The sodden conditions of recent weeks have at last given way to more seasonal weather. And, as the summer months beckon, this holiday weekend offers a revived countryside in advance of the glut of tourists. It is a season of growth and change. This year, a mild spring brought early growth to both sheltered gardens and the wild uplands. For weeks now, the chatter of lawnmowers has punctuated suburban life and backs unused to weeding and planting have grown stiff with labour. The greening of the countryside has created a flood of work for farmers and clogged garden centres with flora-conscious citizens.
Ireland's diverse and bountiful landscape promises so much that the only advice should be: get out and enjoy it. The seaside is to be relished at all times of the year. But, just now, wet-suited enthusiasts can be found surfing and body-boarding along western beaches, while windsurfers and canoeists add dash and colour. Down in the rock pools, hermit crabs are shifting uneasily in their purloined winkle shells. And those who tramp the windswept headlands and beaches may be rewarded by the sight of gambolling porpoises.
From Brandon in Kerry through the bleak limestone of the Burren, and from the Nephin Range in Mayo to Muckish in Donegal, walkers are abroad. In the south, the Comeraghs beckon and the vastness of Wicklow lies open to the people of Dublin. It is a joy and a privilege to walk these hills, made possible by the generosity of countless farmers. In return, they ask that people close gates, respect property, avoid littering and, if dogs must be brought, that they be kept firmly on leads.
The uplands of the coast, from Wicklow around to Donegal, feed great and little lakes, streams, rivers and canals. Along these waterways, families and friends may travel in luxuriously appointed cruisers or putter along in small, clinker-built boats. Ashore, anglers of diverse persuasions pursue their quarry with fly, spoon and bait.
The magic of life is all around us. And the May break allows us to shed the surroundings of grey offices for an alternative lifestyle. If you have country roots, go and rediscover them. The simple scent of a yellow whin bush can close the gap of years. Not only that, it can provide a bridge between your childhood and that of your children.