Staycation

By Aine.

Decided to have a staycation this August. With fond memories of travelling around New Zealand last year in a camper van, hubby and I decided that it might be worth giving it a go at home this summer.

Yes, we have scenery to rival New Zealand, yes our weather is similar and yes we speak the same lingo.

But there were a few differences in our experiences of camping in Ireland and camping abroad.

Firstly it would seem that apart from actual campsites there is not a huge welcome for camper vans on our little island. Most car parks have the height restrictive barrier in operation, which means looking out for alternative parking, not always easy in some of the more bustling towns and villages. It meant parking precariously by the roadside on a few occasions when visiting local attractions.

Most campsites we visited were perfectly adequate, offering the usual facilities you’d expect from any such facility. They were also reasonably priced, which, in the current economic climate, makes it an attractive holiday for couples with young kids.

A couple of nights we were disturbed by noisy neighbours partying into the wee hours, and on the other hand young children kicking football early in the morning but that was the exception and for the most part people who are into camping are a likeable enough bunch.  There’s a common bond, camper van drivers acknowledge each other with a wave and help each other out on campsites. Big thank you here to the man at Westport house campsite, who, when our swipe card wouldn’t lift the barrier to access the camp, came out in the rain and swiped his for us to let us in!

Travelling in a camper/caravan/with a tent is a great way to see the country.

                                         We visited Westport, Knock, Louisburg, Achill Island, Lennane, Cong, Galway city, Connamara,     Doolin, Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, and most of County Clare.

We did find however that eating out was very hit and miss.

We decided to visit Knock as we were in the general locality and after spending some time there the hunger pangs dictated some lunch was needed.

There are several places to choose from to eat in Knock but I had to choose the worst one possible. I can’t share the name of this establishment with you though as it didn’t actually have any name over the door!

The décor was a throwback to the ‘’50s with huge stippled ceilings and a wildly patterned carpet. The smell of the deep fat fryer did not auger well. I asked for a bowl of soup, tea and a scone. When I tasted the soup I couldn’t believe it.  It was from a packet!  In this day and age? The scone was at least two days old, so I left both.

One the way to Clare we passed Bunratty and again there were a few choices of places to eat. Got it wrong on this occasion too. Passed by Meadows and Byrne, and Durty Nelly’s for a gorgeous looking place called the Creamery. A lovely big stone building which was, as the name suggested, formerly a creamery, it was packed with tourists. I opted for the vegetarian platter but it was inedible, everything on it had been deep friend to within an inch of its life – I won’t go into the details here but I will review it under the restaurant review section at a later date.

At the other end of the scale we found some amazing value and wonderful food……Cullinan’s Seafood Restaurant and Guest house in Doolin is a gem.

I’d stayed there before many years ago and remembered how good the food was and was delighted to have an opportunity to return. I had a three course meal from the early bird menu which was terrific value at €30. Again see under restaurant reviews for a more comprehensive report.

Up the road in Fanore is Vasco, a Dine& Wine café and restaurant with deli next door. Wonderful food, locally sourced and reasonably priced, offering good value to the many tourists who flock to this area.

 In Lennane we dined at the Blackberry café and coffee shop which was bustling the day we were there. Our lunch there was sublime, pity the two waitresses on the day had no interest though. They left us waiting for ages (some tourists at a nearby table were also complaining) and appeared indifferent.  Water we requested was not brought, I ordered two starters instead of a main and they both came together and they forgot to bring my husband’s coffee.

Our country is at its finest when the sun is shining, and for the most part we were lucky. Achill Island, the beach at Fanore in Clare, the Burren, the Abbey and woods at Cong, Lennane were just some of the highlights of this trip with spectacular scenery that makes me proud to be Irish.  Such a pity though that the uneven quality of food offered and the lackadaisical service let us down.