She headed out of the city, her interest caught by unfamiliar places, Clondalkin, Rathcoole, Crookshane, The Curragh, Clonmullen. She said the names out loud as she passed the motorway signs, her mouth rolling around the consonants mimicking what she was convinced was an Irish accent. She decided, fancifully, that they were just begging to be spoken and amused herself by practising her accent in the privacy of her car.

As she drove, she noted that the fields on either side of the road were every bit as green and lush as reputed. The country deserved its other name, the Emerald Isle. Some landmarks like Tesco were familiar while others, like convenience store Centra and DIY wholesaler Woodies, were unfamiliar. In some ways the country felt familiar and in others, rather alien. She was really here after all this time.

After a few hours she pulled off the motorway into the services to grab a quick sandwich. She could almost hear her sister’s voice in her ear telling her she was being boring and playing safe. Mina would have been off down a side road in search of local cafe faster than a lemming could throw itself off a cliff.

She peered at her roadmap as she unwrapped a cheese sandwich and then dropped her finger on the page in surprised delight. Tralee. Where Aidan and Sorcha lived. She hadn’t realised it was quite that close to Kilorgally. With a grin she picked up her phone and texted her friends.

The Eagle has landed.

Yay. Hope you had a great journey. When can you come see us?

I’ll give you a call when I’m settled and know a bit more about my routine. Can’t wait to catch up and to see the bump. Had no idea you were so nearby. Xxx

Just a stone’s throw by local standards. See you soon. x

Once she left the motorway, it was easier to take in the scenery, and the roads grew smaller and quieter as they wound between lichen-dotted dry-stone walls. On either side, patchwork quilts of green fields draped the landscape with the cleanest sheep she’d ever seen dotted across them like embroidered knots of white. Above the final barrier of dry-stone walls, hills gathered along the horizon dappled with clouds of pale-purple heather interspersed with vivid green hillocks of grass. From memory, Hannah could picture the map of this part of Kerry, the land jutting out in a long, jagged finger that stretched out into the Atlantic. The coastline should be coming into view at any moment.