Like its people, rural Ireland is expansive. Dotted with tiny villages and small towns, each has similar elements that make them indelibly Irish and undeniably charming. The houses, mostly single storey and almost exclusively pastel emulsioned, appear as neat highlights against the green as you hum along the winding roads linking one village and town to the next. It’s very rare to find a home that isn’t pristine, with manicured lawns, tended tubs of flowers and the occasional gnome.
According to the radio and the results of a recent survey, the average Irish woman, noted for ruling the roost, would rather have a clean and tidy house than sex.
Westport town centre
Set in large plots, some with grand gates and sweeping drives drives, most homes are modest or grandly understated. Even when they cluster around shops and pubs lining the roads, the impression of life is still low pressure, spacious and meandering.