Marys visit to Donegal, Sligo and Derry

Mary one of our reporters recently travelled Ireland seeing lots of sights and shares the experience with us!

Well, if anyone needs cheering up, how about a trip to the Emerald Isle?

A group of us went on a coach holiday. We sailed from Stranraer to Larne.

It was an excellent break, staying in the Abbey Hotel in Donegal town.

Food and entertainment were first class. We explored the Wild Atlantic Coast.

The scenery in Donegal and Sligo is breathtakingly beautiful. Words can't describe it.

Donegal town is so interesting. We visited the "Famine Village".

Fellow Ambassador, Cilla McNally, has written a report about that which will feature in June's edition of the newsletter.

We had an excursion to Derry and a guided tour of the city and learnt a lot about "The Troubles" and "Bloody Sunday".

The Murals pay tribute to these incredibly painful and sad times.

There is even a mural for Che Guevara.

On a note of hope for the future it was good to see the Peace Bridge.

A cheerful mural was "The Derry Girls" and of course we had our photo taken there. Well, anyone's who is anyone does!

We loved our trip to Sligo. We were "Culture Vultures "that day and visited the museum of my most favourite poet, W.B. Yates.

We learnt so much about him and his family and his unrequited love for his Muse,  Maud Gonne.

So I am going to end this report with my most favourite poem.

HE WISHES FOR THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN BY W.B. Yeats

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet.

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

We came home, relaxed and happy and already thinking about our next trip over there.