“When was the last time you heard of County Leitrim?

“Exactly. I lived to 40 without ever hearing its name spoken. But the second time I saw it, I stayed; and I say second time, because the first made it clear I had to nip back and grab my belongings.”

Leitrim does that to people. And this particular person was DBC Pierre (the quote is from The Guardian). The Booker Prize-winning author liked what he saw so much, he not only grabbed his belongings, but moved lock, stock and barrel to the place.

One man’s hidden gem is another’s back of the beyonds, of course. And for all of its waterways, castles and poetic landscapes, Leitrim is one of the most off-radar counties in the country. It’s undersold, under-visited and, to outsiders at least, largely unknown.

There are some foodie finds to report, of course. The Oarsman in Carrick-on-Shannon is one of my favourite gastro-pubs, Lough Rynn is still basking in the spotlight of Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman’s wedding, and when I Tweeted for restaurant tips recently, one name came back repeatedly: The Cottage in Jamestown.

Set close to a weir about three miles from Carrick-on-Shannon, this friendly spot has the feel of a real find. The cottage itself is a small, white building with thick stone walls (the waiter needs to wave the card machine about to get reception), and a lovely red half-door opened by thumbing down a latch – a nostalgic and inviting way to enter.

Then there’s the chef/proprietor. Shamzuri Hanifa hails from Malaysia, and there’s an exciting hint of east/west fusion to his subtle blends of Irish and Asian elements.

My rack of lamb, for instance, comes with a coriander crust, spiced shallots and curried gratin potatoes. I order medium-rare, and get a lovely combo of pinkish flesh and lickable gristle. The sautéed lamb’s liver I can take or leave, but overall, the combination of local ingredients (the lamb is from Ciaran Reynolds) and Malaysian notes is intriguing.

Likewise, a well-cooked special of turbot is served on rice noodles, and grilled Halloumi cheese in kataifi pastry features with a vegetable and bean broth.

The best balanced of our starters is an Ardsallagh goats’ cheese mousse with pickled beetroot, treacle crumbs, beetroot coulis and caramelised walnuts. A lovely, fluffy goats’ cheese is laid in creamy whips atop of the sweet-sharp beetroot slices, and garnished with a moreish crunch, courtesy of the various crumbs and nuts. Nice.

There’s also a ‘Taste of Asia’ medley at €14.95. It arrives with a lovely presentation, cleverly weighted without sacrificing the sumptuousness – the highlight of which is a perfectly-cooked piece of Teriyaki seared tuna. It’s pink and velvety inside, a delicious morsel.

The other components are mixed, however. A sesame-coated pork fillet comes with an indulgently sticky sauce, but the chicken noodle broth and spiced cauliflower fritters fail to excite. They’re bland compared to the tangy strings of veg anchoring the plate.

The restaurant itself breaks into two rooms – one larger, lit with magenta tones and tapering into an open kitchen; the other a smaller space built around an (unlit) fireplace. Service is nicely judged throughout, with staff well able to talk through the dishes.

We also open with an impressive selection of breads, including a brown walnut and treacle option, and a doughy white with sundried tomatoes – with two tasty pestos. A Laminated wine card carries a reasonable mix of old and new worlds, with decent French Sauvignon and Merlot available by the glass at €5.95 a pop.

By the time the dessert menu arrives, we – my colleague FC and I – are pretty stuffed, so a tasting plate seems just the ticket at €8.95. We do the old ‘one plate, two spoons’ on it, and get tidy portions of white chocolate mousse, sticky toffee cake and a baked lime tartlet. Splashes of coconut, pickled ginger mousse and lime curd add colour.

The Cottage is a good addition to a county hardly known for its food – it’s Langkawi meets Leitrim, and I respect the fact that Hanifa has created something original, playing to the best of both cultures without descending into a phalanx of fillet steaks (though they’re on the menu too). That’s a hard balance to strike in a city, let alone rural Ireland.

Plus, we’re hearing about Leitrim – a good thing.

The tab:

Dinner for two with two glasses of wine came to €99.65; tip extra.

The details:

Jamestown, Co. Leitrim; 071 962-5933; cottagerestaurant.ie

This review originally appeared in The Irish Examiner.

1) Cobh

Cork Harbour was the Titanic’s last port of call, and Cobh’s hilly streets, dominated by St. Colman’s Cathedral, look like the liner left just yesterday. Don’t miss the colourful row of houses known as the deck-of-cards – the maritime heritage is at once pretty and poignant. It’s experiencing a boom in modern-day cruise tourism, too.

2) Kinsale

Kinsale isn’t just a place, they say – it’s a state of mind. Come for the flapping sails, colourful cottages and hanging baskets, but stay for the food. Kinsale has its own Good Food Circle, and restaurants like Fishy Fishy serve up some of the best seafood in the south.

3) Fota Island

Fota Island is best known for its wildlife park (fotawildlife.ie), a spacious oasis that can accommodate both roaming giraffe and tired-legged toddlers. But the island is also home to Fota House & Gardens, a little-known arboretum full of walkways, trees and ornamental ponds.

4) Midleton

The weekly farmers’ market in Midleton is East Cork’s pantry. “It’s a real dinger,” says Darina Allen, whose Ballymaloe Cookery School is just one stallholders at the Saturday shindig. Afterwards, head to Maróg O’Brien’s Farmgate Cafe for a hunk of cake.

5) Blarney

It’s a defining image of Irish tourism – visitors lying on their backs, dipping over the side of Blarney Castle, and kissing a stone that is reputed to impart the gift of the gab. Whether you come away with the said eloquence or not, you’ll certainly have a unique story to tell.

I feel like I’ve just walked onto the glossy pages of a travel magazine.

Before me, royal blue water stretches out towards the rocky hump of Isla de Lobos. Under my feet is a hot carpet of chino-coloured sand, stretching several kilometres in either direction.

I throw down a towel to mark our spot on Fuertenvetura’s Grande Playa. “Toes in!” squeals our toddler, making a beeline for the water. In my bag, I’ve got a snorkel, buckets and spades, a bodyboard and a stash of fruit, water and kiddie biscuits. I don’t know which to take out first.

Fuerteventura soaks up 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. The island may not be as developed as fellow Canaries like Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, but it catches just as many rays and features the same jolting, dramatic contrasts – in this case, azure oceans lapping up against an arid interior that looks and feels like Arizona. Summer holidays, anyone?

See…

The bulk of a family holiday in Fuerteventura will be spent by the water. That’s a no-brainer. But it’s worth setting aside at least one day for a rental car.

I knew the Canary Islands were volcanic, but I was taken aback by just how barren the landscape could be. Striking inland from the sandy beaches, Fuerteventura feels like Mordor meeting the Med – black basalt and scorched earth rise up into mountains spotted with tufts of cactus, hardy goats and the odd aloe vera farm. You simply don’t get a sense of it from the coast.

The beauty of an exploratory drive, however, is that miles and miles of desert-like expanse suddenly bloom into historic towns like Pajar and the old capital of Betancuria (named for Jean de Bethencourt, the Frenchman who stepped onto the island in 1402 to exclaim: ‘Que forte aventure!’). Renting your own wheels, of course, also opens up Fuerteventura’s off-the-beaten track beaches.

Eat…

Corralejo is Fuerteventura’s largest resort town, and well serviced by Irish tour operators. But at its heart, you can still get a sense of the ancient fishing village from which it sprang.

Our favourite meal came at La Mar Quesina (+34 928 53 54 35), a seafood restaurant set on the old stone harbour wall. It’s not the cheapest of the numerous restaurants packed into the old town, but the views are sensational – just as I’m tucking into a snapper plucked fresh from the counter (€16), the moon floats up over the ocean like a hot-air balloon. Another option, and a different vibe, is the tapas at Pincha Cabra (Calle le Milagrosa 17), a funky little joint on Plaza Calero. Calamari, goat’s cheese, peppercorn beef and the fresh melon and artichoke salad are good here.

Caleta de Fuste, south of the airport, is a second major resort featured by Irish tour ops. You won’t lack eating options here, but do consider driving 10 minutes further south to Los Caracolitos (+34 928 17 42 42). Fish, paella or papas arrugadas – the Canaries’ famous “wrinkly potatoes” with Mojo pepper sauce – are the dishes to try in this restaurant overlooking the saltpans at Salinas del Carmen.

Chill out…

If you have a car, and you fancy a sense of what Corralejo might have looked like 30 or 40 years ago, then make it your business to drive out west towards El Cotillo.

Wrapped around a deep-cut harbour and inlet on the wilder west coast, this little seaside town is Fuerteventura’s hidden gem. We sat eating ice-cream at one of the cafes overlooking the stony beach, before dipping into the Clean Ocean Project, a tiny shop selling jewellery, t-shirts and other trinkets made with flotsam reclaimed from the beaches.

Caleta de Fuste is set around a shallow, manmade beach that is ideal for children – one reason the purpose-built resort is so popular with families (despite running a little low on authenticity). Although the desert-like landscape mightn’t suggest it, this is also the place to base yourself if you fancy a round of golf. The Spanish Open was held at Fuerteventura Golf Club in 2004.

Stay…

We stayed on Las Marismas Apartments in Corralejo, grabbing lunch at the apartment and breakfast and dinner at the resort buffet. The three-star property is featured by most Irish tour operators selling Fuerteventura, and includes a couple of great outdoor pools and a decent kids club. The apartments are a bit basic, and the buffet won’t satisfy any gourmet cravings, however, so I’d think twice before booking seven days on an all-inclusive basis.

For a splash-out, two of the top hotels on the island are the Atlantis Bahia Real in Corralejo (bahiarealresort.com), and the Sheraton Fuerteventura in Caleta de Fuste (sheratonlacaleta.com/en). Both are five-star, both come with spas and wellness centres, and the Sheraton sits just opposite the resort golf course, just 150m from the beach.

Day trip…

In summer, passenger boats leave the harbour in Corralejo between 10 and 4pm, taking 15 or 20 minutes to reach Isla de Lobos offshore. As a volcanic nature reserve, the island is completely free from traffic, and visitors are dropped off at a pier with trails leading to various beaches, lagoons and a lighthouse. Make sure to bring your own food, water and shade in hot weather.

Some of the best snorkelling in Corralejo is here, though you have to hit the island at high tide to walk in off the sand on Playa de Concha (more intrepid swimmers can scramble off the rocks). If you don’t fancy disembarking at the island, glass-bottom boat tours are also available.

Kids…

Baku Waterpark (bakufuerteventura.com) bundles a slow-river, wave pool, playground and jumping castle just outside of Corralejo, with central slides branching off a hill offering brilliant views over the northeast coast. There’s a good spread for all ages here, from soft-foam multi-tracks on a gentle, bumpy incline, to kamikaze runs and black holes that really get the whooping going.

Day tickets are pricey at €25/€19pp, and lockers cost an annoying €4 a pop on top of that, though it is possible to get discounts from some hotels or by buying 7-day tickets (€85/€60). Bring a picnic to save spending silly money on even sillier food, and whatever you do, don’t forget to douse everybody in high-factor sunscreen at least 30 minutes before they hit the water.

Get there…

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (Ryanair.com) fly direct from Dublin to Fuerteventura throughout the summer. Ryanair also flies from Cork on Saturdays.

Irish tour operators don’t feature Fuerteventura as widely as other Canary Islands, but there’s enough capacity to eke out a deal. Clickandgo.com has departures on June 1st or August 31st from €419pp, for example, including flights and seven nights at the 3-star Castillo de Elba in Calete de Fuste.

Sunway (sunway.ie) has flights plus seven nights in a two-star self-catering apartment from €569pp in July, €549pp in August and €499pp in September. For something more luxurious, seven nights at the five-star Atlantis Bahia Real Hotel start from €899pp in August.

For more on Fuerteventura, see visitfuerteventura.es.

This feature originally appeared in The Irish Independent.

There is an ancient Chinese blessing – ‘May you live in interesting times’.

Except that there isn’t. In truth, the phrase is neither ancient, Chinese, nor a blessing. It was made famous by Robert F Kennedy in a speech in 1966, has no direct Chinese translation, and is meant ironically. To live in ‘interesting’ times is, of course, a curse.

Well right now, hoteliers – like the rest of us – are cursed. Finance is hard come by, and interesting times have been overrun by zombies. New openings are few and far between.

But what’s this? After lying idle for years, a flash new five-star hotel has opened in Grand Canal Dock. The Marker is Dublin’s first major opening in years, and it looks decidedly like a blessing.

First impressions…

Pulling up outside The Marker’s chequerboard façade, we find a design hotel in sparky form. These are the first weeks of a soft opening (the official opening date is June 13th), and pulling our wheelie cases through the slick lobby space, everything feels crisp, exciting and fresh-from-the-packet.

The thin building maximises its length, with a sloping, honeycomb concrete ceiling echoing the white panels outside. Sleek minimalism and architectural bravura are softened by splashes of colour – a purple orchid here, a mustard banquette there – but my wife Lynnea describes the look and feel as “masculine”. Don’t come for country house sumptuousness, in other words.

I like it. Design hotels can be intimidating, but this one slots nicely into the glitzy landscape of Grand Canal Dock – alongside Daniel Libeskind’s theatre, the red light-sticks of Martha Schwartz’s Grand Canal Square, and the glassy modern offices surrounding Chimney Park.

Staff have bought into the idea too. At check-in, we get a lovely smile, a 101 on the layout, the option of a free paper and an offer to be shown to our room. Every encounter with an employee ends with a pleasing ‘Is there anything else I can help you with?’

The room…

We check into 312, a deluxe room (superiors and suites are also available) angled towards a picture-frame window overlooking Grand Canal Dock. Dark woods, Philippe Starck lamps and white walls are brightened by a purple carpet and citrus-green throw.

In terms of Dublin hotels, the space feels like a mix of The Fitzwilliam’s luxe decadence and the snappier, almost Scandinavian lines of The Gibson. The Marker is in its honeymoon period too, which means the towels feel fluffy, the surfaces are scratch-free, and the glassware is spanking.

In the bathroom, toasty underfloor heating invites bare feet, a Villeroy & Boch sink looks like a truncated think bubble and there’s a huge walk-in shower with glass walls. Lynnea proclaims the Malin + Goetz moisturiser one of the best she’s every found in a hotel.

The amenities…

The Marker’s Spa & Wellness Centre is on a mezzanine level, quick to access from the rooms, and staffed by another impeccably polite and sharply-dressed attendant. It comes with a decent gym, and treatment rooms offering a full range of facials, massages, body scrubs and other treats.

I took a morning dip in the 23m infinity pool. Like the bedroom corridors, this is a charcoal-dark space, with Kirkstone tiles illuminated by a stream of light streaking through a veiled window. Some will find it stylish, others perhaps too stylised. It’s got wow-factor, but it’s certainly austere.

I enjoyed my swim and sauna, but there were teething issues. Temperatures chopped and changed between dressing rooms, corridors and pool, and the tiles were slippery when wet – which resulted in yellow caution cones spoiling the “cocoon-like ambience” (as the website has it).

Elsewhere, the Marker’s much-trumpeted rooftop garden hadn’t opened during our visit, but it sounds like an exciting addition to the cityscape. Open to the public as well as residents, its rocks and grasses were inspired by The Burren… and hopefully just as adept at dealing with rain!

What to do…

Grand Canal Dock began its life in an entirely different Ireland, a time when it seemed possible to earmark a whole city quarter for redevelopment. Things have changed utterly, of course, and this bolthole-on-the-basin has had to work hard to stay on the city radar.

It has managed, however – just about. Libeskind’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, restaurant options like Herb Street or Ely Gastro Pub, and the sight of Viking Splash tours bobbing around the basin, or local kids playing in Chimney Park, stop it from feeling sterile. Follow your nose, and you’ll find layers of city history in place names like Misery Hill, Blood Stoney Road and Lazer Lane too.

The food…

Meals at The Marker are the domain of Head Chef Garret Mullins, formerly of the Merrion Hotel, with local and seasonal produce set up front and centre in all menus.

If breakfast was anything to go by, this could be a breath of fresh air for Dublin’s fusty hotel dining scene. A buffet (€19.50pp) featured fresh juice, warm pastries with sprinkles of pistachio, Irish cheeses, a spread of soft and crusty breads, and some delectably creamy Killowen farm yoghurt.

Highlights of the cooked breakfast included beautiful scrambled eggs, tomatoes served on Portobello mushrooms, and tasty sausages from Tommy Doherty. The only blips were some poor gluten-free bread, and the labelling of pineapple and melon as “sliced seasonal fruits”.

The bottom line…

Going to press, The Marker had an introductory offer of a deluxe room with breakfast for two guests from €169. Contact 01 687-5100 or themarkerhoteldublin.com.

Anything to add…

All told, this new hotel feels like a bold reinvigoration of a building that once looked like a Celtic Tiger cautionary tale. Bringing 180 jobs to Dublin, as it does, The Marker could finally be a sign of less interesting times. And I mean that in the best possible way.

This review originally appeared in The Irish Examiner.

It’s a rare and spectacular sight in the West of Ireland – horses galloping at full throttle through the foamy fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.

Scenes like this one, featuring riders from the Westport Woods Equestrian Centre, could be about to get more common, however. Locals have been liaising with Fáilte Ireland and others in an effort to develop a new post-to-post shoreline trail running parallel to The Great Western Greenway – a hugely successful cycling route that retraces the Achill to Westport railway line.

The mooted trail could stretch from Westport to Mulranny and beyond, providing a big boost for equestrian tourism in the west.

Kehoe’s

OK, it’s thronged on weekends, banging your head en route to the gents is a rite of passage, and the staircases feel like an Escher painting – but it all hangs together, and the wait for a pint at Kehoe’s is never too long. A pricey change of hands in the 1990s led The Dubliner to hail it “an old mans’ bar for the kids,” but time has gifted this old gem the last laugh.

Details: 9 Sth Anne St.; 01 677-8312.

Doheny and Nesbitt’s

Known as the Doheny & Nesbitt School of Economics for the stout wind issuing from the journalists, civil servants and legal eagles that frequent it, this is a Dublin classic. A blinding maze of rooms, countless snugs and partitions and a much-photographed façade roll back the years – but it’s not all about the past. The Baggot Street set swears by its unadulterated carvery lunches.

Details: 5 Lwr Baggot St; 01 676-2945.

The Long Hall

Enter the Long Hall, and your eye is drawn along a bar stocked with punters rather than clientele… if you know what I mean. Lanterns, muskets and the fact that Phil Lynott shot a video here add to the randomness of it all. An antique clock forms the arch between bar and lounge, and the carpet looks like it’s taken more abuse than Shane McGowan. Faded grandeur that can’t be bought.

Details: 51 Sth Great George’s St.; 475-1590.

Grogan’s

Grogan’s feels like a time machine. Randomly pitched on Dublin’s hippest intersection, boasting an interior that could have been stolen from a 1970s props truck, it was once described as “like anyone’s sitting room.” Who that “anyone” might be remains a mystery, but to regulars, that’s the whole point.

Details: 15 Sth William St.; 01 677-9320.

The Palace

Although established in 1843, the Palace best evokes the drunken eloquence of mid-20th century Dublin. A sketch in the back lounge numbers the luminaries (Flann O’Brien, Patrick Kavanagh et al) who plied their wit here, though you need to get in early for a pew. A prince amongst pubs; timeless (NB. that includes the toilets) and elegant.

Details: 21 Fleet St.; 01 677-9290.

Toner’s

Toner’s (pictured) is said to have been the only Irish pub visited by W.B. Yeats. Brought here by Oliver St. John Gogarty, as Aubrey Malone recounts in his book, ‘Historic Pubs of Dublin’ (New Island, 2001), the poet downed a sherry and delivered his judgement: “I don’t like it. Lead me out again.” The modern-day Toner’s is wonderfully preserved, from its old-school, waist-high counters to dispensary drawers – so you’d have to say the Nobel laureate would be equally unimpressed today.

Details: 139 Lwr. Baggot St.; 01 676-3090.

McDaid’s

Legend has it that R.M. Smyllie once ventured to see what all the fuss was about McDaid’s. He found Brendan Behan on a table singing ‘I was Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ and Gainor Christ beside him being sick into someone else’s pint. If a pub’s literary credentials come any thicker, I’d like to know. Smyllie left, the literati stayed, and a healthy hum of locals and tourists completes the contemporary mix.

Details: 3 Harry St.; 01 679-4395.

Mulligan’s

Despite what the folk at Davy Byrne’s might tell you, Mulligan’s is the best Joycean pub in the city. “They were all beginning to feel mellow,” as the author writes in ‘Counterparts’, one of the short stories in Dubliners, and you can see what he means. The Guinness is great, the chat loud, and there ain’t a food menu in sight. Add the fact that Mulligan’s was once raided by the Black & Tans, and you’re only beginning to tap its pedigree.

Details: 8 Poolbeg St.; 677-5582.

Neary’s

“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you,” as F. Scott Fitzgerald said. Whether it’s in the weirdly comforting upstairs lounge or the panelled Edwardian bar below, Neary’s eases you into an evening. Imbibers are a smooth mix of city-workers, Chatham Street diners and the Gaiety post-theatre crowd.

Details: 1 Chatham St.; 01 677-8596.

The Stag’s Head

Centred on a Connemara marble surface and watched over by the eponymous stuffed beast, the Stag’s Head’s main bar is a vessel of Victoriana. Patrons include a mix of Trinity students, stockbrokers and miscellaneous blow-ins. All are equal at the Stag’s, however. It’s even rumoured that Quentin Tarantino was once refused service for pulling rank.

Details: 1 Dame Court; 01 679-3701.

This feature originally appeared in The Irish Independent.

Calling all campers…

The Irish Caravan and Camping Council (ICC) has launched Camping Key Europe, a camping benefits card recognised by over 2,500 parks across 20 countries. The Key offers holders up to 20% discounts at visitor centres, tourist attractions, camping parks and ferries at home and abroad.

The Camping Key Europe cards are now available on-line through www.camping-ireland.ie for €16.

Additional benefits include:

· The new card acts as a valid ID for camping parks, carrying your personal details in print and digital format, including passport and ID number. So there’s no need to leave your passport behind reception anymore.

· With Camping Key Europe, the card holder, along with up to six travelling companions, are covered by third-party liability insurance as well as accident insurance while staying at any of the participating parks.

More info here: www.campingkeyeurope.com.

Lord knows, there’s no danger of going hungry in East Cork.

From farm shops to Midleton’s farmers’ market (Saturdays), from Frank Hederman’s smokehouse to the deliciously idiosyncratic Farmgate Cafe, you could easily travel home 10lbs heavier.

When I tap locals for a recommendation, one place gets the nod above all others: Sage Restaurant. Lunch specials including a courgette, onion and Cáis Dubh cheese soup (€4.95), Aberdeen Angus meatballs in vine tomato sauce (€12.95) and monkfish fritters with home-cut fries (€13.50) would appear to confirm the tip.

I shoot for the monkfish, which is well-worth a slight lunchtime splurge.

The batter is airy and crisp, the fish succulent and juicy, and it’s all served with a lovely, pungent tartar aioli. I’m still tasting it hours later on the Ballycotton cliffs – in a guilty-but-good kind of way.

Sage’s chef is Kevin Aherne, a creative soul well matched to the bright, town-centre space. A good option here could be Sunday brunch, served from 11am alongside a ’12 Mile Menu’, for which he sources every ingredient within 12 miles of the front door.

Details: 021 463-9682, sagerestaurant.ie.

New Ross is getting a ‘JFK50’ museum in mid-May as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of President John F Kennedy’s visit to Co. Wexford.

The community museum, which has been collecting memorabilia and artefacts from the visit of President John F. Kennedy to the town, and his ancestral home in nearby Dunganstown, will open at Bailey’s Shop on North Street.

“Earlier this year we invited resident of New Ross and the region to loan to us any memorabilia they had in their possession, that was in anyway connected with the historic visit of President John F. Kennedy to Ireland in the 1960s,” comments Ray Flyn, one of the museum’s curators, in a press release this morning.

The response to a call for photographs, flags, souvenirs, newspaper articles or even parts of the original podium has been phenomenal, Flynn says.

“We have had some really interesting pieces come into the museum some of which include a letter to the Hickey Family in New Ross, the Hicky family owned a blanket factory in the town and presented President Kennedy with a specially made blanket during his visit, sometime after he returned to the U.S. they received a very nice thank you letter from the White house.”

“We also have hundreds of fantastic photographs, many of these include children from the town at the time and it has been a fascinating experience to identify these children who are now grown adults and to hear their memories of the iconic day in ’63.”

Shown above is a photograph of the crowd at Geraldine O’Hanrahans GAA park taken by Jackie Stacey. It’s another of the items donated for the Tidy Towns “Community Museum” which will be launched in New Ross for the JFK50.

The museum also includes five scrapbooks of newspaper clippings compiled by Rita Malone, a local girl who was  12 years old during the visit.

If you wish to loan any items to the Museum please contact New Ross Tidy Towns Committee or New Ross and District Chamber Office on 051-361011.

Meanwhile, New Ross has announced the stage line-up for its celebrations of ‘The Homecoming’ on June 22. Wexford ambassador, journalist, presenter and former RTE newsreader Anne Doyle will take to the stage to welcome visitors to Wexford, and introduce a line-up including author Colm Toibín and broadcaster George Hook.

For more on the celebrations, check www.twitter.com/JFK50yrs.

Fáilte Ireland has published a pretty mouthwatering list of food festivals happening over the summer. Here’s its pick of the bunch:

1. Enjoy Some May Munchies!

Michelin Star chef, Richard Corrigan, will feature on the menu at the Burren Slow Food Festival, (May 17th – 19th), in the heart of spectacular Co. Clare. See Michael Moran, the world champion oyster shucker in action while the Burren Players will perform “No Dinners for Sinners”! There will also be seaweed foraging, craft beer tasting and organic Salmon tasting.

On Dublin’s Doorstep, the medieval village of Carlingford will be transformed into a buzzing food heaven for A Taste of Carlingford, (May 11th – 12th) with everything from delicious strawberries and mouth-watering oysters to street entertainment, heritage walks and face painting for the kids.

Take a trip back in time and see how food was cooked 500 BC at the Wexford Food & Wine Festival, (May 24th – 26th). There is a tasty schedule of events for adults and children including a crackling hog roast, cookery demonstrations and open air food market. This year’s event features a “Welsh Tent” with specialties from across the water!

2. The Joys of June!

Follow the scent of rich roasted coffee beans to the Foynes Irish Coffee Festival in Co Limerick, (May 31st – June 2nd), with fancy dress, fireworks and the Irish Coffee Making Championship final.

Back in the capital enjoy a slice of life at Taste of Dublin, (pictured, June 13th – 16th), in the Iveagh Gardens  – a four day feast of summer eating, drinking and entertainment featuring some of the city’s best restaurants, top chefs and over 120 artisan producers.

In the sunny South East the famous Wexford Strawberry Festival, (June 28th – 30th), in the historic town of Enniscorthy will provide lots of juicy treats as well as live entertainment including the Wexfactor Talent Show!

3. Juicy July!

For all the fun of the fair, and the fare, check out the Kenmare Food Carnival, (July 12th – 14th), in the South West, a three day food fest celebrating all that is good about Kerry produce. You are guaranteed hunger pangs with pop up restaurants, cookery demos, artisan food markets, kid’s workshops, taste trails and, of course, fun fair rides.

Fresh from the sea don’t miss the Feile Bia na Mara, (July 19th – 21st), on Achill Island, Co. Mayo, a celebration of the island’s coastal culinary heritage. Tuck into complimentary oyster tastings and the gala seafood banquet or simply mosey around the fish market. Bring the family to the sandcastle building competition and don’t miss the Achill’s Got Talent entertainment show.

4. Enjoy a tasty August!

What noise annoys an oyster? Find out at the Carlingford Oyster Festival, (August 8th – 11th), which will cook up four days of fun for all the family with everything from face painting to free kayaking and as many oysters as you can down in the medieval village’s gastro pubs and gourmet restaurants.

Check out all that Dublin’s bay has to offer and be sure to take in the Lobster, Crab and All That Jazz Festival in Dalkey, (August 23rd – 25th). The beautiful south Co. Dublin seaside village, famous for rock stars, restaurants and writers, will be a foodies delight with chef competitions, cookery displays and a shell fish barbecue – all washed down with copious amounts of music.

Craft brewing has taken off in Ireland so why not take a closer look at the Doolin Irish Craft Beer & Food Festival, (August 23rd – 25th), in Co. Clare. Enjoy great pints and great music in a village famous for ceol agus craic.

Sample the delights of Donegal at the Taste of Donegal Food Festival, (August 23rd – 25th), featuring top chefs such as our own Nevin Maguire and Kevin Dundon. Be there for the Friday night fireworks and enjoy a weekend of cookery demos, workshops and exhibitors guaranteed to bring out the foodie in you.

For a full menu of  food festivals and events go to www.discoverireland.ie/food