We moved to Ireland from the UK in 2001 having first lived in West Drayton, near Heathrow Airport and then Reading in Berkshire, we left the hustle and bustle of England to come and live in rural Ireland, and we now live around 8 miles from the nearest town of Newcastle West.   (click on the picture for a larger view of the Town)

Situated on the N21, Newcastle West is long recognised as the gateway to the south west of Ireland. Located just twenty minutes drive from Limerick city and just a mere hour from Killarney. Its strategic location is one of the many reason for the town's thriving success through recent years. Home to the Limerick County Council, Newcastle West serves as the capital of the county, as well as a market, service and employment centre for a large rural hinterland. Historically, Newcastle West is a medieval town, which was occupied by the Knights Templar and the beautiful Desmond Hall, situated in The Square, is the focal point of the town. Newcastle West is central to all the towns and villages of West Limerick, as well as convenient to North Cork and North Kerry.

Bernie's Mum and Dad were originally from Ireland but had lived in the UK for nearly 40 years. One of the reasons we moved to where we are is because the builder of our house was building a second house on the plot of land next to ours, so towards the end of 2001 Bernie's Mum and Dad became our neighbours. This has been really handy for babysitting services, as a local shop for when we run out of anything and by giving us a very local gardener! The picture below was taken from the hill in front of the houses, ours is the one on the left and Bride and Denis is on the right.