This is part of the seventeenth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from the United Kingdom or read our previous visit to Ireland
 
17/5/11 The ferry arrived at 6pm and after our passports were stamped it was off to our hotel in Rosslare, another Booking.com booked hotel, still the cheapest and easiest to cancel accommodation we have found in Europe. Almost all their hotels in our price range, the cheapest, have free wi/fi to book ahead to the next place, so we can check the weather, get emails etc. By punching in a destination in the direction we are heading, allowing a circle around that destination, up to 100km, we find the cheapest place and head there. It often gives us an unusual destination in a small town rather than a city, often unusual accommodation like a country pub, off the tourist track.

18/5/11 Drogheda via Tullamore. Decided to take the inland route as the day was, weather wise, good for Ireland. Five minutes of drizzle rain, 10 minutes of sunshine, 20 minutes of cloud, followed by the same pattern over and over again, so was pretty good. Had coffee and scones and a pub lunch along the way which kept the inside fires warming the outside limbs. Scenery lovely, similar to Wales, rolling green hills, stone wall fences, clipped hedge rows, small villages of brightly decorated shops, with old and modern farmhouses dotting across the countryside which is surprisingly dry for this time of year. A lovely days riding.

19/5/11 Booking.com had us on a lovely country estate, Boyne Valley Hotel, just out of Drogheda. A resort hotel, original building circa 1845, but extended, now with a heated indoor pool, tennis courts, spa and gym facilities. We had indulged in a Guinness pint last night and repeated the ritual tonight in the garden conservatory. Not normally Guinness drinkers, somehow it tastes twice as good in Ireland as it does anywhere else we have indulged. 

20/5/11 Headed further north this morning. The stamping of our passports arriving in Ireland now seemed unnecessary as we left the country for Northern Ireland without any formalities, without any border signs. The only indication was road signs were now in miles per hour and not kilometres per hour.
 

Move with us to the United Kingdom or go to our next visit to Ireland

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