My perfect summer day would start with
"Greeting all our lovely guests at breakfast and helping them sort out their day, assisting them to plan or make reservations. My favourite breakfast is eggs benedict supreme made by my talented husband, Brian, and if the kids had their choice, they would have his pancakes every day."
I would then go to
"One of my favourite places in the world, Clogher Beach. Just to stand and watch the waves and to listen to the crash as they hit the rocks and the shore really mesmerises me. The stormier the better for dramatic effect."
Helen Heaton, Castlewood House, Dingle, Co Kerry, pictured with her mother, Irene Woods. \ Valerie O’Sullivan
The song I would have on in the car would be
"I’m a real 80s kid when it comes to music and I just love 80s power ballads, much to my son’s disgust!"
We would then go to
"Coumeenole and have a little walk on the beach. A picnic basket from the Little Cheese Shop would be the ultimate treat. Mark Murphy, the owner, selects the most fabulous artisan Irish cheese, and bread from Bácús Bakery from right beside him in Dingle. It’s so good we have included it in our packages to our guests."
If I was going to a local tourist attraction, I’d visit
"The Blasket Centre, which is fabulous, or Cashel Murphy, the ringfort located just past Ventry. "We would then go a little further on our travels and stop in Ballydavid and run along the beach – stopping in to Tigh TP for a quick refreshment break! The last port of call would have to be Ventry Beach. We just love to walk the length of the beach and run in the waves. Quinn’s Pub in Ventry on a nice day, sitting outside with a coffee and watching the world go by, is just heaven."
If we still had more time
"I would stop on the way home at the little pier in Dooneen, just past O’Gorman’s Clifftop House, with views of the Three Sisters and An Fear Marbh. On a good day you can even see Skellig Michael in the distance. We would complete the day with a much deserved Murphy’s ice-cream – raspberry sorbet for the kids and sea-salt for me."
For dinner
"We are totally spoiled for choice for food in Dingle, so if we go out as a family we would go to one of the pubs, which are excellent. But if it were just Brian and I, we would go to one of the many fabulous restaurants. We both love fish and it really doesn’t get any fresher than in Dingle."
If I was really going to treat myself, I'd stay overnight in
"Living and working in our own little boutique style hotel , Castlewood House, I am a little biased and would have to say it is where I love to be when in Dingle. If we were to go away for a treat, I just love MacNean House in Blacklion. Neven and Amelda deserve every single accolade they win. The food is amazing. The other choice would be Ashford Castle, where I met Brian while we both worked there many years ago – it is stunning and holds so many lovely memories for us."
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The art of hospitality
Inside one of Ireland's top guesthouses
My perfect summer day would start with
"Greeting all our lovely guests at breakfast and helping them sort out their day, assisting them to plan or make reservations. My favourite breakfast is eggs benedict supreme made by my talented husband, Brian, and if the kids had their choice, they would have his pancakes every day."
I would then go to
"One of my favourite places in the world, Clogher Beach. Just to stand and watch the waves and to listen to the crash as they hit the rocks and the shore really mesmerises me. The stormier the better for dramatic effect."
Helen Heaton, Castlewood House, Dingle, Co Kerry, pictured with her mother, Irene Woods. \ Valerie O’Sullivan
The song I would have on in the car would be
"I’m a real 80s kid when it comes to music and I just love 80s power ballads, much to my son’s disgust!"
We would then go to
"Coumeenole and have a little walk on the beach. A picnic basket from the Little Cheese Shop would be the ultimate treat. Mark Murphy, the owner, selects the most fabulous artisan Irish cheese, and bread from Bácús Bakery from right beside him in Dingle. It’s so good we have included it in our packages to our guests."
If I was going to a local tourist attraction, I’d visit
"The Blasket Centre, which is fabulous, or Cashel Murphy, the ringfort located just past Ventry. "We would then go a little further on our travels and stop in Ballydavid and run along the beach – stopping in to Tigh TP for a quick refreshment break! The last port of call would have to be Ventry Beach. We just love to walk the length of the beach and run in the waves. Quinn’s Pub in Ventry on a nice day, sitting outside with a coffee and watching the world go by, is just heaven."
If we still had more time
"I would stop on the way home at the little pier in Dooneen, just past O’Gorman’s Clifftop House, with views of the Three Sisters and An Fear Marbh. On a good day you can even see Skellig Michael in the distance. We would complete the day with a much deserved Murphy’s ice-cream – raspberry sorbet for the kids and sea-salt for me."
For dinner
"We are totally spoiled for choice for food in Dingle, so if we go out as a family we would go to one of the pubs, which are excellent. But if it were just Brian and I, we would go to one of the many fabulous restaurants. We both love fish and it really doesn’t get any fresher than in Dingle."
If I was really going to treat myself, I'd stay overnight in
"Living and working in our own little boutique style hotel , Castlewood House, I am a little biased and would have to say it is where I love to be when in Dingle. If we were to go away for a treat, I just love MacNean House in Blacklion. Neven and Amelda deserve every single accolade they win. The food is amazing. The other choice would be Ashford Castle, where I met Brian while we both worked there many years ago – it is stunning and holds so many lovely memories for us."
For further information, click here.
Read more
The art of hospitality
Inside one of Ireland's top guesthouses
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