Aiming not to create a “Green Blur” - County Clare and Kenmare Self Catering/ Opinions Please

TerriMcD · Member

Aiming not to create a “Green Blur” - County Clare and Kenmare Self Catering/ Opinions Please

tony2phones · Guru

I would say stop off at Clonmacnoise on the way across to Clare from Dublin and possibly Birr Castle then through Portumna and Gort onto the Burren (assuming a stay on the Clare coast). I would get the Ferry from Doolin (dont think they go from Dingle, typo forgiven) Sixmilebridge would not be my choice for Clare rather be Ennis or west coast but finding 4 nights self catering could be the difficulty.

http://www.moytura.com/clonmacnoise.htm

http://www.birrcastle.com/

http://www.portumna.net/

http://www.gortonline.com/

http://www.clare.ie/

http://www.doolinferries.com/

TerriMcD · Member

Thank you SO much for the links, I will definitely check them out. Sorry about the typo, yes, meant Doolin :) If you don't mind me asking- why Ennis or West Coast? What do you like about those towns? Thanks again for the feedback... Truly appreciate it!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Terrie,

Welcome to my forum. I started answering you yesterday and the computer gremlins made all my work disappear. So here goes again.

I think you should mix up the self-catering with some B&Bs. Most self-catering is for a week. Off-season you can do weekend or mid-week rentals. But mid-week are mostly for a Mon/Tues/Wed or Tues/Wed/Thurs. I think you have a Fri thrown in for the Clare portion of your trip. That being the case, you might be better off doing three days in Clare. Take the extra day and add it to Kenmare. That will give you 6 nights in Kenmare.

I have inspected Ardmullen Oaks and they are very nice self-catering townhouses within walking distance of Kenmare. Be sure to tell Jer Foley that I recommended them and perhaps you might get a discount. You could also consider this townhouse which is even closer to town: http://www.kenmarerentals.com/property-view.php?id=3

I agree with Tony about taking the route west on the M4 toward Galway and stopping off at Clonmacnoise.

Because of your sightseeing interests in Clare you might want to consider Doolin or Ennis as a base. Or you could even use Galway.

Adare would make a nice stop on your journey south. If you have not yet seen Bunratty Castle, this would be the day for it.

For you time in Kenmare I highly recommend the Beara Peninsula and Gougane Barra. The ROK and Dingle can be done as day trips too but start early for Dingle. Don't forget to spend a day in Killarney to see all the sights. You will also have pretty easy access to places like Glenarriff, Bantry, Mizen Peninsula & Sheep's Head Peninsula. Plenty to do and see from Kenmare.

If you depart Kenmare first thing after breakfast you would be able to stop at either Blarney Castle or Cahir Castle plus Rock of Cashel. Check with your car company to see what time they close.

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

Ennis is one of my favourite places and was used as a hub many times when we were holidaying rather than living over here. It has all the shops, pubs, eateries and entertainment you could want. There is easy access on good roads to the coast and now has direct access to the M18 artery which will get you almost anywhere on the west side within a couple of hours. Many people like to stay on the coast at Doolin and Ballyvaghan. with the Burren as a backdrop. Sixmilebridge is also on the M18 and handy for Shannon airport but just a hamlet with little going on. Galway as a base would also give you options of heading out to the Connamara but I would struggle to think of self catering on the south side of town.

CowboyCraic · Guru

Terrie,

We spent 4 nights at the Doolin Activity lodge. They offer two and three bedroom self catering units. Ours came with a breakfast included offer.

I enjoyed the space provided in the units, the proximity to Fisher Street and its quaint shops, being at centre point for the three pubs in Doolin, the proximity to the Pier for the Ferry and its centrality.

Slan Beo (Take Care),

Bit

-- Edited by CowboyCraic on Tuesday 18th of January 2011 10:39:09 AM

TerriMcD · Member

Thank you, truly, to all three of you for your feedback!

We have taken all you've recommendend and have opted to change to 3 nights in Doolin and then 6 nights in Kenmare. Bit - Doolin Activity Lodge looked just perfect for us and they have been absolutely wonderful in helping us. We got an absolutely fabulous 3 bedroom unit with breakfast for only 90euro a night. We are really looking forward to it! Tony, we are going to take your recommendations for places to stop along the way to the west coast. Clonmacnoise for sure :)

We added on the extra day in Kenmare. When I contacted Jer to add on the extra day and mention Michelle's referral, he replied... and I quote " As we say in Ireland, we will throw the other day in for luck since you came from Michelle, really nice lady, and is more irish and knows more about Ireland that approx 98% of the population here." So, thank you Michelle - you saved us a whole night's lodging cost!!!! :)

Lastly, how much time do you think the drive from Dublin to Doolin will take as well as the drive from Doolin to Kenmare (barring no side trips). This will just help us gauge what times we are looking at to begin with.

Warm regards,
Terri

Michele Erdvig · Host

Terri,

What good news. Now you are set for your trip. Which self-catering did you get in Kenmare? How nice of Jer to throw in the extra night. He is a great guy himself.

Drive time Dublin to Doolin is about 4-1/2 hours. However, your sightseeing stops will add time. Doolin to Kenmare about 3-1/2 to 4 hours with no stops.

Michele

TerriMcD · Member

Hi Michele,

We are staying at the Ardmullen Oak property.
http://www.kenmarerentals.com/property-view.php?id=5

When i enquired about walking distance, Jer mentioned that he lives in one of these properties and the walk only takes him about 6 mins. That was a good sign for me as an owner would most likely live only in the nice place :) he seems very personable.

Thank you for the time estimates. We plan to leave in the morning after breakfast for the next destination, so this will give us several hours for stopping off whilst still making check in times not too late :)

Not sure if I'm more looking forward to seeing Ireland or the thought of going to a local grocery store and seeing what the locals buy. I'm quite a good cook, so its a toss up :) any recommendations for great markets in the Doolin area or Kenmare? Dont even mind an open market farmers market if thats an option there :)

Terri

tony2phones · Guru

If you are looking for food shopping in Doolin you will have to head back out of the village to Supervalue in Lisdoonvarna, if its a big shop though you might be better with Ennis or Gort.

http://www.doolinireland.net/

If you are lookingfor a local Farmers market on your travels then this link gives places and times.

http://www.bordbia.ie/aboutfood/farmersmarkets/pages/default.aspx

-- Edited by tony2phones on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 01:16:34 AM

TerriMcD · Member

Thank you Tony! :) I will check out those links.

I stumbled across a blog where Michele said she carries a shaker of black pepper and garlic powder when she goes to Ireland....anything else one recommends tucking in my bag? :)

Terri

CowboyCraic · Guru

Teri,

I am glad that the Doolin Activity Lodge worked out for you! We had a three bedroom unit, as well. I am sure you will be quite pleased. It is a five minute walk in one direction for McGann's Pub(out of the drive and turn right) and in the other, about a five minute walk to Gus O'Connors Pub. Both get crowded if there is Trad music about. Ask the folks at the activity lodge where the Trad might be.

We used to carry our own coffee with us until a security officer explained that made our baggage more subject to search as Coffee is a good foil for smugglers. disbelief

Take a facecloth with you, as most places will not have them.

Slan Beo,

Bit

Roy · Guru

Now that Bewley's coffee is available in markets I think the situation is improving.

TerriMcD · Member

Great tip on the washcloth, I will definitely pack a few! Ive heard as a lady, to keep some kleenex with one too as Ive been told not all toilets are "equppied".

As for the coffe, maybe I could sneak a couple of packs of Starbucks via as an emergency and manage to evade the security :) LOL

Thanks for the tips on the pubs, we will check them out!
Warm regards,
Terri

Michele Erdvig · Host

Terri,

You can get garlic powder in Ireland. However it is sometimes hard to find those disposable picnic salt and pepper shakers that cost so little here in the US. I bought a set a few years ago and am still using them in Ireland when self-catering.

On Wednesdays there is an outdoor farmer's market on the streets of Kenmare. There is a good SuperValu just beyond the school. It is much larger than the tiny one in the center of town.

I love shopping in the supermarkets in Ireland. They have things we never see. I found some delish garlic cheddar from the Isle of Mann, clotted cream from Cornwall, preserves from France, blood orange juice from Spain and Ireland has the best dairy products and butter.

I usually make simple meals as I don't want to take a lot of time cooking. Some things I usually get:

Soup (in the fridge section)
Lettuce (in bags) and salad fixings
Pasta and sauces
Scones & Bread
Eggs
Veg & Mashed Potatoes (ready for the microwave)
Fresh fish
Smoked salmon
Sliced deli meat for sandwiches
Cereal (my husband's favorite "Just Right" that is different from the one in the States)
Fruit
Coffee & Tea
Small packages of: sugar, mayo, mustard

I check the cottage to see if I need:

Napkins
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Dishwasher Tabs
Dishwashing Liquid

That should give you some ideas.

Michele

murphy · Guru

Terri,

One thing we couldn't find in Ireland the last time we were there, was pkts. of artificial sweetener for tea or coffee. So now we take a pint or qt. zip lock bag full of splenda(or similar). Since we too are self catering this time, I am going to have to rethink my packing list of items we might need. We might opt for little packets of salt and pepper, rather than the shakers.

After looking at Michele's shopping list, I look forwardt to going to the supermarket to get stocked up on new and interesting items, esp. the products and brands that we can't get here.

Dan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dan,

Good point about the sweetner. They are hard to find in Ireland. But most everything else is available. I do take zip lock bags with me just because they take up no room and they cost more in Ireland.

Also, clothes pins or clips are handy to have. You can close lots of items with them like bags of coffee, cereal or drapes that gap and let in the brilliant sunshine (you wish!). biggrin

Michele

TerriMcD · Member

For those looking for travel size packs of things you can't always find locally, we've used this site quite a few times for my husband before he travels to central America - they have just about everything and you can buy just one of something if you prefer...

http://www.minimus.biz/

:)
Terri

Michele Erdvig · Host

Teri,

Great site! I have bookmarked it for future reference. I've been looking for those tiny Lysol sprays. Here is the hot link: http://www.minimus.biz/ Thanks for sharing.

Michele

EngagingKate · Senior Member

We buy travel size laundry kits from www.minimus.biz! Love that site.

Of course, we can buy laundry care items when we get to Ireland, but we usually stay in some B&Bs and some self-catering. When we're going into a B&B, I don't want to be dragging in a bottle of laundry detergent to wash a few things out by hand. It's nice to have those little laundry packets in a ziploc bag.

But I'm starting to see some packets of Woolite and Tide in the section with the trial sizes at our local grocery store. Yay!

Michele, it sounds like you eat like we do in self-catering. We also eat quite a bit of yoghurt and cottage cheese from the grocery, as well. But cheeses and breads are a staple for lunches. Can't get enough brown bread, and the cheeses are to die for!

I also take several sized zipper bags (gallon to snack sized) I store the smaller ones in a bigger one. One of things I've found I need one for is to store the wet facecloth when traveling from B&B to B&B. Sometimes it doesn't have time to completely dry (even using a blowdryer) before we have to hit the road!

Another thing we do is take little insulated bags (one each) from home to put our lunch and cold beverages in. We got them from eBags (http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/lunch-cooler/19846?productid=1318697), and they fold pretty flat in a suitcase.

Terri, I'm a huge fan of the Starbucks Via packets! It's actually very, very good for instant coffee, and the packets would alleviate the suspicion that you're trying to hide drugs in your luggage. LOL

I found some artificial sweetener packets at a Tesco last time we were in Ireland, but it wasn't as good as Splenda, in my opinion. It was more like Equal, but not as bad as Sweet 'n' Low. ;) I'll probably still carry my own Splenda packets or just use the natural sugar or honey you can get there.

I'm ready to start packing, and I've still got over 4 months to go before we head over!

TerriMcD · Member

Michele, glad you liked the link!

Kate, Splenda is all I use, so I'm already trying to figure my rations out for packing! :) thanks for the tip on the cooler bags...will definitely consider that since we will be moving from one self catering to the next i may also pack in a small plastic bottle for making my own iced coffee and iced tea :)

Listening to you all talk about the cheeses has this girl from the dairyland state very curious! :) I'm a fan of Kerrygold herb butter which I'm lucky enough to get locally, so I'll be very curious to try Ireland's offerings:)

Terri

murphy · Guru

We bought 3 ounce empty plastic containers with screw-on lids from either Walmart or Target. We each take 3, and use one for shampoo, one for body wash, and the other for Woolite. There was enough shampoo, body wash, and Woolite for 2 weeks in Ireland. We put them in our qt. zip lock bags as per TSA requirements. Woolite is great for cold or hot hand washing, but the laundry tabs would be nice to have for self catering laundry facilities.

I have read that some travelers use the 2 gallon zip lock bags to do smaller items of hand laundry in. Drop in the items, a cap full of Woolite, water, zip and then agitate etc. We took the 2 gal bags, but always ended up using the sink for hand washing, so haven't tried it ourselves but have read that it works well.

We have found that the micro-fiber towels are great to help with doing laundry. After wringing out the laundry, roll them up in the towel, and squeezel...your laundry will dry much faster. We also take the micro-fiber face cloth, as they dry much quicker than the regular ones.

As for the insulated bag, we take a soft sided cooler that flattens, and a plastic container of blue ice (polar pack). Overnight in the freezer at the B&B (if you ask your hostess really nice,) and it will last all day for your lunch items or bottled water. Will take a look at the web sight for the insulated bags....someone is always building a better mouse trap smile

!

I also stuff a few plastic grocery bags in because the super markets will charge for grocery bags and most shoppers in Ireland bring their own.

It is amazing that you can take along a lot of items and still pack light.,..."carry on only" is always my goal. LOL! Dan

tony2phones · Guru

It may come as a surprise to some but we have these things called Shops and Laundrettes over here now

Roy · Guru

I haven't found good luck finding self-serve launderettes in my previous travels. Sometimes I have done a load at one of my sister-in-laws. Perhaps Galway will be easier, but I don't recall one in Westport, other than a full-serve.

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Tony,

You're right. Many things that people take over can be purchase once you get to Ireland. That is, in fact, why I don't generally take toothpaste, shampoo, soap, or other things like that. Like Roy, I have not, however, had much luck in finding launderettes convenient to where I am. I'd just as soon wash things out and leave them to dry while I go do fun things!

But almost every self-catering accommodation we rent has a clothes washer, if not a dryer too. It's one of the reasons we like self-catering.

The only things I take along with me are trial-sized products, because I haven't found the selection of those that I can find here in the States, and Splenda, because I haven't found a sweetener in Ireland that compares to Splenda. If you have a product that you just dearly love (and some people are that attached to shampoo and soap), you should bring it along.

Dan,

I know you're right that the microfiber facecloths dry much more quickly. I have a blanket-sized cloth that is my blanket for the plane ride and then can do double duty as a towel, if necessary. But I don't care for using microfiber to dry off or to use as a face cloth, so I just have to make adjustments for transporting the traditional terrycloth. :)

Kate

tony2phones · Guru

Yes most launderettes in Ireland are full service, but then wouldn't you rather be wandering rather than washing

http://www.localbusinesspages.ie/category.asp?category=Launderettes

http://www.galway.net/directory/classification-list.jsp?code=service.laundry

Not sure about Splenda but pretty sure Tesco will carry the brand (as they do in their UK stores) despite their own brand also being made by Tate and Lyle.

Face cloths are probably the must bring item although these can be purchaced over here.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I agree that if you arrived in Ireland minus your luggage you can find most anything you want in the shops there. However, some of us travel with favorites. Some things are difficult to find such as unscented products like soap, deodorent, laundry detergent. Although if you look long and hard you can at least find unscented laundry detergent.

And things in Ireland are slightly different. As I mentioned before my husband loves Just Right cereal in Ireland because it is less sweet than its namesake in the USA. Ketchup tastes different in Ireland. Must be a different recipe. And look out for the mustard in Ireland. It can take paint off a car. I also wonder why most restaurants have white pepper instead of black pepper. Must be a cultural thing.

Michele

EngagingKate · Senior Member

You're right, Michele. If there's a product that you absolutely need to have, you should bring it with you. Despite the fact that I purchase basic hygiene products once I get to Ireland, I do bring with me certain skin products, because I have not found the exact product in Ireland yet. And I don't care to spend the time and money trying to figure out which of the brands they do have is closest to what I use! (Maybe I'm just cheap...I mean frugal.) I have found lots of unscented products at the pharmacies in Ireland. I buy unscented bar soap there.

I really enjoy eating the Walkers or Tayto salt and vinegar crisps in Ireland, but I never eat them in the U.S., because the flavor is just too intense in the ones I've gotten here. They literally burn my tongue! I think they use less vinegar in the ketchup products as well... I also like Muesli in Ireland but have yet to find any here that I like.

But you cannot make me eat prawn ****tail flavored crisps ever, ever again!

Kate

Roy · Guru

Kate,

Every time we return from Ireland my wife has Muesli withdrawal! We do keep a supply of Barry's tea in our kitchen.

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Roy,

I may bring some Muesli home with me this year... I buy Barry's tea at Cost Plus World Market here in town. I go back and forth between Barry's, Bewley's, and PG Tips. I guess I'm not terribly brand-loyal, am I?

Kate