Our Musical Journey through Ireland: September 2011:

--Clifden Arts Week 

--Pub Sessions in Kilkenny, Clifden, & Dublin

--Blues & Thai Food in Dublin;

--scenic Iveragh & Beara peninsulas

--the Burren in County Clare

--Bunratty

Music was the highlight of our wet & cold second trip to Ireland in September 2011. Ireland was enduring the rainiest and coldest summer & September in over 40 years during our visit. On the Beara peninsula, we caught winds from the tail end of a hurricane, and my husband almost blew away as he was outside peering at a peat bog. I was in the car, which was rocking in the gusty blast of cold wind. Our days were punctuated by little spots of sun here and there. We were warmed by frequent scalding hot cups of tea, and home-made pureed vegetable soup, served piping hot with fresh brown bread.

Our nights were spent in lively pubs, enjoying a Guinness, which tastes like chocolate in Ireland, and tapping our feet in time to the jigs and reels played in pub sessions by outstanding musicians in Kilkenny, Clifden, and Dublin. It was raining outside, but inside the pubs the craic was mighty satisfying, the Guinness smooth as silk, the Smithwicks had a 2-inch snowy crown, and the Trad music was lively and exciting. The solo singers were inspired. I don't recall hearing good music in Kenmare, but we may have gone to bed early to recover from colds caught on the trip.

Our first trip to Ireland had been in June/July 2006, when we enjoyed a record heat wave in Ireland, and didn't need our raincoats! While weather in Ireland is always unpredictable, we decided we prefer June and July in Ireland, as the days are longer, since the sun sets later. We won't travel to Ireland again in the fall. In the summer, if its raining in the morning, you actually have a chance to take a sunny walk after an early dinner. However June and July are more crowded. But you can always work around that by getting off the beaten path.

I will share highlights of our September 2011 trip to Ireland (our recent 2^nd trip to Ireland). Below is our itinerary and accommodations. After that I will write about highlights of pub sessions, best sites, and tastiest lunches & dinners. I will post a link to our photos and a link to 2 brief videos of pub music sessions, as soon as I can.

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Fly LAX to Shannon (via London)

(Air New Zealand and Aer Lingus...booked on the phone through Air New Zealand)

Flight Notes: Air New Zealand flight from LAX to London was fantastic; we had standard seats towards the back but only 2 seats together which is fantastic; no middle seat! new aircraft, roomy, good food, great entertainment system, great service.

Unplanned 6-hour layover in London was exhausting and next time we will plan to fly nonstop from LAX to Ireland!!!

Aer Lingus flight from London to Ireland: annoying. Stewardesses get nervous if you get up to go to the bathroom. They scolded me and warned I was going at my own risk and she wouldn't come in if I needed help! The flight was smooth and I thought the seat belt sign was off. We won't fly Aer Lingus again as they are the most uptight airline we have ever encountered when it comes to passengers getting out of their seats. The same thing happened when we flew Aer Lingus in 2006 from LAX to Ireland. In 2006 Aer Lingus wouldn't allow anyone to use the toilet for hours and hours, even though the flight was pretty smooth. Finally people couldn't wait any more and they just got up and went anyway. No other airline is so unrealistic.

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1 night:
Bunratty Lodge, Bunratty    (near Shannon airport) 

Address: Sixmilebridge P.O., Bunratty, County Clare

www.bunrattylodge.com

Mary Browne's hospitality is a warm Irish welcome indeed. We felt at home and I wished I had booked Bunratty Lodge for more than 1 night. This lovely b&b feels Irish and old-fashioned, and has antiques and collectibles displayed.

Room: Our 2 double beds were very comfortable with good pillows, and the room was quiet and very neat and clean. There was plenty of heat, and you control the heat from your room. Good water pressure and plenty of warm water in the shower.

Food: The breakfast table was set with charming china, and the food was delicious. I had Irish oatmeal and the full Irish. My husband ordered a different tasty breakfast. I mentioned how much I loved her home-made brown bread, and upon check-out Mary handed me some fresh brown bread for the road!

I really love Bunratty Lodge, which is friendly, welcoming and very comfortable. It is also reasonably priced.

Location: It is a convenient easy drive of 10 minutes or less from the Shannon airport. A short drive from Bunratty Lodge to dinner or to Bunratty Castle.

Conclusion: I highly recommend Bunratty Lodge. This was our 2^nd stay at Bunratty Lodge, and I look forward to returning a 3^rd time in a few years to this outstanding b&b run by the warm and friendly Mary Browne, who takes excellent care of guests. Bunratty Lodge is reasonably priced and very well run. Mary is kind...she thoughtfully asked a large group of guests to return quietly from their late evening at Bunratty Castle, since she knew that my husband and I would be going to sleep early with jet lag! (We met these guests at breakfast the next morning...they were from India, accompanied by an Irish friend, and were all delighted with their stay.)

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4 nights:
Rosquil House, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny

Phil & Rhoda Nolan, proprietors

Castlecomer Rd., Kilkenny
www.rosquilhouse.com

--Tasty Breakfast at Rosquil House: Rhoda & Phil provide a variety of home-made choices at breakfast. They use farm-fresh ingredients. I love Rhoda's home-made marmalade which is orange/lemon/apricot. There are many baked goods, fruits, and different omelettes each day. You can even request a custom-made omelette, as long as they have the ingredients handy...I requested an omelette with smoked salmon and fresh herbs. I enjoyed Rhoda's home-made apple cake. Great coffee...it's dark roast Bewley's, an excellent coffee, plus good hot tea. Phil popped out of the kitchen to have a friendly chat with us when he could...he is full of information and has a pleasant sense of humor.

--Room & Ensuite Bathroom: We had room 5 upstairs facing the back with a USA 5-foot-wide Queen bed, and the mattress was firm and comfortable. Pillows were too hard but I bought a soft feather and goose down pillow at Dunnes store in Kilkenny for 12 euros, used it on the trip, and took it home in my luggage. Room 5 was medium-size and quiet with a modern décor. Good water pressure and hot water, and generous heat in the room. The self-controlled radiator works very well. We found that our room had good sound insulation. Once we heard noisy guests briefly in the hallway returning from a wedding, but the amazing thing was that once they were in their bedrooms, no further sounds could be heard, as our room was well insulated. A nice quiet b&b, especially if you request a bedroom facing the back. We didn't stay in the front rooms which face the road so I can't speak for them.

--Location: Rosquil House is a 20- minute brisk walk to the city centre of downtown Kilkenny, and it's definitely NOT a scenic walk at all...so the location is a bit inconvenient, especially in rainy weather. You must walk on the side of a narrow road with fast traffic. We found ourselves walking in the rain, and probably should have paid for a taxi ride. By the last day we discovered convenient parking near Dunne's store downtown, but you have to pay unless you park after dark, and if the lot is full you must wait in a line until someone leaves the lot.

--Conclusion: Rosquil House is a great value, with a tasty breakfast with plenty of choices; friendly, hard-working owners; and generous heat and hot water. Rhoda discounted the price for a 4-night stay, and I learned about discounts on Michele Erdvig's informative web-site www.IrelandYes.com.  I recommend Rosquil House for visitors who don't mind taking a taxi or driving into town and parking, and who would like tasty breakfast choices in a reasonably priced b&b. We do wish we had stayed in downtown Kilkenny right in town, perhaps at Butler House, which would have been a more convenient location; but Butler House costs a lot more than Rosquil House. So Rosquil House remains an outstanding value and an excellent b&b.
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4 nights:
Sallyport House, Kenmare, County Kerry
www.sallyporthouse.com

The weather was unseasonably cold, windy, and rainy during our 4-night stay at Sallyport House in Kenmare, County Kerry. Therefore we didn't get the opportunity to enjoy any pleasant walks from Sallyport House, which is disappointing as Sallyport House has a delightfully scenic location. You feel like you are out in the countryside, near a river, yet you are a short walk from the pubs, shops, and restaurants of Kenmare's charming little streets. But we had to drive into town because of the weather.

Janie, one of the owners, chatted with us upon arrival. I liked Sallyport House instantly...the ancestral home is full of antiques, and I could feel the history of the house. The location is scenic and peaceful, yet convenient to town.

Heater at Sallyport House: I was sometimes warm and sometimes cold at Sallyport House, as the heat wasn't on all the time...it came off and on according to how the owners set it. When I used my room phone once to call the owners in Sallyport House, they did turn on the heat, but it wasn't on all the time day and night. I didn't want to be a pest and keep disturbing them with phone calls.

I recommend Sallyport House for those travellers who are craving peace and privacy. It is a lovely spot. However my husband and I prefer b&bs with a more social atmosphere. During our 4-night stay, we met only Janie and no other family or staff. We only saw Janie at check-in, breakfast time, and check-out. Other guests at Sallyport House kept to themselves, were rarely seen, and protected their privacy...they didn't socialize with each other. For me, the atmosphere felt peaceful but also a bit lonely.

I will share my journal entry, written at Sallyport House on the first night:

"Sallyport House: Apparently the heat is turned off tonight but I'm not in bed yet. I need to relax first, and I'm chilled. So now I appreciate Rhoda at Rosquil House being generous with the heat which was turned on all the time 24 hours a day at Rosquil House. It's chilly and windy here at Sallyport House in Kenmare...the tale end of a hurricane is passing through...I wish I had warm slippers.

Sallyport House in Kenmare...a lovely peaceful location...feels out in the country, near the river, yet so close to town. As soon as I entered I felt the country living peace and ancestral home with antiques and character call to me to relax...hard to explain. Yes I like this place. I hear the the windy tail of a hurricane fussing outside. Goodnight...my comforter looks warm!"

Breakfast: We had breakfast 4 mornings at Sallyport House, and the food was tasty, but I felt there wasn't as much variety as we had at other b&bs. Sallyport had a small buffet which included cheese and fruits, plus a choice of 2 hot breakfasts we could order: the Full Irish or Smoked Salmon with an egg. The smoked salmon was the best we had in Ireland. Also the black pudding which came with the full Irish breakfast was the best black pudding I ever had...Janie said it was an award-winning Clonakilty black pudding. Breakfast variety was great for 2 mornings, but by the 3^rd and 4^th morning I wasn't looking forward to the limited breakfast choices. (Keep in mind that during a 16-night visit to Ireland, it is challenging to find enough variety at breakfast, and one does get tired of the full Irish and smoked salmon, so other choices are appreciated when offered.)

Room & Ensuite Bathroom: We had a USA 6-foot-wide King size bed in a quiet room upstairs overlooking the garden. It was a lovely room with an old-fashioned "antique" atmosphere. Good water pressure and plenty of hot water. Nice views from windows. I wish the heat had been on 24 hours a day...it was on part of the time.

Conclusion: While we did enjoy Sallyport House, I feel I would have loved it more if we had stayed in the warm summer, when we could have taken beautiful walks. While the breakfast was excellent, I wish there were more hot choices for a 4-night stay. I recommend Sallyport House for visitors who prefer lots of peace and privacy and a scenic setting. Sallyport House feels a little lonely to me personally. It costs a little more than some of the other b&bs we stayed in.

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1 night:
Fergus View 
Kilnaboy, Corofin, County Clare
www.fergusview.com

I was so charmed by Fergus View, which warmed my heart as well as my cold and weary bones! My husband and I both loved the ambiance at this cozy, welcoming guesthouse in the wild and peaceful Burren area of County Clare.

I wish I could adopt Mary Kelleher as my honorary relative (the honor would be mine) so that I would have an excuse to return again and again! This was our first stay at Fergus View, and we want to return for a longer visit. Mary is the most caring b&b hostess I have ever met. She has a nurturing heart, and an artistic touch. We also briefly met her friendly husband, Declan.

Upon our arrival, owner Mary Kelleher served us tea and cake in the cozy fire-lit sitting room. She talked with us and shared great info about the area. She is very knowledgeable about the Burren area. The fire was always lit in the sitting room, and we returned to this cozy room later in the evening and met another guest, an Irish traveler who was so utterly delighted with her stay that her enthusiasm was catching. Fergus View was the most sociable b&b that we stayed at during this trip to Ireland.

We had the small and cozy twin room for 1 night. Our ensuite bathroom was small but our shower was medium-sized and bigger than we expected, after reading tripadvisor reviews. The twin room has welcoming touches, thanks to Mary's thoughtfulness, and we found it comfortable. 

Breakfast is special at Fergus View. Mary starts preparing Irish pinhead porridge the evening before. In the morning there was a menu with many wonderful home-made choices. (The menu changes so it isn't always the same). This was the menu of choices for our morning breakfast:

Home-made yoghurt with honey and fruit and toasted nuts

Freshly squeezed orange, apple or grapefruit juice

Breakfast fruit salad

Pinhead Oatmeal Porridge

Fergus View Muesli

Bran Flakes

Rice Crispies

Corn Flakes

Weetabix

Traditional Irish breakfast

Crepe with Kiwi fruit and maple syrup

Smoked Kippers with tomato

Kilnaboy Cheeses with grapes and kiwi fruit

Scrambled/poached/boiled eggs with bacon

--all eggs are free range--

Warmed Kilnaboy Goat Cheese with mushrooms and bacon on a toast base

Tea: Chamomile, applemint, pineapple mint, lemon balm, earl grey, and decaffeinated ceylon

Coffee including decaffeinated

Toast, Homemade Bread, Marmalade and Jams

Mary serves the food personally with pride. When she heard that we were getting over coughs, she surprised us with glasses of freshly squeezed apple juice from fresh apples, and she advised us to drink it right away to preserve the vitamins. We felt very well cared for.

I loved my breakfast, and it was my favorite on this trip to Ireland. We both enjoyed the Irish Pinhead Oatmeal, which has a wonderful texture, grainy and smooth at the same time. Then my husband and I shared 2 entrees: the Crepes with a sprig of fresh mint, kiwi fruit and maple syrup; and the warmed Kilnaboy goat cheese with mushrooms and bacon on toast. It was such a treat to have something so tasty and different from other b&bs...a nice break from the traditional Irish and smoked salmon. The food at Fergus View is gourmet in both presentation and in the quality of fresh ingredients.

I highly recommend Fergus View for travelers who value a warm and friendly ambiance most of all, and who appreciate excellent cooking and fresh ingredients at breakfast. Fergus View is also a great value. My husband and I want to stay at Fergus View for 3 or 4 nights on our 3^rd trip to Ireland, and explore the wild and peaceful Burren area, which we love. (We have visited the Burren on both of our trips to Ireland, and it still calls us back.)

Fergus View in Kilnaboy, Corofin, County Clare makes a convenient stopover between County Kerry and Connemara (County Galway). If you get directions from Mary Kelleher you will find it's not too far out of your way.

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4 nights:
The Quay House
Beach Road

Clifden, County Galway
www.thequayhouse.com

My husband and I enjoyed a 4-night stay at The Quay House, a unique guesthouse down on Clifden harbour. It's a comfortable 7-minute walk uphill into Clifden town centre from The Quay House. Clifden is a great base for exploring Connemara, and we timed our visit to coincide with Clifden Arts Week, which enriched our experience. We heard incredible music in Clifden! More about that later.

www.clifdenartsweek.ie

The Quay House is a 3-story Georgian House built in 1820 and sensitively restored. It is decorated in a wildly unique way...including a real tiger skin and other animal skins, mounted fish, and Victorian engravings, among other unusual items.

Two inquisitive pet pugs greeted us upon arrival. They didn't seem at all surprised by visitors. The owners of The Quay House, Paddy and Julia Foyle, took care of all of our needs. When I asked Paddy where the pharmacy was, he volunteered to loan me his expectorant for my cough, which was very kind of him! Julia took care of reserving me tickets to two musical events for Clifden Arts Week.

Breakfast is served in a pleasant glassed-in room that feels like a green house. A great complimentary breakfast includes lots of variety...natural oysters are offered when available (raw oysters). Some other breakfast choices are fresh fish, the Full Irish, and other choices including fruit.

Our room upstairs was the romantic Mirror Room with a USA 6-foot-wide King size bed and a harbor view. It's a spacious and quiet room with an ensuite bathroom, and our toilet was in a separate room from our shower, which is great. Our room had a working fireplace with a supply of peat. We declared The Mirror Room to be the most romantic room of our trip! (Don't be nervous...there aren't any mirrors on the ceiling!)

The pillows on my bed needed a little freshening up, and I requested that the inner cases be changed. (The pillows are covered by an inner case, and then a clean pillow case is on the outside.) This was promptly taken care of, and then the pillows were much better. My husband was amused to note that I seemed to be fussing about the pillows on this trip!

We hope to stay at The Quay House again on our next trip to Connemara. I recommend The Quay House to visitors who have a sense of adventure, and who are willing to expect the unexpected. The Quay House is delightfully unique. It is also a great choice for visitors who want to walk to the pubs in Clifden, while still getting a quiet night's sleep at The Quay House on the harbour.

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2 nights:;
Merrion Hotel

Upper Merrion St., Dublin 2
Dublin
www.merrionhotel.com

Two thumbs up for The Merrion Hotel and for Dublin! Yes, yes, yes! (-: My husband and I enjoyed a delightful 2-night stay at the classy yet understated Merrion Hotel, perfectly located in the city centre of Dublin between St. Stephen's Green and Merrion Square. (Urban Dictionary defines "classy" as "a deeper, more meaningful word for "cool". This seems fitting!)

We splurged for the pricey 5-star Merrion Hotel for 2 nights, and we loved the hotel, the location, and Dublin! The staff was outstanding, professional, and friendly. We felt relaxed and pampered at the same time.

I booked the "summer deal" on The Merrion's web-site... We paid 280 euros per night including all taxes for the Superior King Bed in the contemporary Garden Wing, with a quiet garden view, including free breakfast and free parking. We received a free upgrade to room 395, a King room in the Georgian Main house with a garden view! The rack rate for this upgraded room in the Main House would have been around 600 euros or higher, but we paid 280 Euros. (Yes, I know, that is still pricey...but it was worth it!)

I'm a light sleeper, and before the trip I was concerned about sleeping in Dublin city center. I slept wonderfully well in room 395 in the main house with the garden view. I did request a quiet, romantic room, and room 395 was great!

Our free breakfast was outstanding. It included the Full Irish and the breakfast buffet, with many tempting fresh pastries and home-made granola, yogurt, fruits, etc. Good coffee and tea. Free breakfast at the Merrion is a great deal, since the regular breakfast menu is pricey.

My husband amused me by pretending he was an aristocratic English nobleman who had traveled forward in time to room 395 at The Merrion. I cracked up laughing, since he is my flip-flop wearing, down-to-earth biologist husband in the real world.

We had a friendly chat with the classic doorman who was wearing a tophat. We were treated with respect by the entire staff who never made us feel uptight. There was never any pressure to tip. (I did leave a tip for the maid who cleans our room for example, and I left a tip for the breakfast room staff one morning, but the staff and the hotel never made us feel pressured about tipping.) In fact, I tried to tip the man who showed us to our room, but he politely waved it away and said You don't have to worry about that. At The Merrion I never got that uncomfortable feeling like someone was standing around waiting for a tip. This was refreshing!

We had a wonderful and memorable stay. The only minor problem was a trace of a smoky smell in our room, which smelled like a fireplace smoke, not like cigarette smoke. We were offered to change rooms, but we didn't want to move out of the spacious and beautiful room 395. The staff set up an air purifier in our room for a day, but this didn't help, as I think the faint fireplace-smoky-smell was coming from outside through the window. It was a minor issue, and it didn't bother my husband's allergies at all. There are a couple of fireplaces downstairs with cozy fires, so it's possible that the wind just happened to be bringing a bit of smoke our way. I was impressed with the staff's attentiveness to addressing this problem. I'm sure if we had changed rooms it would have solved the issue, but we fell in love with room 395 and decided to keep it.

The Merrion is the finest hotel in the world, in my opinion! The Merrion Hotel gets 5 stars from both of us, my husband and I!

We loved Dublin during our short stay, and walked to Grafton Street and Trinity College from The Merrion Hotel. It's also near the National Museum. We walked to as much of Dublin as we could fit in during our brief stay. Next trip to Ireland, I hope to spend 3 nights at The Merrion Hotel, if I can get another good web special!

I highly recommend The Merrion Hotel for visitors who are ready for a splurge, who want to experience a 5-star hotel, and who value a great central location and an outstanding staff. If you request a garden view, these rooms are among the quieter rooms in the city centre of Dublin. Try to get free breakfast included in your room rate.

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Trip report to be continued!!!

COMING UP NEXT: HIGHLIGHTS: Pub sessions; Favorite Sites; Best Lunches & Dinners; Favorite Musicians! And PHOTOS. (Plus 2 short videos of music sessions, if I can figure out how to post them!) I also might share our "Most Disappointing" experiences, which is highly subjective.

-- Edited by Melissa5 on Wednesday 26th of October 2011 01:09:30 AM

-- Edited by Melissa5 on Wednesday 26th of October 2011 01:12:36 AM