IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST

THE Emerald Isle is a nation of his-torical treasures – this is not news. Visitors flock to our shores in

their thousands every year in a journey of discovery, drinking in our tradition and culture at every turn.

And while there are the old favour-ite city hotspots as well as the rising popularity of the Wild Atlantic Way, just a hop, skip and a jump from Dublin is Ireland’s Ancient East, waiting to be explored.

A trip along the heritage route is a step back in time, allowing its surveyors to wander through lands that have witnessed rebellions, towns that fought their way through battles and mystical cas-tles that hold generations of romances and quarrels.

There are nine signature stories that cover the initiative, including: Sacred Ireland, Ancient Ireland, Castles & Conquests, High Kings and Heroes, Ireland’s Mystical Waterway, Maritime Gateway, Story of the Horse, and Vikings.

Our quest was Big Houses & Hard Times, taking us from Louth to Monaghan.

A tale of two halves, our first stop was to Beaulieu House and Garden in the heart of the Boyne Valley in Drogheda, designed around an old Oliver Plunkett property by Sir Henry Tichbourne in the 1600s.

Our second was to Co. Mona-ghan’s Carrickmacross Workhouse, built in the 1800s, which provided shelter to destitute men, women and children during the Great Hunger. Both a wonder to behold, both with a depth of history, both with very different pasts.

As we drove up the long drive to the Downton Abbey-esque Beaulieu House – pronounced ‘Bewley’ by the locals – we were greeted by our fabulously friendly hosts, historian Noel Bailey and owner Cara Brock.

The magnificently preserved country house plays host to a number of local festi-vals every year and in the heart of the Boyne Valley, it is ideal for a wedding photoshoot.

The interior plas-terwork, ceiling paintings and dra-matic family por-t r a i t s h a v e remained intact for hundreds of years and are truly breathtaking.

A 40-minute drive away and we entered another world – the three-storey stone walls that have absorbed genera-tions of hardship at the Car-rickmacross Workhouse. The poorhouse, one of 130 estab-lishments of its kind, was designed to accommodate 500 people – many of whom ended up in the fever hospital, which included the death house – in 1847.

It was a last stop for the gen-uinely dispossessed who had renounced their land and possessions to come and work for food and shelter in dreary, bleak conditions.

Big houses, hard times – and life in the fast lane...

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July 24 • 2016 The Irish Mail on Sunday More

Travel83

Simon Heptinstall finds paradise on the calm, car-free streets of Ljubljana in Slovenia

art nouveau buildings either side

of a graceful river, and a landmark

hill topped by an old castle. It’s

beautiful, clean city that’s a pleas-

ure to walk around.I took the funicular railway up

the rocky cliff to see the preserved

castle at the top. From the battle-

ments and towers, everyone takes

selfies with the whole city laid out

behind them. I was soon distracted by a

stylish restaurant in the vaults of

the castle, with a menu featuring

a lovely mix of Italian and Austr-

ian cuisine. Ljubljana was turning out to be

quite a find, I had to admit, and I

was determined that I should see

more of it during an evening boat

ride along the Ljubljanica river.

As we sailed under an ornate trio

of bridges next to the main city

square, the floodlit castle loomed

high above us. Ljubljana is well placed for day

trips, with both beach and ski

resorts within easy reach. I took

cable cars and mountain trails

to Velika Planina. It looks like a

Hobbit village, but it is actually an

ancient Alpine herders settlement

that can be reached only on foot.

A short drive away is Planina

Hill, a summit topped by a 75ft

wooden wartime lookout tower.

Later that day, I sat among a group

of bearded old men, who delighted

in watching me eat some local

struklji dumplings with a glass of

searing local brandy.So what has Ljubljana done to

deserve its new Green Capital

title? Well, I have to say the

authorities have done a good job.

Traffic is banned from the city

centre and parking is largely con-

fined to underground car parks.

Rubbish bins? They’re tubes that

lead to underground recycling

collection points.City officials are so proud of

the quality of the local water that

they’ve installed 17 water foun-

tains. Many shops and restaurants

serve organic produce. And

there are free electric taxis and

free public bicycles, too, which

all makes Ljubljana the perfect

weekend destination for ‘greens’

– and everyone else, too.

BEAUTIFULLY

prEsErvEd: The city

centre lit up at night next

to the Ljubljanica river

The city that proves greencan be great

Every year a differ-ent city in Europe announces it is the Continent’s new ‘Green Capital’ for the next 12 months.

The hope is that tourists will

flock there in droves, but in most

cases the award seems to have

nothing to do with making better

holidays for visitors – and a lot to

do with enlarging the egos of local

politicians.So I sighed deeply when I was

invited to Ljubljana, the capi-

tal of Slovenia, which holds the

title this year. I feared I would be

spending my weekend touring a

new sustainable sewage works.

Slovenia forms the northern

part of the former Yugoslavia. It

includes a short section of the

Adriatic coast and the southern

foothills of the Alps.Given Ljubljana’s history as

a provincial city behind the

Iron Curtain for 50 years, I was

expecting Soviet-style tower

blocks, lingering damage from

the Yugoslavian civil war, and

grumpy folk driving rusty cars.

Instead, I got a huge surprise.

This pretty capital turns out

to be one of Europe’s lucky

cities. It has escaped any major

war damage over the past 100

years. Even the token ‘ten-day

war’ – when Slovenia declared

independence from Yugoslavia in

1991 – left no scars.Visitors will find a charmingly

intact historic city centre, with

old streets lined by baroque and

GETTING THEREHotel Slon (hotelslon.com/en/)

has B&B rooms from €232 a

night. Wizz Air (wizzair.com)

has regular flights to Ljubljana

from Luton, from €30 one way.

Ryanair flies Dublin to Treviso,

which is a three-hour drive from

Ljubljana, from €24.99 one way. ALL rIsE: The funicular travels

to the castle above the city

Page 16

end of my first series of laps. Suit-able for most ages, the Rally School Ireland is a fun-filled day for all and the home-cooked lunch put on for the customers was well received.

While Ireland may not guarantee the weather, our Ancient East is an evolving project well worth explor-ing, and will certainly not disap-point. Whether you’re a travelling tourist from overseas, a resident making the most of a staycation or, like me, simply savouring a day off with your other half, the region offers plenty to be unearthed. ÷To find inspiring itineraries and stories from our history, and to plan a trip, see www.irelandsancienteast.com. Follow Ireland’s Ancient East on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @AncientEastIRL #Irelands AncientEast.

When accepted, uniforms were issued and men and women, boys and girls

were separated. While it has been lovingly

restored by the people of the town and now operates as a community and heritage cen-tre, there still remains the old children’s dorm with creaky wooden floors and mass fam-ine graves in the surrounding landscape. Our tour took us to the girls’

accommodation, on the third floor, which is a sombre room that

makes you appreciate just how lucky you are. There, visitors can view a plaque of the names of girls who were sent to Aus-

tralia to settle, and next to it, a pile of boxes that encased the youths’ few belongings as they travelled

the great distance to Sydney. The original block was visited

last year by international music icon Sting, whose great-great-great grandmother, Mary Murphy (née Goodman), is recorded as a widow and pauper who died there from illness in 1881. The beauty of Ire-land’s Ancient East is in its diver-sity, and what better way to reflect on our journey through time than over a bottle of wine in the five-star fabulousness that is Castle Leslie, fans of which include Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney (Weekend Travel reviewed Castle Leslie in more detail last week).

The lodge’s Victorian treatment rooms overlooking the stables are the epitome of luxury and relaxa-tion, while a walk through the lush grounds is a must for any guest.

Once comforted by a massage

and a full Irish breakfast, the hus-band and I rounded out our trip with some high-speed activity at the adrenaline-filled Rally School Ireland in nearby Scotstown. Open seven days a week, the school is a family-run business that encour-ages enthusiasts young and old, courageous or cautious.

I’m no petrolhead, but the idea of testing out supercars was not an experience to be missed. Togged out in our overalls and helmet, it was straight into the driver’s seat alongside an instructor to test our ability and bravery.

The hubby struggled. Early on, he spun out of control

– rather slowly I might add – and into a grassy knoll, while I hung on every syllable issued by the instruc-tor and even managed a smoke-inducing, screeching donut at the

Lady of the manor: Our

Laura laps up Co. Monaghan

by LAuRA BuTLER

She’s rally something: From left, Laura and the rally course, Beaulieu House, and the forbidding Carrickmacross Workhouse