title	A Day in Blackrock North, County Louth, Ireland - 7th October 2023
intro	We're off to Ireland and are staying with James up in Blackrock North - in County Louth - so need a car. However, when we get to the car-hire office we find out that the booking has been cancelled by CarJet. It's nearly midnight as the plane was over an hour late, the place is well dodgy and it's not looking good, however they manage to sort us out with another vehicle, although it needs paying for again. Oh, and it really adds to the fun driving around with a £3,500 excess charge sitting on the credit card in case of prangs. Anyway, we flog up and down the M1 a few times, and fit in visits to the beach at Blackrock, ten minutes with Evelyn at Da Gorls' house, the Beat It music shop behind Rocksalt café, Dun Laoghaire and Sushida Japanese restaurant, and the Neptune Bar to see Ireland thrash Scotland at rugby. What we don't actually get to do though is the primary mission, which was to visit Louise, as she's in hospital and Isobel has the lurgy.
imgp7488	Fred stocks up on quality healthy snacks
imgp7497	The underbelly of Stansted Airport at night
imgp7498	We hang around in the downstairs seating area
imgp7502	It's finally time to head for the gate
imgp7503	Isobel and Fred at the departure gate
imgp7506	We join yet another queue
imgp7508	It's a treat to get legroom without paying for it
imgp7509	There's some taxi chaos outside Dublin Airport
imgp7510	Fred bagsies a sofa
imgp7511	Annalua's on a device as well
imgp7513	Everyone's ignoring each other
imgp7515	Harry walks on the sea wall at Blackrock
imgp7519	A curious little shop
imgp7524	Nic, Lua and Harry are off on the sands
imgp7527	Jamie and Isobel return from coffee buying
imgp7533	Fred's in the Beat It Music shop
imgp7534	The shop has an awesome Vox Continental 300 organ
imgp7537	A Volkswagen T25 van hauls away some old plants
imgp7542	Isobel roams around AppleGreen services on the M1
imgp7543	Fred gets a bottle of fizz
imgp7545	Nic and Lua are back from an awards ceremony
imgp7547	We chat to Evelyn in the garden
imgp7548	Harry does some moves out on the grass
imgp7550	Annalua swings around
imgp7551	Harry on Oliver Plunkett Avenue
imgp7555	The boys mess around with a branch from a tree
imgp7557	Fred sneezes as we wait for the bus
imgp7558	The gang at the bus stop on Monkstown Farm
imgp7559	We're in Sushida in Dun Laoghaire
imgp7562	Sushida Japanese restaurant
imgp7563	Next door, there's a failed restaurant
imgp7566	Harry's on the playground
imgp7567	Harry explains some complex rule changes
imgp7568	We end up doing Evelyn's shopping in SuperValu
imgp7569	The Forty Foot Wetherspoon's in Dun Laoghaire
imgp7571	Harry and Fred head off to Centra
imgp7584	It's crammed in the Neptune Bar in Blackrock
imgp7588	Ireland scores another try in the rugby
imgp7600	Derelict cottages on the sea road
imgp7604	Harry's lost another tooth
imgp7605	We're back on the beach at Blackrock North
imgp7607	Back on the sea wall
imgp7610	A view over the craggy rocks
imgp7611	Blackrock's seafront from the rocks
imgp7612	We walk around to Pirate's Cove
imgp7614	There's an abandoned building project on the cliff
imgp7617	Harry, Annalua and Isobel walk along the path
imgp7618	The old lifeboat shed, dating from 1900
imgp7623	The back of the car hire place is a bit dodgy
imgp7625	The exciting Top Oil on Collinstown estate
imgp7631	There's a church in Dublin Airport's car park
imgp7633	Isobel heads over to Terminal One
imgp7635	We've cleared security and head for the gate
imgp7637	The departure area is rammed as usual
imgp7638	An Air Transat A320-neo is on stand
imgp7644	Our Ruinair flight loads up
imgp7647	The 200R sign on the apron
imgp7648	An inspection car speeds down the runway
imgp7649	The bottom end of Runway 28 Right
imgp7650	Ireland in the haze
imgp7656	A large solar farm somewhere
imgp7658	This Essex town looks familiar
imgp7661	The Norman Foster terminal
imgp7662	Isobel and Fred wait to board the bendy bus
imgp7663	Fred does some cubing on the bus
imgp7664	An entire baby travel kit has exploded
imgp7665	We stop off for a top-up charge at Gridserve