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After I drove through a series of hefty, turreted stone bridges that cross over the choppy Cong River, the scene unfolded into a veritable Camelot, replete with a stately castle and lush, magnificent grounds.

My son, Cillian, led the way when he caught sight of the black signposts that pointed the direction with gold leaf lettering. If I had any doubts about how highly these magnificent birds of prey are regarded by the team at Ashford and Ireland’s School of Falconry, the massive in-flight eagle sculpture with prey clutched in its talons, perched between the thick limestone walls of the castle and the shores of Lough Corrib, left little ambiguity.

We passed through elegant gardens, almost French formal in design, with long pathways that form a symmetrical frame of the lake, before we entered a winding stone tunnel. When we arrived on the other side the setting shifted back centuries, with seasonal buds, heather, wild leafy fern, towering trees and the scent of pine surrounding the entire enclave. We met three guides, each carrying a trained hawk that was perched on their arms or shoulders and we knew that we were in the right place.