. Good. Afterwards, since it was still early, we took to our feet again, and based on internet reviews decided to try O'Shea's for a drink. We liked it and were to return.
Grace had booked us onto the Guinness tour for the next afternoon. After a liesurely breakfast, we took the train to Connelly Station, and walked the familiar streets to central Dublin. After a bit of exploring, we found a likely-looking place for lunch. (If you can't find lunch in Temple Bar, check to see if you have a pulse.)
Then the "Guinness Experience". Apparently, it's the biggest tourist attraction in Dublin. I'm not sure if it's worth the fee, but at least when you get to the end they give you a pint. Since we were there, Grace also introduced me to Guinness West Indies porter. I shall be having some more of that.
We had dinner in Mykonos without leaving Dublin. It wasn't very gay, but then we went for a drink in The Dragon. Actually, that wasn't very gay either, although there was one couple snogging each other's faces off, and there was a bit of disco on the PA. We got the train home, arriving at about half an hour after midnight.
Ardgillan Castle and gardens is just a touch too far from Balbriggan to walk, so we went by car. Beautiful gardens. You can also tour the house, but the weather was too good to stay indoors. We had coffee on the terrace where the wealthy owners would have disported themselves before the proletariat took possession. Now we can all have it.
After a very pleasant morning, we got back in the car and drove the short distance to Skerries, which you can actually see from the castle grounds. It's more touristy than its neighbour, Balbriggan, and for lunch we picked a hipster place, 5-Rock, by the harbour. It was quite expensive, and the portions were small, but everything was tasty and exquisitely presented. Anyway, as soon as I saw "Lobster Tacos" on the menu, I knew it was the place for Grace.
We returned to Balbriggan in the late afternoon, and Grace changed into her swimsuit in the hotel, because it was still very warm and she was determined to go for a swim. And I wasn't, but I was happy to lie on the beach and let her get on with it.
Browsing the internet, as you do, I'd found the Balrothery Inn, outside Balbriggan, about a half-hour walk from the hotel. I persuaded Grace that the walk would be good for our appetite, and off we went. When we found the place, a very old, traditional inn, we went in and found ourselves in a working men's bar, which was quaint in its own way, but didn't look likely for a dinner for two. However, the barman led us through a maze of twisty passages, all alike, to the other half of the establishment, which is a lot more upmarket.
We had dinner outside on the terrace, walked back to Balbriggan, and returned to O'Shea's for a pint on the harbour side as the sun set.
We checked out of the hotel after breakfast, but didn't leave town, instead spending the morning in Balbriggan's Town Park by the river. Lunch was a sandwich from the nearby supermarket. Then, mid-afternoon, we took to the car for the drive home.