Six of the Best… Staycations
Northern Exposure…
Despite the hot air emanating from Stormont, Belfast is blooming these days. From late-night spins on the Big Wheel to shopping on the Lisburn Road, the Northern capital is one of Ireland’s best city breaks – and the exchange rate is a bonus.
Take a taxi tour of the peace line and murals of West Belfast. Bring the kids to W5, where 160 interactive exhibits teach valuable skills (such as how to beat a lie detector). Eat Michelin starred food at Michael Deane’s, or make like Leo and Kate at the Titanic Made in Belfast Festival (April 3-11).
Speaking of festivals, the Belfast Chocolate Festival is at St. George’s Market on March 27, and the Moving on Music Festival, a world music extravaganza, runs from March 23-28.
Details: The Culloden Estate & Spa (048 9042 106) has a spring B&B rate from £120/€133 for a superior double.
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Spring Break…
When it comes to Mayo, Westport tends to hog the press. It’s not the only show in town, however. Enda Kenny country also boasts spectacular coastline, heritage gems like the National Museum of Country Life, and some of Ireland’s best salmon fishing on the River Moy.
The Ice House, Ballina’s boutique hotel, is pitching itself as a springboard for the lot with a series of activity weekend packages – including boat charters to off-the-beaten-track walking, angling and birding sites. Anglers can picnic on Bartra Island, and bring their catch back to be cooked up at the hotel.
Other possibilities in the neighbourhood are golf at Ballina, Rosses Point and Carne, surfing lessons at Easkey or Strandhill, or a slippery dip at Kilcullen’s Seaweed Baths in Enniscrone.
Details: The Ice House (096 23500) has two nights B&B plus one dinner from €189pps midweek and €225pp at weekends. Add €49 for activities.
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Re-discover Dublin…
Yes, Dublin can be a congested, crotchety capital. Yes, silly speed limits, overpriced coffee and disconnected public transport can make it hard work for the pessimistic tourist. That all fades away when you get down and dirty with the place, however.
Have you browsed the fashion and design market at Cow’s Lane, for example? Did you know that Airfield House is running a young farmers’ club, or that Ellsworth Kelly’s drawings are on show at the Hugh Lane Gallery? No matter how much you see, there’s always more to do.
Dublin Tourism has free iWalk podcasts on its website (following Ulysses, amongst other routes), the Guinness Storehouse is letting anyone called Patrick in for free on St. Patrick’s Day, and that’s not even starting on the shopping…
Details: Castleknock Hotel (01 640-6300) has B&B plus dinner from €57.50pps. The Fitzwilliam (01 478-7878) has the same from €120pp.
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Back to the Future…
Think of the Boyne Valley and ancient heritage invariably comes to mind. Take a closer look, however, and you’ll find there’s no shortage of 21st century attractions.
Drogheda’s Highlanes Gallery is housed in a beautifully converted Franciscan friary. Nearby in Slane, George’s Patisserie is the perfect pit-stop on a driving tour. In Fairyhouse, Billie O’Shea’s cookery school is running an Italian Kitchen course on March 27th (€120), and irregular visitors may be surprised at the technology on display at Brú na Bóinne and the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre.
For a value stay, Dundalk’s Crowne Plaza is worth checking out – the hotel has teamed up with Ravensdale Equestrian Centre to offer 15% off a trek through the Cooley Mountains.
Details: The Crowne Plaza in Dundalk (0818 903811) has two nights B&B plus one dinner from €250, based on two adults and two children sharing.
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Barons and Bikes…
Fancy playing king and queen for a weekend at Castle Oliver, a Scottish Baronial-style bolthole stashed away in Ballyhoura? Privately owned, the Co. Limerick castle is available to rent for families, weddings and special parties, and boasts an original ballroom, billiard table, and candlelit dining room.
Ballyhoura itself has come from nowhere in recent years to rank as one of Ireland’s best outdoorsy escapes. An ace network of mountain biking trails is the main attraction (they share a combined length of 90km), with forest road climbs, tight turns and “technical rocky bits” promised for adrenaline junkies.
After your two-wheeled adventures, head back to Castle Oliver to crash in a four-poster bed.
Details: Three nights at Castle Oliver (063 91826) are available at €4,800 for groups of up to 16. The Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trail (063 91300) is free.
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I Can See Clearly Now…
Location, location, location. It’s been a property mantra since Noah was a boy, but it applies to islands too. And the location of Cape Clear, right on the cusp of the continental shelf, is the envy of them all.
The island lies at one of the leading dolphin and whale sighting locations in Europe. It’s a blustery walkers’ paradise, a surprisingly forthcoming spot for divers, and home to Ireland’s only manned bird observatory (which has been maintaining a daily species log since 1959).
Cape Clear is also well known for its festivals. Yachts ply in and out of the harbours for storytelling and walking events, but don’t fret – all roads eventually lead to the pubs, where the locals are just a likely to spring a music session, light a cosy fire or spark a friendly chat.
Details: For accommodation on Cape Clear, visit oilean-chleire.com. Casey’s of Baltimore (028 20197) has two nights’ B&B and one dinner from €114.50pp.
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This article originally appeared in the Irish Examiner.
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This entry was posted in Blog, Eat, Drink, Sleep and tagged Ballyhoura, belfast, Boyne Valley, Cape Clear, Dublin, holidays, ireland, Mayo, staycation. Bookmark the permalink.
[...] is constantly making Irish lists of great getaways, and as the northern city gains ground as a destination, so it gains popularity. [...]