Glorious weekends in North County Dublin

It's not natural. The sun shining for two consecutive weekends (long weekends at that) is enough to convince my burnt Irish craw that something in the universe is shifting. And I love it. Bring it on, baby. I'm definitely evolved from something feline. I love to stretch all my limbs and arch my back then turn my face to the sun feeling my troubles falling behind me. I'm just a big fat lazy old tabby lolling in the sun soaking up its energy. I don't care if its not natural - it's bloody brilliant.

May is often the best month of the year weather wise in Ireland and there are lots of places in North County Dublin where I live where one can ramble on a fine day. The Estuary in Swords/Malahide can be beautiful at sunset as can any of the beaches within a fifteen minute drive of my suburban home in Swords. I'm particularly fond of Skerries but there are great beaches at Malahide, Rush, Donabate and Loughshinney as well. We're spoiled for choice in North Dublin with parks too. Ardgillan Demesne, Skerries Mills, Newbridge House and Farm are all beautiful places to ramble through ans all are child-friendly. The libraries in Malahide and Rush are well worth visits too (although they close on Sundays). Both buildings have been lovingly restored and I love the way they have used the old confessional boxes in Rush library as sound booths where one can listen to music or audio books. Ingenious.

It's a pity there is still limited access to the castle and church in Swords. The restoration seems to be taking forever and of course public money for the job has dried up now. The church is really beautiful and its restoration had been extremely sensitive. I still dream of having a book launch there some day. With a red baby grand in one corner and one of my musical friends tinkling away as people mill around sipping wine and telling me how wonderful my writing is. Dreamer? Yes, perhaps - but once I'm still breathing and writing there's hope. Isn't there?