The border towns of Northern Ireland endured a heavy security presence during the Troubles. Our hometown of Newry was no exception. Back in those days, the music room in our family home became a refuge. It contained an upright piano and a stereo system. You could close the door, put on a pair of headphones, drop the needle, and instantly be transported out of the north and into another world - a world of pretend. You could take a trip to California with The Beach Boys, to New York with Talking H

12 of the best villages and towns in Ireland