The best city break just 80 minutes from Ireland with hot air balloons, famous street art and cheap flights

BRISTOL is all about the B's – namely Banksy, bridges, balloons and Brunel.

Just a short flight across the Irish Sea and you are in a city that is buzzing with joie de vivre, entertainment, art, creativity and imagination, iconic architecture and of course history.

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And if you want a little Irishness to go with it, you simply have to stay at the Bristol Hotel – part of our very own Doyle Collection.

Located on the waterfront between Prince Street and Narrow Quay, this superb hotel offers harbour views, boutique-style rooms and first-class facilities including an excellent restaurant and Rick's Bar.

Arriving on an evening Emerald Airlines flight from Cork Airport, we were able to relax and enjoy a wonderful dinner with the hotel's Sales and Marketing Manager, the lovely Jane Guy, before heading to bed.

The next day we headed out the door and took a short walk to one of Bristol's main attractions – Brunel's SS Great Britain, the legendary Victorian ship built in the city's shipyards in 1843.

It is incredible to consider that this ship was originally built as a luxury transatlantic liner before serving as an emigrant clipper to Australia.

As a cargo ship and troop transport, it successfully survived wars, storms and other setbacks.

The journey to Australia took 60 days. You can climb into a bunk in its original condition and experience first-hand what it was like to live in such a small space for so long.

The contrast between the classes was clearly visible both in the dining rooms and in the kitchens.

Visitors experience the smells, sights and sounds of the great ship and can hear and see the stories of the passengers and crew.

You can even take a trip back in time, try on the Victorian clothing available there and have your photo taken.

Afterwards we went to the shipyard’s Brunel Museum, a tribute to the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his work.

It brings to life the story of his great engineering achievements, including the groundbreaking ship propeller technology that propelled the world's first cruise ship and the first iron ship across the seas at record speeds.

Bristol Harbour is a fascinating place to visit, with many attractions including the M Shed Museum, housed in a 1950s freight shed.

Here you can learn about the history of Bristol and those who shaped it, as the city's history and cultural significance is traced over the centuries.

Cork has a Spike Island and so does Bristol – but this Spike Island is an international centre for contemporary art and design.

We ate at Seven Lucky Gods in Wapping Wharf, which has a wide selection of restaurants housed in converted shipping containers.

Our restaurant was inspired by Tokyo's izakaya bars and offered casual dining in this lively area.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Wake the Tiger, but it certainly lived up to its description as “the world's first theme park.”

You will feel like Alice in Wonderland as you walk through the 27 artistic rooms with different levels of realism and from different eras.

Famous street artist

As Bristol is the home of perhaps the most famous street artist of all time, Banksy, it is no surprise that it is also home to Upfest, which invites artists from all over the world to the city to let their imaginations run wild and transform the buildings of the Bedminister district into colourful works of art.

The beauty is that you can wander around all year round and enjoy the creative and artistic experiences that the artists have left behind.

A visit to Bristol is not complete without a bus or taxi ride to Clifton, the small but obviously affluent village with its Georgian architecture and great food. If you want to try the best fish and chips here, in my experience, this is the place to go.

There are also great shops there – and don’t miss the many charity shops which are treasure troves of designer goods, jewellery and art.

One of the reasons to leave the city and head to Clifton is to see the impressive suspension bridge, designed by – you guessed it – the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself.

Although he was only 5ft 1in tall, he more than made up for this with the gigantic projects he created. He designed the 414m long bridge that spans a gorge over the River Avon.

At the time of its completion, it was the highest and longest bridge in the world.

The best place to view the bridge is from the nearby Clifton Observatory, which offers great views of the bridge and the city of Bristol.

Balloon Fiesta

Bristol is also famous for its hot air balloons. The history of ballooning dates back to 1784 when the first balloon was launched. The International Balloon Festival takes place in September when the skies are filled with hot air balloons of all sizes, shapes and colours.

We ate at the Granary restaurant and I can definitely recommend the sharing plates which offer guests a wide choice of dishes at very reasonable prices.

After dinner we went to the nearby Old Duke Pub, a really traditional British pub with a lively band.

And what did this author from Cork see on the wall? A really old advertising poster for the Cork Jazz Festival.

Another connection to home.

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