title From Achill to Strokestown, Mayo and Roscommon, Ireland - 10th August 2017 intro It's the last day in the Achill Island Hotel, and there's a brief mission to visit the derelict church across the Sound that can be seen from the car park of the hotel. As it happens, it's on private land and inaccessible, but instead there's the chance discovery of the derelict Belfarsad National School, dating from 1913. Then, we head off across Ireland to Dublin but end up stopping almost exactly half-way at the oddly-named Strokestown in County Roscommon which, as well as containing the second-widest street in Ireland is also home to Strokestown Park - a grand Palladian house the owners of which became notorious for their famine-era eviction of some 11,000 tenants. Finally, after a few more hours, we end up at Da Gorls' house in Monkstown, County Dublin - the culmination of around 1,000 miles of driving, not counting the 500 to and from Liverpool. imgc7631 Harry checks his "Terminator" shades in the mirror imgc7633 Gabes with his breakfast sunglasses imgc7636 Everyone seems to be in reception as we check out imgp7606 The empty 70s-style BSL office in Achill imgp7607 E. T. Sweeney garage in Achill imgp7608 Closed petrol pumps imgp7609 The largely-closed Sweeney petrol station in Achill imgp7615 Wasteland behind the garage imgp7619 Belfarsad church in the distance imgp7620 Sheep are dotted around a field imgp7621 Achill's swing bridge in the distance imgp7624 The sadly derelict Belfarsad National School, 1913 imgp7626 Piles of rusting ironwork imgp7629 A window within a window imgp7630 The back of the derelict school imgp7631 A heap of discarded books adds to the poignancy imgp7632 Iron wheel in the grass imgp7635 The derelict school imgp7638 The old school gate imgp7641 Another derelict house in Belfarsad imgp7643 A derelict room, but like someone has only just left imgp7644 A trashed fireplace imgp7645 There's a suitace on the bed, ready for holidays imgp7648 Pictures from an exhibition and a worn-out sofa imgp7649 An out-house has lost its roof imgp7650 A ribbon road imgp7651 Piles of "bog oak" in a field near Newport imgp7653 imgp7659 More piles of bog oak imgp7660 Vanishing-point highway near Newport imgc7637 A lovely old Daimler at Kelly's Garage in Newport imgc7638 Reflected buildings and Daimler interior imgc7639 The Sovereign looks lit up against the gloomy houses imgc7640 Lovely street-side petrol station in Strokestown imgc7641 imgc7642 Petrol station on the High Street imgc7643 Vintage air line at the Strokestown Texaco imgc7644 The Beirne traditional shop front imgc7645 Adverts for Strokestown Park imgc7646 Church Street - the second-widest in Ireland imgc7648 Looking down Church Street to the roundabout imgc7649 A hardware shop on Church Street imgc7650 Dockery Meats imgc7652 A knackered van and a house for sale imgc7653 A shed on the pavement, Church Street imgc7654 Ribbons on a roundabout Maypole imgc7657 The national Famine commemoration imgc7658 A fake window painted on a house wall imgc7659 Strokestown Park House imgc7660 Harry, Isobel and Fred in the long grass imgc7663 The gang explore the house imgc7665 We head off into a tunnel imgc7666 Roaming in a servants' tunnel imgc7671 Peering into windows imgc7674 Harry runs off into a woodland walk imgc7677 Amusing anthropomorphic tree imgc7680 Harry is sceptical about there being fairies imgc7682 A fairy's house imgc7684 The restored walled gardens imgc7686 We reach Evelyn and Louise's house and eat pizza