As a child I was dragged year after year on a two-week summer holiday to Ireland where it rained often. I bemoaned my parents for choosing our "cheap and boring holiday" while classmates jetted off to sunny climes.

Yet as an adult I felt the urge to return and explore the Emerald Isle, appreciative of the fact I got a holiday at all. It was only right I channelled some hindsight and attempted to see why my parents were always so keen.

I planned to explore new ground and the trip started not in the back of a car surrounded by the family's luggage, but at Luton airport.

For the first time in two years, direct flights to Waterford have opened up the ideal way to explore Ireland's most ancient and former capital city, thanks to VLM Airlines. It operates a 50-seater Fokker with leather-clad chairs and ample leg room.

At the airport it was a quick snatch and grab of my bags and I was off on my adventure.

I headed directly to the nearby Kilkenny Castle, built in the 12th century and remodelled and restored to its 1830s splendour. It is set within exquisite parklands that make a fine backdrop for the weddings that regularly take place here. We spent an hour walking around the grand dining room, his and hers drawing rooms and the extensive art gallery; I could imagine how lovers would find this place romantic.

Lunch was taken across the road at the Kilkenny Design Centre, home to some of the best Irish fashion and crafts, with a menu inspired by local, artisan suppliers.

You can see the History Channel's Vikings series come to life back in Waterford's city centre by joining the Epic Tour of the Viking Triangle.

A guide from the Waterford Treasures Museum put on a theatrical display with props and costumes as he animated stories of Vikings storming the city.

The museum's claim to fame is that it is home to the only known hat in existence belonging to Henry VIII. There's also a previously hidden parchment detailing a three-metre list of properties that were donated to the church by landowners who thought it would "get them into heaven".

I ended the day wandering round the famous Waterford Crystal showroom. There were some staggeringly beautiful pieces and I was left pondering the price of a delicately carved three-foot polar bear - just €33,000.

A journey along the Hook Peninsula was delightful. I stopped at the Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross, which is a replica of a ship that would have transported a handful of the one million Irish who emigrated during the famine.

Saving the best till last, I arrived at the Hook Lighthouse on the same peninsula. The sun lit up the sea and the sky cleared, giving me the most awe-inspiring views of the coastline.

And it was then I remembered what I loved about my family summer holidays in Ireland: it was the place's rich history and its culture, the wind in my hair, the warm sun on my face and mile after mile of untouched beach with golden sands - and here it was, all ready and waiting to be re-explored.

GETTING THERE

FLY: VLM Airlines flies from London Luton to Waterford on its new service, which operates twice daily on weekdays and daily on Saturdays and Sundays. One-way fare prices start from £59, Luton to Waterford, and from £29, Waterford to Luton.
www. flyvlm.com

STAY: Tower Hotel, Waterford: two nights bed and breakfast (with one evening meal), £259
www.towerhotelwaterford.com

VISIT: Waterford Crystal
www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com
Waterford Treasures Museum
www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com