Hi everyonernI hope that everything is going well in dry Australia. It has been quite warm here for the past 3 weeks and is still continuing to be sunny this week (18degrees most days).rnMum has returned home now, so life has quietened down again. I am working at the Protestant school in Shillelagh, this is about 15km from Tullow. The school has only 24 students and I am teaching 12 of them from Junior Infants to Grade 2. It means that I have to plan 4 classes in one room, not what I am used to doing! The students are lovely and very excited as they know that Ill be there for 3 weeks.rnIll give a brief outline of the time spent with Mum since her last message. (This will help to explain some of the posted photos). rnAfter Kilkenny Castle we went to the Irish National Stud in Kildare, this is a state owned stud, Vintage Crop lives here now. A number of the stallions kept here travel to Australia as well for our breeding season. There is a monastery with in the stud and Japanese Gardens as well.rnOn Good Friday the 3 of us packed the car and headed for the west coast, it was about a 4 hour drive, we went straight to the Cliffs of Moher, however there was a thick mist coming in from the sea and the cliffs were hidden, a bit disappointing, we returned in the afternoon and managed to see them then. To fill in time in-between we went through the Burren, which was once a forest area which is now baron rock. There were medieval burial sites scattered amongst the rocks which date back to 4000BC. rnThat night we stayed in Lisdoonvarna, well know for music in the pubs, unfortunately the pubs are all closed on Good Friday so it was a quite night.rnOn Saturday we drove up the coast, stopping off at 2 castles that have been renovated, the first was Athenry (Fields of Athenry) then Grace OMalleys Castle (I will add in the correct name when I have my guidebook with me) she was well know as the Pirate Queen around the 1600s on the west coast of Ireland.rnWe drove through Cong (place The Quite Man starring John Wayne was filmed), then up to Letterkenny in Donegal (almost at the top). We meet Mums friend Hazel there for dinner (from her New Zealand holiday).rnSunday we headed across the top of Ireland and went to the Giants Causeway, a basalt rock formation (or formed by Giants, up to you). Next was Belfast Castle and a quick drive through the troubled areas in Belfast, then down to Newry to Gerrys parents place for dinner. Here is where mum had 2 new tour guides (and drinking friends) for 2 nights and one day. Eamon and I were out on the town with Gerry, Eamon sang Karaoke to win an easter egg and was banned from red wine as it puts him to sleep!rnTuesday we drove south to Co. Meath to see New Grange and Knowth. These were burial chambers and mounds, they are older than the Pyramids. New Grange has been excavated, it gives an idea of what the burial chambers looked like 5000 years ago, around the base of the huge mound are decorated stones, the front door was sealed with a highly decorated stone, it is now possible to go into the chamber. New Grange is well know as the place of the Winter Solstice, for 5 days around the Solstice light shines into the chamber turning it from complete darkness to fully illuminated. Knowth is another mound surrounded by about 20 smaller burial mounds. It has been left as an unexposed mound so shows what New Grange looked like prior to excavation.rnThis was the end of our Road trip and almost the end of mums holiday, I will write about her last few days soon. rnSlan.rn