In 2013 Fermanagh came top as the happiest place to live in the United Kingdom. In fact, rural Northern Ireland in general performed splendidly well on the happiness index. Seven of the 11 ‘happiest’ places were from quieter country locations: Moyle, Lisburn, Limavady, Banbridge, Carrickfergus and Down. And yet it seems that people are still determined to cram into crowded cities that offer the least satisfaction, paying eye-watering prices to live in traffic-clogged streets, when statistically they’d probably be happier in more remote areas.

But it might be ill-advised to crow too much about the idyllic life to be found in rural Northern Ireland, lest we end up causing an international stampede that destroys the very charms that characterise the place. The lushness of the drizzle-soaked fields. The landscape’s mix of cragginess and softness. The pewter skies that offer such a radiant golden light. The Northern Irish countryside is beautiful without being cosy or twee.

The longing for the Northern Irish countryside rarely leaves those who have once been immersed in it. As the poet Seamus Heaney, who lived for many decades in Dublin, reflected on his early life in County Derry: “I am always in it, in a way,” he said. “I was just dwelling elsewhere.”

Rural Northern Ireland really is one of the best kept secrets in the United Kingdom. So contrary to the advice you normally get with online articles, please don’t share.