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to celebrate their Grand Slam triumph long into the night.
Of course, as an Englishman, I was duty-bound to support my countrymen, but I was glad that we didn’t spoil the party.
We dealt with the hangover next day with a traditional remedy – a pint of the black stuff at the Guinness Storehouse. It was also a chance to drink in the best views of Dublin. Built in 1904, it was the British Isles’ first “skyscraper”.
I had expected the place to be mobbed with stag and hen parties but this is a family friendly museum. Indeed, Guinness holds a special place in the hearts of Dubliners, only recently overtaken as the city’s biggest employer by Google.
The Guinness family have been philanthropists since they started brewing more than 250 years ago, and any job here has always been highly sought-after, due to good pay and pensions, strong worker protections – and a drinks allowance of two pints a day!
Beer specialist Ian Colgan – yes, that is a real job – told me that allowance is still in place, although these days headed back to our base, a superbly equipped lodge with a large veranda. We especially liked the outside space, which opened on to our own patch of grass.
Surrounded by the trees and so tranquil, it seemed like we were in the middle of nowhere, yet in reality staff are encouraged to take it home to drink.
Before we could have a sip, we learned how to pour the perfect pint. Arthur’s Bar – named after founder Arthur Guinness – hosts non-stop live music and is great to spend an hour.
I was keen to know whether all those ads were true and quizzed Ian: “Is Guinness really good for me?”
“Well, it’s got iron in it,” he replied, after a moment’s thought.
If we were prescribed Guinness, we’d happily take our medicine. At least we could all agree on that! ¬ÊFlybe offers return flights from Southampton to Bergerac from £94. flybe.com.
¬ÊSeven nights in the two-bedroomed Chalet Eden at La Palombiere starts from £246 for travel in April. lapalombiere.fr/en/
the pretty medieval town of Sarlat and its great markets was less than a 10-minute drive away.
The on-site restaurant serves terrific homemade pizzas, while even the fussiest of little ones could find something on its children’s menu.
Working off the calories was not OUTSIDE IN: A lodge at the site
a problem either, with so many activities on site, ranging from trampolining and table tennis to football, badminton and boules.
Our five-year-old son Bertie had fun trying his hand at firing a crossbow and was in his element whizzing on an inflatable ring down water slides. Indeed we all spent many relaxing hours lounging by one of the three pools.
We did manage to pull ourselves away for a few day trips out, including one to the pretty village of Domme.
We timed our visit for market day and were quickly drawn into the hustle and bustle of stalls selling wonderful local produce.
We also couldn’t resist walking up towards the viewpoint to look out on the stunning valley below.
Getting away for the last week of the summer holidays may have been a minor miracle, but we all agreed that our family break in the enchanting Dordogne had performed wonders.