Live it up in County Down

‘Lurganconary is squirreled away beneath the Mourne Mountains in one of Ireland’s shyest counties – Down. The farm is organic – even using shire horses to clear woodland – and recently someone had the bright idea of placing two cosy five star cottages right at its heart.

The idea works. White, well-fitted and run by the attentive O’Hare family (on arrival, we found a colouring book with our daughter’s name printed on it), a few years ageing will add character, but sitting by a stove far from the maddening crowds of Dublin, something definitely clicked.

Nature trails have been etched around the farm, and a couple of miles away, Cranfield Beach (walk west along towards Greencastle to find the unspoiled spots) fronts cheerily onto Carlingford Lough.