Day 3

You’ll need a car to explore the wilds of County Galway. Heading north, the streets of the city rapidly give way to country lanes winding through fields grazed by soot-faced sheep.

Wags have it that if you can see the Connemara hills it means it will rain soon, and if you can’t, it’s already raining. Whatever the fickle weather is doing, head for (pictured) to stomp over rugged moorland beside peaty loughs.

The other unmissable for lovers of the outdoors is to hike a section of the Ireland’s long-distance coastal footpath waymarked with a zig-zag logo.

Walking west from village, you might spot seals basking on the rocks, or even dolphins arcing out of the sea while you gaze across to the Aran Islands. After that, as JFK pointed out in his famous Eyre Square speech, the next stop is Boston, Massachusetts.