Fab food, fun adventure- try these in Ireland!

Time to explore new things!

Whale watching
 Eating Irish artisan foods
 A ladies' learn-to-surf weekend
 4x4 track driving
 Learn how to felt

 These are some of the more unusual things you can do in Ireland-- and things my readers suggested I do for my #13for2013 challenge.


Each month in 2013 I'll do something new-- that's the 12 taken care of-- whilst the 13th is trying a new Irish food product each month.
  What? Eat?-- awful idea ;-) 

 So here it is the beginning of March, and I better let you know about the first 2 months' activities; I reckon you'll want try some yourself!

January

January in Ireland is rather relaxed- many places are closed the first week due to the extended Christmas holidays we have here. (I certainly don't miss having a 1 day holiday like I did in the States.) To extend that holiday feeling, the Irish foodie thing I did was go to the award winning Campagne restaurant, which extensively uses products from local Kilkenny producers. 

Campagne, Kilkenny, Ireland. Stone archway nearby, our menu, & DESSERTS TO DIE FOR!

You can see at the top of our menu the local food producers used on the day. (We went for the early bird - menu shown- just do be aware the menu does change.) 

For years I'd been hearing praises being sung about Campagne, chef Garrett Byrne, and the wine selection, but had never gone myself.
Well-- all the good things I heard are true! 

My photos of the meal are not great, so I'll spare you the rest of them, but here is the wine we choose- Tinpot Hut Malborough Sav Blanc. Mmmm gorgeous! If you enjoy full and flavorsome white wines you may want to try it.

The desserts you see in my photos are the Pear with vanilla ice cream, & Chocolate with peanut butter ice cream. Both were heaven.
 If I could only give you 1 tip-- other than to go eat at Campagne-- it would be:
leave room for dessert! 

If I could give you two tips the 2nd would be: don't follow Campagne on twitter unless you want to be tempted-- they tweet their food porn pics :-)

 January's non-edible  #13for2013 was be a tourist in Dublin. Although I used to live in Dublin, that was several years ago & I hadn't gone and been touristy since then. So, I booked a night at the new Generator Hostel in Smithfield, went down on the train and had an action packed 24 hours. I've some tips on enjoying Dublin on a budget here.

February
An exciting month: I tweeted for @Ireland,

and went on a whale watching with Off the Hook in county Wexford.

 I highly recommend doing a whale watching trip, & February is a perfect month to see whales in Ireland. Plus, the half day trip out on the water was very good value. Yes, we saw whales-- LOTS!
You can read more about it, see some photos, & get the practical info here. 

I also did something that has been a lifelong dream-- see the Northern Lights in their full glory. I must admit we did it in Norway, not Ireland. Here you can see the photos and my tips on seeing the aurora yourself.

Irish food wise, I got to try Derrycamma Irish rapeseed oil. It is delicious! We had it as a dip with balsamic vinegar for crusty rustic bread when we ate lunch at Bodega Waterford. Derrycamma oil has a beautifully nutty, fresh flavor, and I'm now a fan of using it as a  bread dip instead of naughty butter. Gas thing is, a day or 2 later Derrycamma sent me a sample bottle to try :-) I'll get my hubby Terry (he's the chef!) to use it a few different ways and I'll report back to you in a post in March. Rapeseed oil is very good for you, so I won't need to feel guilty about sampling dishes with it ;-)

Derrycamma Irish rapeseed oil

There's still plenty of 2013 in store, and this month-- March-- as well reporting back on the Derrycamma Oil I'll be telling you what we think of Pizza De Piero Irish Artisan Pizza bases, and also what we think of county Roscommon as a destination.

We're booked in for a Taste Of The West weekend at Gleeson's Townhouse, and will be exploring the Celtic royal site of Rathcrogan in county Roscommon..

 If you've a Roscommon tip for us (or any tips/comments,) please do comment in the comment section below! Thanks!

So you know: The Derrycamma oil posted to me (not the one at Bodega,) and the sample Pieros pizza bases were given to me by those producers to try for free.
Our stay at Gleeson's Townhouse is not for free, but we are being given a room upgrade. 

What? Good coffee in Ireland!? Where??

Is Ireland's coffee cup half full or half empty?
 PLEASE NOTE: this post may take a little longer to load as way made with Twitter Storify- but it is WORTH IT if you want to know where to get a good cup of coffee!

Fantastic Irish Food for 2013

Beet cured Flanagan's Irish salmon gravlox, Bodega restaurant, Waterford

Irish artisan food is gaining a reputation as some of the best in the world. Each year we come across more & more fantastic artisan products, and restaurants which use local Irish food products.

For one of the 13 for 2013  things to try this year, (oh, yes; I've more- this is just part 1 of 13!)
Majella O' Shea suggested:

“@vibrantireland: do a foodie trail-13 artisan producers, or 13 great food vans (some great ones that you see at festivals!) #13for2013
— Majella O'Shea (@MajellaOShea) December 23, 2012

This is a brill idea- so I'm planning to try 13 new-to-me Irish foods, drink, food fests, & places to eat that champion local products. I'll be blogging & tweeting on them to let you know what to try.
My hubby Terry is quite good in the kitchen, so he'll be in charge of any home cooking of  products, not me :-)
 (Terry's old cafe & bakery Crema, Rathmines, Dublin, got 8 Bridgestone/McKenna guide awards!
1999-2006  *Sorry, proud wife moment!* )

Goatsbridge smoked trout-yum! I don't have pic of the caviar

There are some very tasty sounding items on Irish Food Guide's Best Irish Food Finds of 2012. Zack asked for votes & tallied the results; my vote was for Goatsbridge Trout Caviar. (I got to try it courtesy of Waterford Harvest Festival.) Have you any favourites on the list?

 For our very first #13for2013 Irish food experience, we are going to eat at Campagne, Kilkenny. Campagne and the chef/owner Garret Byrne have won plenty of awards, and qualify for our list because they use local producers, such as Balief Farm Foods.

That's January sorted, but we still need your help! I'm looking for 12 more Iris foodie suggestions. Products you've tried and loved, festivals or places to eat.

If you are an Irish based producer who'd like your food product to be part of the trial, get in touch! You can leave a comment below, email su@vibrantireland.com or tweet @vibrantireland.

Want to read more on the Irish foodie things we've enjoyed? Click here for more. If you'd like to read the recent review of Campagne which reminded me to hurry up & make a booking, click here for The Cook's Belly.

Here's to a tasty 2013!
Will be writing on the other #13for2013 suggestions soon :-)

Any samples/comps received will be happily tried & acknowledged, but of course won't guarantee a good review. 

 

Loved this Irish cider! Stonewell; sampled during the Blogger's Tour, courtesy of Bodega Waterford & Waterford Harvest Festival. Thanks, all! Not on my #13for2013 list because I've already experienced them- but that doesn't mean we won't continue to drink, eat & festival with 'em! 

A Taste of Waterford's Harvest Festival 2012

    Get Ready To Drool (& Eat!) 

From 2011's fest- the Viking's table

 Waterford Harvest Festival is returning on 10-16 September, and it is going to be another tummy-tempting event! We went last year and nearly had to be rolled home after the enormous Sunday food market. So have a read of what's on this year, & mark your calendar, because you definitely should be there!

Here's some info from the festival as to what is on:

A host of top Chefs are lined-up to feature at the Waterford Harvest Festival from Sept 10 to 16.

Neven Maguire, Kevin Dundon and Darina Allen will all be out in force to showcase their culinary skills in addition to BBC’s Martin Dorey, the presenter of the hit TV series ‘One Man and his Campervan’ and author of the Camper Van Cookbook.

Taking to the streets of Waterford City this week the city’s top restaurant Chefs unveiled the festivals restaurant trail which features, a Curry War, Meet the Chef Cookery Demo’s, Bambina Pizzini, an afternoon of Funky Irish Food, a Restaurant Masterclass and more.

                           

Chef Kevin Dundon will launch the festivities at the brand new Medieval Museum on Monday, September 10 at 1pm with the Super Valu Mobile kitchen for an afternoon of food, fun and freebies! 

Waterford Harvest Fest Chefs!

Also on September 10 join food critic and wine connoisseur Paolo Tullio and take a journey through Waterford’s Wine history and tour the wonderfully atmospheric 13^th century Mayors Wine Vault. 

Throughout the week from Tuesday, September 11 to 14 a daily ‘Meet the Chefs’ open-air free cookery demonstration will take place.

Wednesday afternoon, September 12 renowned chef Neven Maguire will take to the stage at the Tourism & Leisure building at WIT and chat about his favourite recipes. 

On Wednesday evening, September 12, a very special event will take place with all proceeds raised going to Waterford Hospice. Neven Maguire will showcase his recipes featuring local produce. Guests will be treated to wine and canapés at 7.30pm at the House of Waterford Crystal.

A highlight of Harvest festivities, the Harvest Dinner take place on Thursday, September 13 at 7.30pm at Waterford Castle. Enjoy a seven course tasting menu – featuring dishes that relate to the ‘History of Food in Waterford’ where Head Chef Michael Quinn will introduce each course.

On Friday, September 14 The Artisan Beer Festival takes place at 6pm and will feature BBC’s Martin Dorey, the presenter of the hit TV series ‘One Man and his Campervan’ and author of the Camper Van Cookbook will cook up a storm. Martin will showcase his expertise on outdoor cooking and takes the helm at 7.30pm. 

Also on Friday 14 ‘The Big Barbeque’ takes place at the Viking Triangle. This is the perfect opportunity for everyone to enjoy free access to Waterford’s exciting new heritage developments within the Viking triangle, including the Medieval Museum and the Bishops palace.

Martin Dorey will also host a free cookery demonstration on the Quayside at ‘Feastival’ on Sunday, September 16 where the quayside will be taken over by food producers from across the country creating Ireland’s longest food market. This cookery demo will take place at 2pm.

Lebanese food from 2011 Harvest fest- soo tasty!

The 2012 GIY Gathering will take place in the city during the Harvest festival and sees BBC’s Alys Fowler and Mark Diacono of River Cottage join a host of Irish stars on September 15 and 16.  The GIY Gathering will also include guest speaker Roger Doiron from the US, the inspiration behind Michelle Obama's White House vegetable garden and founder of Kitchen Gardeners International.

The city will be in festival mode from September 10 to 16 with events on offer for all foodies and the family. For a full programme of events see waterfordharvestfestival.ie

   MORE on the Harvest Festival HERE and even MORE here :-)

from 2011- this delicious ice cream was made on a small Wicklow farm

I'm happy to say that I will be visiting the Harvest Festival on the 13th &14th, on the Blogger's tour, and I'll also be there on the Sunday 16th for the fantastic Feastival. Hope you will get a chance to come, or all the tweets I'll do of the food will just leave you drooling! 

 Happy Feasting!

whattoseeinireland

Feastival!

Human & beast found things to nibble at Waterford Harvest festival Feastival

There is something for *everyone* to nibble on at Waterford Harvest Festival! A week long extravaganza concluded with the Feastival- a huge array of food stalls, craft stands, & more all along the quays in Waterford City. Here are some photos to give you  a taster (sorry) of what was on offer. Mark your calendar for next year!

Waterford Harvest Fest 2012, some local producers

There is always lots on for the kids; farm animals, ride on tractors, bouncy castles & such, & of course lots of yummy cakes & buns to make sure they've enough energy for everything ;-)

Kids love the Harvest Fest! (heh heh!)

The Waterford Blaas

There were bands, re-enactments, shelter from rainshowers, & fun as well as great grub. I find that Waterford always puts on a great festival, from the massive Tall Ships festival right on down to some smaller ones. The Waterford Harvest Festival is a whole week of food and fun  that should definitely be on your list. The Feastival itself was also a great day for the whole family. Foodies could eat wild harvested mushrooms, kiddies could play under them in this popular garden. See you in the enchanted food forest next year! 

Note: We went to Feastival (part of the Harvest Festival) under our own steam. Sure it is free, anyhow :-D Well, not the food, but there is no entrance fee! But I do want to make it clear that this year (2012) I was a guest of the festival 2 other days as part of a blogger's tour. That was fantastic, because I got to experience & tweet about even more of a festival I'd loved in 2011. Thank you, Waterford! 

Enemy territory!- the lovely village of Cong, Ireland

Lough Corrib, Cong, Ireland

  Enemy territory! Yes, Cong on the Galway/Mayo border (where the John Wayne film The Quiet Man was filmed,) was enemy territory for Kilkenny folk on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2012; it was the All-Ireland hurling final of Galway vs Kilkenny. 

  But as we had won a Secret Sunday package from Lisloughrey Lodge, located by Lough Corrib, we braved the sea of Galway flags and had a 24 hour visit to this lovely part of Ireland.

Settling in for the hurling match

The match was kicking off at 3.30, and we arrived at the lodge in time to settle in to their Quay Bar in a prime telly-viewing position. The remaining guests from the last night's local wedding were still around and started filtering in.Yep- Galway supporters.
Our room was just getting the final touches, so we could only drop off our bags; there was no possibility of hiding our Kilkenny cheering by watching in there. Uh oh! Ahh, no- actually I'm just being dramatic; we've always found hurling fans to be quite respectful of the opposing supporters. And so it was at this match- we all enjoyed great banter with each other. The match was exciting & close the whole way through, and ended in a draw! It was win-win for us, really, as we didn't have to feel rude celebrating if Kilkenny won, or feel dejected while all around us celebrated if Galway won. Perfect. Plus, the pints in The Quay Bar were good :-)

Lough Corrib, down from Lisloughrey Lodge

After the match we went for a little wander before dinner at Lisloughrey's Wildes restaurant. (Which turned out to be our top dinner of 2012! I MUST do a post..) You can see the lough from the lodge, & we headed down to the small quay there, snapped photos, & made a note to do the historic Lough Corrib cruise in the morning. (365 days a yr,trips 2 times a day.) Then we drove the few kilometers into Cong village.

I wasn't sure what to expect, thinking the village might just be touristy tat about The Quiet Man, which neither of us had seen, although Terry's Dad had actually worked on the movie. In fact, he had a spooky experience during that work, when he stayed in Ashford Castle. Have a listen to what happened:

 Well! Luckily for us, Cong was quiet enough, but not spooky or lifeless! As it was the evening, there were no tourist buses, but there were some folk enjoying the nice weather & the outdoor seating at the many inviting pubs. The village itself  has had a bit of a spruce up thanks to the local folk in Tidy Towns, according to Susan at Lady's Buttery Irish art & crafts shop, and Cong really is gorgeous! There were flowers in boxes, baskets & beds- and not just bedding plants- beautiful & bee-friendly perennial plants, too. Many of the old houses & buildings that were empty had been painted cheerful colours & decked out in flowers, so that before speaking with Susan we'd had no idea they were empty. Well done! 

Look how the water goes right under the building in the middle pic!

Generally, myself & Terry are not peeps who do much shopping, but we got a few things in Cong at Lady's Buttery (named after a cave where local women used to store butter.) The owner Susan was happy to let us take a few photos of the shop, where her husband Robert also sells his paintings. He was also involved in the painting of the buildings mentioned above; I wonder can we entice him to Graig ;-) Speaking of Graiguenamanagh, I only bought 1 book in Cong's intriguing Rare & Recent Bookshop because our Town Of Books Festival is on in 2 weeks. Me buying more books is like bringing coals to Newcastle! Though I was tempted, especially by the nature & travel/adventure books from the 1950's on back, my weakness...

Lady's Buttery, full of treasures & Terry modelling his Aran jumper purchase

Robert let us know that a good coffee was to be had next door to their shop, at The Hungry Monk Cafe. (Always good to get the inside scoop!) He was right; they had nice coffee, and a lovely fresh scone, too. What was also very nice was the big warm 'Hello!' we got upon entering the cafe, even though the place was quite busy. (We did our shopping visit in the morning, so this was about 11.15am--it seemed to be just about the time the tour buses start arriving, so if you want to avoid the bus crowds, it seems early morning or later afternoon are quieter.)

We liked what we saw of Cong on our short visit, & we also fit in a wander around the atmospheric Cong Abbey- which I'll tell you about in another post! 

lovely scone & coffee at The Hungry Monk, Cong, Ireland

I think Cong deserves more than a flying visit; there are walks, Ashford Castle, the Lough Corrib cruise that we we too full of breakfast to take (!) and more in the area besides. The village is charming, especially with the sprucing up that was done, and it would be a pity to just rush around it bumping into people. Head in early, stroll slowly around and enjoy the scenery & history, pop in to the wee shops and museums that interest you, and then stop & enjoy a coffee or pint as you watch the world go by or chat with people. Cong is a slice of charm (ok, idealized, perhaps, but still charming) and is nice to just relax into it & not rush off. Save the rushing off for the middle of the day in summer, & escape any bus tourist hordes by doing a hike or walk further afield. The tourist office is helpful, and I believe they have a booklet or such to guide you to places associated with The Quiet Man if you are into the movie. There are lots of gently charming places in Ireland, it is true, and Cong is certainly one of them- so think about it if you are considering visiting the Galway/Mayo area. 

Yes, we only did a flying visit :-) Must go back for the falconry ;-)

 whattoseeinireland whattoeatinireland

Tempting Slow Food Tours with Waterford Harvest Festival

Slow Food Tours at Waterford Harvest Festival

 It is less than a week until the Ireland's largest food festival, the Waterford Harvest Festival (Sept 10- 16,) and on several of the days you can go on a different tempting Slow Food guided tour. Have a read of each days' tour, below, & plan your visit/s accordingly. You may want to do all 5!

 Here's the info from the festival:

 September 10: Visit a prize winning dairy farm at milking time to view the process in action and then meet John Flahavan at the sixth generation miller’s facility at Flahavan’s Porridge in Kilmacthomas. The final stop is an opportunity to meet Grace Kiersey and take a tour of her vegetable garden also near Kilmacthomas, County Waterford. It promises to be a real treat of a day out and something that should not be passed up for any curious foodies who want to get a behind the look at some local food production.

September 11: Brilliant for seafood lovers.. Ahoy there me hearties! Take a nautical adventure where you can experience seaweed foraging on Boat Strand, a talk from Bord Iascaigh Mhara on local fisheries and a visit to Flanagan’s Fish Mongers where you will be able to taste scallops, mussels, oysters, crab, lobster and many more seafood delights.

Waterford Harvest Fesival Apples 

 September 12: Visitors will be taken on a journey north of the River Suir to south Kilkenny to visit High Bank Organic Orchards where you can view the production of their organic juices and syrup and also sample the finished products. From there the tour will travel to Goatsbridge Trout Farm where you will experience their eco friendly work environment and taste their premiumfish and smoked trout produce. You may even be lucky enough to get some tasty caviar samples! To round off the tour, it is then on to Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese to observe their cheese production and indulge in some of the finished products.

 September 14: A trip to Dunhill Ecopark & Community Garden is first on the cards for this Slow Food Tour. Visitors will be able to take in the fantastic scenery of the community garden and stretch their legs out in the fine County Waterford air. You will also be able to sample some very tasty treats from artisan food producers and see the recently installed apiary from the Beekeepers Federation along with the Crough Venison Farm. 

Bilberry Goats, Waterford

 September 15: A trip to a traditional Waterford Craft Butcher is the first port of call. At the butchers, guests will get the chance to view and sample local meat specialties such as Crubeens, Chucks and Pig’s Tail.A visit to the uniquely Waterford Bilberry Goats Heritage Trust at Bilberry Rock, Gracedieu is a perfect way to finish up the Slow Food Tours. You will be able to experience the protected creatures in their beautiful and often periloussurroundings and sample their homemade goats cheese!

You may be wondering: Where is the Slow Food tour for the 14th?Well, it is SOLD OUT, so hurry & book your places on these ones!

All Slow Food Tours depart the House of Waterford Crystal at their appointed date and time, tickets are €14 for a place on the bus and a car travelling is €10 per car. Guests will travel on a 15-seat bus and 8 persons are required to make trip viable. Tickets for the tours are available on waterfordharvestfestival.ie

The city will be in festival mode from September 10 to 16 with a further programme of events on offer for all the family. For a full programme of events see waterfordharvestfestival.ie

Note: I'm excited to say that this which festival Terry & I loved last year, has this year (2012) invited me to be their guest as one of the bloggers on the special blogger's tour- 1 night & 2 days! I'm thrilled to take part, as I really believe in the ethos of the locally produced food, craft, and tourisim businesses. Waterford is a fantastic little city and deserves to be even better known & visited! GO! :-)

Absolute Bliss at 1 Pery Square! Where to Stay in Ireland

light floods in to the beautiful Vanderkiste room

Absolute Bliss!

If you are looking to treat yourself, Limerick's Georgian quarter gem at 1 Pery Square is a great choice! Maybe you hadn't thought about visiting Limerick, but we found that Limerick City was a good base for exploring the West, and is an interesting place in its own right. (As rural folk, we tend to stay in cities on hols- just for the change.) For my birthday we splurged & booked the 2 night Gourmet Getaway package (great value, you get so much!) and every minute of it was wonderful. We took one of the period rooms, the Vanderkiste, which I highly recommend. Staying in such a gorgeous Georgian house it seemed to make sense to pay that little bit extra to stay in one of the period rooms, and it was so worth it!
(Tip: as 1 Pery Square is a listed building there are only stairs to the period rooms.)

Out to the garden terrace, or up the stairs to the period rooms

The room was spacious and beautiful, looked out onto the park, & the bed was incredibly comfy. The roll top slipper bath was inviting, & the excellent shower was large and very powerful. We also loved the peppermint & lavender bath items- natural smelling; not cloying or fake-y. Everything was, of course, scrupulously clean.

The Vanderkiste room, a few of the Drawing room & bar; 1 Pery Square

Dinner: 

Dinner, wine, and after dinner port was included in our package, and we enjoyed every single bite and sip in the lovely dining room. From starter to dessert the food at Pery's Brasserie One was full of fantastic flavour, interesting, and cooked perfectly. The service was superb, never hovering, but always there just as you may need it- attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. In fact, we both agreed that ALL the staff at 1 Pery were incredibly welcoming and helpful.-- the whole team was excellent; genuine and warm. Juan in particular was so helpful at dinner, and assisted my husband the next day at Pery's Wine Shop, picking out some delicious bottles to take home.

Wines from Pery's Wine Shop

Gleaming Clean!
Hubby & I also had the funny experience of coming out of the respective restaurant toilets, looking at each other & hesitantly saying: ''Was that the cleanest restroom you have ever seen??'' I'm not exaggerating- on the night we were there you could have eaten your dinner there-- it GLEAMED! (and, no, we hadn't drank more than a glass of wine yet!) 5 stars for cleanliness, and an extra 6th star because it was so shiny clean :-)

Breakfast

We also had breakfasts included in our package, and once again everything was tasty and service was good. The menu isn't massively extensive like Hayfield Manor's but we had no complaints. I loved the honeycomb with my porridge. (see photo)

Brasserie 1 breakfast & dinner, 1 Pery Square

Bar, & Terrace Patio

One evening we had a drink on the garden terrace, which was a nice little oasis of herbs & plants- very inviting on a mild evening. The next evening was cooler so we had a few drinks in the bar- a cosy spot. Terry had a very tasty pint of Guinness, & I had a lovely French Martini- recommended by Juan as I wasn't sure what I felt like having. We had great chat with Niamh, who was working the bar and connected reception; another example of the excellent staff-- we really felt as if we were guests in her home, not that she was there because it was her job. Wonderful! I think that this is what a small boutique hotel is about- not just stylish rooms and good food, but a genuine, person to person experience.

Spa

Also as part of the package we had use of the thermal suites in the spa. Oh, it was bliss! If I'd realized how beautiful and relaxing this would be we'd have gone loads of times instead of just the day we were leaving. Don't make that mistake! The spa is just gorgeous- candlelit, stone walls, lots of treatments available..you could happily spend ages in it. My absolute favourite of the different thermal rooms on offer was the 'herbal cocoon,' which has a dryer type of heat, and the most gorgeous amber-ish aroma. The showers were once again powerful and enjoyable, and we had a nice chat with lovely Tracy on reception as she showed us what else was available.
Tip: if you are a couple check out the couple packages the Spa have- they are very tempting!

The garden & terrace- perfect for a nice g&t!

We've Found Our Favourite Place To Stay In Ireland!

We fell in love with 1 Pery Square, and recommend it highly. We felt the package we got was quite good value, and that staying in a period room was definitely the way to get the full joy of the place. (Oh, & also there is a lovely drawing room to chill out in- I forgot to mention that!) Additionally, from Pery Square you can easily walk into the the main part of town (abt 10 minutes.) As well as the park, the Limerick Art Gallery is just across the street, & has lovely fresh cakes & more in its cafe, too. We'll be keeping an eye out for 1 Pery Square's package deals, and hope to return to this fabulous, welcoming, boutique hotel!

Where are we staying next? Well, excitingly, I won a Secret Sunday package to Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, Co. Mayo- home of the Quiet Man. I'll let you know how we get on there, in September! 

WhereToStayInIreland WhatToEatInIreland

Tips for your Cork City, Ireland visit.

Cork City centre on  Midsummer Festival Sunday

Firstly you should know that Cork is a city where there’s always lots happening-- except on Sundays! Mainly Sunday mornings; and as a visitor, chances are that you may be there on a Sunday. We’ve had 2 recent 24 hr visits to Cork City (Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon) and we’ve had a lovely time; here are a few tips for you:

·         The English Market has a great atmosphere, & is a fantastic place for food lovers to wander, salivate, and indulge- but be warned: CLOSED Sundays. We've eaten in The Farmgate Cafe there for lunch (open for breakfast & lunch only) and it is very good!

·         Stay in a place that has a good breakfast & an unhurried check out time, because on Sunday mornings, not much is open. If funds stretch to it, stay B&B at the 5 star Hayfield Manor- they must have the most WONDERFUL breakfast in all of Ireland! With spa, lounge area & more, Hayfield Manor is a perfect place to relax away a Sunday morning waiting for Cork to open up. (See my post on our stay here)                                

Beautiful presentation of fresh breads at Hayfield Manor

·         If your budget doesn’t stretch to that (& ours doesn’t usually!) look to pick a place where you’ll feel comfortable having a leisurely morning, especially if it is raining. Most shops & cafes don’t seem to open until noon at the earliest, so you could wind up like us on a past trip- wandering the streets for a few hours. (Not so fun if raining!)

·         Cork Coffee Roasters on 2 Bridge Street has good coffee, & is open on from 9a.m. Sundays, but be warned-it is small and very busy then, as you can imagine!

Lovely UCC campus, home to the beautiful, modern, Glucksman Gallery.

·         A good few museums, galleries, & other places of interest in Ireland can be closed Sundays, & some Mondays; so check their opening times when planning your visit.  In Cork City, for example the impressive Glucksman Gallery opens Sunday at 2, their cafe at noon, (both closed Mondays) but the Crawford Gallery is closed Sunday. 

·         Blackrock Castle & Observatory is a couple of miles outside the City, & opens at 10 on Sunday.  (Quirkily, open at 11 on Saturday.)They've also lots of things aimed at children, & the cafe there has been recommended to me, although we’ve not been to this attraction yet.

We saw Rian at the Cork Opera House- loved it! And when in Rome ;-)

·         Whatever night you are staying in Cork, check what is on at Cork Opera House! They seem to have something on most nights, music, film, theatre, comedy & more. You’ll still have time to head out to the pub afterwards if you’d like! 

Cork City Centre, Midsummer Festival Food Market (& Anam Cara B&B room)

·         Check local websites and twitter feeds like @CorkBuzz1 and @WhazOnCork to see what’s going on when you plan to be in Cork. During our past trip, Cork Midsummer Festival  was on, so their outdoor Food Market was up Sunday morning. As it was a sunny day, we got to enjoy tasty local/street food, sit in the sun & people watch as we waited for Glucksman Gallery to open. (I'll write a post on Glucksman soon.)

·         Have a gander at Cork man Liam’s suggestions for things to do in Cork- there are ideas that would be good for a Sunday morning. I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg during my visits, there is so much more!

What tips have YOU got? I know there must be loads more out there, & not just for Sundays! Please leave your tip in the comments, or tweet me at @vibrantireland, & I can add it to this post. Thanks! Susan
Here's a great tip from TheGManWorld

Don't forget @triskelcork home to Gulpd Café, Plugd Records, independent cinema & more!
— The G-Man (@TheGManWorld) July 4, 2012

@VibrantIreland Amazing place.Crazy how few people know about it.Great cinema,amazing gigs,choc Beamish cake,records,exhibits and more
— The G-Man (@TheGManWorld) July 4, 2012 

Chocolate Beamish cake?!! You better check out Triskel in Cork! :-)

PS if you love eating gorgeous, different, food-- have lunch or dinner at Cafe Paradiso. It has been wonderful both times we've gone! (Note: lunch Fri & Sat only, closed Mon)

Photos don't do Cafe Paradiso's food justice! AND we ate some before we remembered to snap :)

Happy Cork Visiting!
WhatToSeeInIreland WhatToEatInIreland