County Mayo, Ireland.

County Mayo has a wild and rugged North Atlantic coast line along with a barren and mountainous landscape.

The west of Ireland has some fantastic scenery but, like the south-west, its roads are deplorable. To describe some of them as goat-track is an exaggeration and when you consider the type of politicians they continuously elect you’ll understand why.

An elected west-of-Ireland councillor, Michael-Stroke Fahy, was tried and convicted in court with stealing €75,000 from the local authority. Amazingly his local constituents weren’t happy to see this parasite being served justice, rather they were outraged that he was charged at all. And they vented their fury by holding rallies and demonstrations demanding the authorities drop the charges and leave him alone.

Seems they’re happy with goat-tracks instead of roads and don’t feel any shame that their ill-educated youth will be unemployed unless they emigrate to Great Britain.

If you’re holidaying in this part of Ireland remember that their stupidity spills over into their restaurants, public houses and hotels.

Galway City, Ireland.

Galway, similar to Cork, is little more than a large town with city status. It’s best avoided if you're not very fond of public houses and coarse bar staff.

Galway is more a large town that a city but nonetheless in known locally as the City of the Tribes. It's situated in such a bleak rain-lashed landscape in the west of Ireland that English man, Edmund Ludlow, was coerced to state in the 17 century: “It is a country where there is not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him.”

If holidaying there make sure to bring a rain coat and umbrella but never leave them out of your hand in any public house, restaurant or public place or they’ll be stolen almost immediately. Also bring your own toilet paper as the locals (taking recycling to extremes?) are prone to use newspaper – believe me when I say that a month old Irish Examiner is quite hard on one’s bum.