Part of a Saturday in Ireland

Yesterday’s torrential rain and wind in Killarney was slowly replaced this morning by patchy sunshine and rising cloud.

I had a very busy Saturday morning in bilateral meetings with a range of other Ministers and politicians at the inaugural Killarney Economic Summit and then took part In a panel event with Arlene Foster (who made a good speech, much reported) , Micheal Martin, the Leader of Fianna Fáil and my Welsh counterpart Mark Drakeford .

The UK Government position was put by the Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett whom I have met several times before. He did it carefully and confidently but it was observed by several people -including me - that the UK Government never comes to to these Brexit focused events at Ministerial level now and complete avoids informed audiences who would challenge many of the empty slogans that pass for their arguments.

I had to leave the conference at the end of that session as I need to be at the Argyll and Bute Members Day in Inveraray tomorrow , before which I have to appear on thr BBC Sunday Politics Programme. Later in the day I am also taking part in Alex Salmond’s LBC Sunday show.

So I was driven to Shannon to get a plane to Heathrow , from where I took a flight to Glasgow and I am writing this in the car on my way into Argyll at almost 11.00pm

The Images are all glimpses from my brief part of a Saturday in Ireland , and all from places I would like to have been able to spend a bit more time. I will be back !