We leave the Europa Buscentre at 9.00am and drive west through Sligo, entering Co. Galway via the Quiet Man village of Cong, on the road between loughs Mask and Corrib. We check into our hotel at the centre of the county.

Peacocke’s has new, enthusiastic owners who have made many changes but retained some features of the old hotel - the Quiet Man cottage and the famous viewing tower overlooking Connemara’s lakes and mountains. After a leisurely breakfast we travel north though Joyce country to Leenaun, taking the road back along the edge of Lough Inagh between the Twelve Bens and the Maumturk Mountain.

After dinner tonight there is live entertainment in the bar.

We head south today towards Rossaveal, the Aran ferry port and along the edge of Galway Bay, through Spiddal, to Galway City where we spend the afternoon. Our return journey takes us along the southern edge of Lough Corrib through Oughterard and back to Maam Cross.

Perhaps we have kept the good wine to the last - we go west today to Clifden and home by Roundstone.

We make a short stop in Cong at the beginning of our return journey to Belfast, and arrive back at the Europa Buscentre around 6.00pm.