James takes a look at the people who have got the work/life balance just right, from life on the ocean wave in County Clare with John McCarthy, one of Ireland's top surfers, to a relaxed family smokery in beautiful Connemara. And James samples the good life with the Green family at their home, a hotel in County Cork, where he tries a spot of salmon fishing.

James discovers what lies at the heart of Irish heritage. We head to Blarney Castle where we uncover the myth of kissing the famous stone, enjoy a day out at the seaside at Ireland's oldest amusement park and sample some of the country's best traditional music.

James enjoys a visit to a very unusual tourist attraction, a wild dolphin that pulls in the crowds in Dingle harbour. Up in County Galway, Michael Moran is excited about the new crop of oysters that will delight his customers, and Wily Daly, the last in a long line of traditional matchmakers, has a unique way of bringing lonely hearts together, a Love Trail around the Burren, in County Clare.

James shows us the good times to be had throughout Ireland, whether it's the craic at the track with the Harringtons, one of Ireland's premier racing families, or enjoying the tastes on offer at one of Ireland's many food festivals and an unusual way of delivering artisan pizza. James pays a visit to the iconic Lisdoonvarna dating festival, where he has a go at being a matchmaker!

James enjoys the best ingredients Ireland has to offer. We meet Kate Packwood, a baker at the heart of Ireland's growing artisan food movement, and James gets his feet wet as he tries his hand at spear fishing. We enjoy the scents of the countryside at the Burren perfumery, take a seaweed bath up in Strandhill, and stop for dinner at one of the country's finest surf cafes.