Ireland in early Winter/Chauffeurdriven vacations in Ireland

I have been in the chauffeurdrive business now for a number of years, and i do love the job, but i would have to say that i look forward to the winter when things at last slow down, and i am able to have time for myself to relax and enjoy this wonderful country. I live in a rural area, and i am surrounded by the natural beauty surrounding the place where i live. My neighbours are mainly farmers, and of course a farm is not a farm without animals.
This morning i took a stroll with my wife down to our little harbour, and on the way i took this collection of lovely photos for you  to enjoy.
The picture above shows my small local harbour, with one of the traditional west of Ireland currachs, a  canvas covered fishing craft especially designed to handle the rough waters of the Atlantic off our western shores. This particular boat was designed for three oarsmen, and when handled by experienced boatmen, these were excellent boats in the unpredictable waters where these men had to navigate to reach the fishing grounds far out in the ocean. These boats are still in use by the men in the west, and on the many offshore islands in the Atlantic.

We stopped to talk to these fine fellows along the way, but unfortunately they were not too pleased as we forgot to bring along any carrotts or treats for them today. I will make up for that again very soon. The two grey ones are Connemara ponies, a breed that thrives on this side of the country. The black one i am not too sure about, but the one in the background is a piebald pony, a multi coloured pony and one of the breed most popular with the travelling community here, who love their horses.

They say that when you see the cattle lying down, that rain is on the way, but today that was not the case, so either it is just not true, or else these guys got it wrong. I think myslef that they have a lot more intelligence than we give them credit for, and they just do not see any sense in having to stand up when they can just lie down in comfort and nibble away at the grass around them.
Stone walls are one of the outstanding characteristics of the west of Ireland, with hundreds of thousand's of miles of them to enjoy, and here you can see a typical one in the foreground.There is no mortar involved, just loose stones piled on top of one another. They may not look like they are very secure, but it is just amazing how they withstand the weather, and the animals are afraid to go near them as they have learned that they are a danger to themselves if they knock them down. The wind has little effect on them also as it blows through them, and they have been with us now,standing firm, for hundreds of years.

I may have been enjoying a break today, but i begin a winter tour on Wednesday for a few days with a couple from California. The forecast is really nice, cool, but dry and sunny. Who was that clown who said that it always rains in Ireland. We do pray for rain so that we can keep our vegetation plentiful and colorful for our visitors but we do like our sunshine too.
Maybe you would like a winter break? If you like a peaceful type of vacation, maybe you could enjoy a day like i had today. I might even introduce you to my fine animal friends, but bring your own carrots please.

If you need me then just send me a message.