Dazzled by the Emerald Isle's brightest jewel

They came out of the mist, arms waving wildly, soaking wet. The elderly couple frantically waved our car down. They were lost, had got swallowed up in the thickest pea-souper I had ever seen.

They asked if we knew the area - sorry, but like them we were tourists. The couple had left their car somewhere, gone for a walk, and got lost.

We couldn't help, they declined our offer of a lift and walked back into the clutches of the mist.

We were on the very edge of County Galway in Ireland and had taken the Sky Road - just outside the town of Clifden - which is meant to give you the most stunning of views over the Atlantic. Just our luck we had to run into the mother of all fogs.

But once we had negotiated the tightest of roads, constantly fearing a wrong turn would lead us into actually becoming a part of the Atlantic, and had descended about a thousand feet, Galway's treasures opened up to us. Every nook and cranny of Ireland is beautiful but surely Galway is the jewel in the Emerald Isle.

At every turn you encounter stunning loughs with the clearest and cleanest of water, surrounded by copses of the greenest pine trees. Stop for a while and just listen to the silence, truly magical.

Our base for the trip was just outside the town of Oughterard at the Connemara Gateway Hotel. You have stunning views of the mountains and it is close to Lough Corrib, Ireland's largest lake.

A spur-of-the-moment walk down an unmarked track, which was home to such a wide variety of birdlife it would have been a twitcher's dream, led us to the edge of the lough. With a gentle breeze refreshing us and the sun shining on the lake, the trials and tribulations of life seemed a million miles away.

You could pay a visit to Moran's of the Weir Oyster Bar, just a few miles outside Galway City in Kilcolgan, where the fresh oysters are dredged from the river that flows past the bar. I had a cheese sandwich, which rather misses the point.

Or take a look at The Quiet Man bridge where John Wayne filmed his famous fight scene from the film of the same name. You don't have to pay or queue to see it, it isn't hidden behind screens, it's just there, no pretensions, no hype.

Kylemore Abbey, about 20 miles from Clifden, should also be on the agenda. A boarding school for French students, the nuns who run it have turned it into such a success that there is now a visitor centre, gift shop, gardens, guided tours... perhaps the nuns should host business conferences as well. It was certainly the most popular tourist spot on our break.

If you do miss the hustle and bustle, there is always Galway City, a vibrant, thriving place. There is a cornucopia of shops selling everything that's quintessentially Irish. The sound of Irish music emanates from practically every pub - and there are a lot of them.

Let's hope Galway City does not grow as fast as Dublin appears to be. The capital was the first stop on our tour and the skyline is dotted with cranes. They are building everywhere and house prices have risen astronomically, along with that comes the traffic which seems to be slowly choking the city's streets. Yes, Dublin is booming, and some say the boom won't slow down for another eight years - but at what cost?

We stayed at the Ashling Hotel, about 25 minutes' walk from the centre and probably one of the better places to be. Close by is the famous Ryan's bar, which still has snugs and retains the character of a true Irish pub. With the Guinness factory just across the road, you won't really have to worry about the taps running dry.

An ideal stop on the way across Ireland to Galway is probably Athlone - at the heart of the country - and bisected by the River Shannon. Athlone is a city trying to raise its profile and put itself high on the tourist agenda.

In the old part of the town stands Athlone Castle, which houses a visitor centre. Not the most imposing of structures it nevertheless has a fascinating history, playing a pivotal role in the famous siege of the city.

Nestling around the castle are narrow streets housing some wonderful restaurants. Try Pudding Lane which only opened last year but feels like it has been around for centuries - and the food is stunning.

The heart of Ireland does seem to be overlooked by the traveller, which is a crying shame. Especially as in the charming village of Kinitty lies the Kinitty Castle Hotel. A Gothic pile, it sits on a 20,000-acre estate. It's wonderful, but it will cost you. We paid £105 (punts) per person per night for the room only - and was it worth it, if only for the bathroom...

The view from the toilet was magnificent. Sit there and look down the sweeping drive and to the thousands of trees beyond. Worth spending a penny - or £105 worth of them.

Nearby is the town of Portumna. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and it evoked memories of what Sundays used to be like - and should still be like - in this country. In a word, peaceful. The shops were shut, no traffic, people strolling. We joined them wandering around the tiny harbour and the myriad of forest trails.

You could quite happily get lost in Ireland. Perhaps that couple on the Sky Road had the right idea. . .

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.