Days out

A dramatic setting for a castle - Dunluce is worth a visit

This is Dunluce Castle, one of the most dramatic fortresses on the Antrim coastline of Northern Ireland, first built in the 13th century by Richard de Burg, an Anglo Norman. If you’re a ‘Game of Thrones’ fan, you might recognise it as Castle Greyjoy, altered with special effects.

Wandering in old graveyards - St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny

This is the beautiful and peaceful graveyard of Saint Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny. Graves here are decorated by nature with wildflowers like poppies, roses and valerian. Some of the headstones are hard to read because they’re so weathered but tombs inside the Cathedral building date from mediaeval times.

The inspiration of trees

This is the avenue that inspired the one at Glanesfort in my novel The Neglected Garden. It always looks its best in autumn before the winter winds blow all the leaves away. I often walk the dogs down here and enjoy the colours changing throughout the seasons.