Day 296 - Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

Despite the late retirement to quarters last night, breakfast was successfully negotiated, and with aplomb. The Newgrange offered a host of buffeted delights, with swathes of cereals, fruits, breads and freshly-fried slaughted meats to enjoy. After check-out, we sped to nearby Moor Park Golf Club - a basic but hilly and pleasant course for a round that started out pleasantly but soon turned inclement, with lashings of rain pouring down upon us. After 11 holes of penance, three of the four athletes decided that they had had enough, much to the fury of Daniels, who was having his best round of the year. There was little sympathy for him though, as he had prised over €30 from us by that stage. And as it turned out, the rain just got heavier and heavier.

Home by 4pm, the rest of the day was spent in an utterly splendid state of vegetation.

Contentment : 13.5 / 25
Excitement :    2 / 10
Memorability : 4 / 15

Overall Score : 39% (123rd out of 296)

Day 295 - Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

At 9.30am, Al The Almera was summonsed from motorised slumber to whisk myself, Conch-Shell, Daniels and English to the Metropolis of Navan for another epic golfing mini-break. After a warm-up on the driving range and restrained negotiation of George The Cantankerous American Club Pro, we were off and running down the 18 holes of Navan Golf Club - a longer-than-most racecourse-side affair. Thanks to magnificent play from Conquer, Team Trance notched up a magnificent and recently-rare win over a battling Team Ski. Conditions towards the end of the round were utterly vile, but this intensified the lustfulness for Guinness, which were wolfed down at our lodgings for the evening, the Newgrange Hotel. Dominoes were naturally the order of the early evening, and Team Trance reorded a sensational double victory on the day.

Eager to explore our environs, we moseyed outside and down to Smith's very fine tavern, which was in possession of a dartboard, ensuring hours of fun. Whilst at the bar, I missed out on 70th Birthday Cake that had kindly been distributed by the concelebrants in a nearby area, and took out my absolute fury on repeated wins at the oche. Smith's apparently are in no hurry to close of an evening, it would seem, for it was 3am when we returned to the Newgrange Residents' Bar for a nightcap.

Contentment : 17.5 / 25
Excitement :    5 / 10
Memorability : 6.5 / 15

Overall Score : 58% (10th out of 295)