County Mayo, West Ireland

When our friends at BMIBaby asked us to make a trip to Ballina, West Ireland, we were intrigued. What would this beautiful area have to offer Busy Girls?

Packing our swimsuits and some warm clothes into a small overnight bag, we set off from Manchester Airport with hope in our (soon to be Celtic) hearts.

Travelling to the West of Ireland couldn't be easier. Busy Girls flew with www.BMIBaby.com from Manchester directly to Ireland West Airport Knock. The flight was so fast that we barely had a chance to drink our tea!

On arrival, we collected our bags instantly and made our way to the SIXT rental car collection desk. We were greeted by our first names, suggesting that we were one of few couples to be arriving that day, and had our car keys within ten minutes.

TOP TIP: Don't forget to bring BOTH parts of your driving license with you when hiring a car in Europe - you won't be given the keys without both the paper and the plastic card pieces.

At first, the thought of driving to our hotel was rather daunting, but the drive was so straightforward, and the roads so wide and well laid, that the journey was a breeze. A car is a must when visiting this area, if you want to maximise your stay.

That said, we did, quite literally, navigate the full half an hour route to nearby village Ballina with about 6 directions.

During our visit to West Ireland, we had the pleasure of staying at the wonderful four star Ice House Hotel. Don't bother researching anything other than the Ice House Hotel, it truly has it all. Fabulous location, beautiful well appointed rooms, friendly efficient staff and the most superb restaurant, The Pier. See our full review for more praise click here!

Although we could quite easily have stayed at The Ice House Hotel for the duration (or moved in permanently), we had a schedule to meet. So, the next morning, after a hearty breakfast of delicious poached eggs and soda bread, we made our way to the Foxford Mills in Foxford, Co. Mayo.

We thought we'd been surprised by the Ice House in Ballina, but it seemed we were in for another shock.

The Foxford Mills sound like a rather quaint and traditional place, set into the sleepy town of Foxford. But, no. Again, we were met with a Skandinavian-inspired glass-fronted building, packed to the rafters with some of the most beautiful rugs, furnishings, kitchen and homeware, clothes, gifts and accessories. My credit card started to quiver before I'd even crossed the threshold, and if it wasn't for the Foxford Mills Tour, a half an hour video and moving-character tour which cleverly illustrated the history of Foxford Mills, I would have been spending like fury from the moment I entered the building.

Foxford Mills combine products from their own fabrics with complementary home and lifestyle brands like Villeroy and Boch and JosephJoseph. The result is a stunning showroom, with so many pieces to choose from.

We purchased a sumptuous spotty mohair rug and some stocking fillers and then wandered up to the cafe/restaurant on the first floor, where we had some homemade carrot cake and tea.

Imagine shopping in a hybrid between Liberty of London and Habitat and then add in some Irish charm, and this will bring you close to what you can expect from Foxford Mills.

Following a lovely morning shopping, we headed off to The Mount Falcon Castle Hotel in County Mayo. What a charming drive up to this castle - it's set into stunning countryside and promises a truly luxurious stay.

Unfortunately, we only had time to stop for a spot of lunch in the main bar area, offering traditional Irish fayre, which hit the spot but didn't set us alight. The hotel, on the other hand, is a very well laid out collection of mahogany lined rooms, suites and superior suites. The furnishings are based on a country-shoot theme, with sleigh beds, ensuite bathrooms with freestanding Victorian baths and antique wardrobes and dressers.

Recently refurbished, The Mount Falcon Estate is a typical country mansion, with extra curricular activies like shooting, riding and fishery. The stunning new Elemis Spa, offers a host of facial and body treatments, a fitness suite and indoor pool. We had a powerful massage by therapist Amanda, who was so professional and experienced, yet ultra friendly that she really made our visit.

Finally, our trip around County Mayo took us to the 'Kilcullen Seaweed baths' just up the coast from The Ice House Hotel, in Inishcrone (also spelt Enniscrone).

What a beautiful drive we had up to the baths. Every two minutes you simply have to stop the car to gaze at the beaches, the riverside views and the stunning homes along the coastal road. We crawled to the Kilcullen Seaweed baths at about two miles an hour - lucky that it's a pretty quiet area!

Perched on the edge of the Atlantic, Kilcullen Seaweed baths has soothed away the aches and pains of locals and tourists to the beautiful West Coast for the last 100 years.

Traditional, original victorian baths stand proudly in renovated bathrooms, ready to be filled with hot sea water pumped fresh from the sea. Our individual baths were filled with fresh seaweed, and we were left to soak away our stresses and strains.

On the way back from Enniscrone, we stopped off in Ballina centre to take in the local shopping. To be fair, there was very little to be had, with the poor economy seeming to have impacted the stores hard. Many retailers were closing down which was a shame, as inbetween the tired stores, we found the little gem McGuire's Footwear on Tone Street, which stocked an impressive range of leather knee high riding style boots and Uggs.

Finally, in a little less than two days, our time in West Ireland had come to an end. All that was left was to get to the airport and wait for our return flight. We'd had a wonderful time and as predicted, arrived at Ireland West Airport Knock with more than enough time to spare, and enjoyed a relaxed yet efficient journey home.