Once on the road after leaving Dunbrody House our first planned outing was to visit the Kennedy Homestead. This is where former U.S. president John F Kennedy’s family lived before his (JFK’s) grandfather set out across the Atlantic to the states.
Members of the Kennedy family still live in the house there today, there’s a small museum, audiovisual presentation and a member of the family (a distant cousin of JFK) gives a brief history of the family and what it was like when JFK visited the farm. It’s a small stop but interesting nonetheless.
Once on the road again we headed to Hook Head lighthouse, the world’s oldest working lighthouse don’t you know. We had not booked to get in – a slight oversight on our part and the place was crazy busy, so rather than visit we took a few snaps and put a plan in place to return at a later date. Once on the road again our next stop was to visit the Dunbrody Famine Ship and Emigrant experience. This we had booked in advance and got there just before the start of our tour.
Basically this is a replica ship build just 20 years ago, of the type of ships that brought Irish families to the U.S. during the Irish famine. They were also known as coffin ships as the majority of people would not survive the journey. The tour begins outside at an eternal flame and our guide tells all about the history of the ship and a lot about the famine in Ireland and why so many Irish were forced to leave and try and find a better life in the U.S.
As you board the ship our guide will stop up and offer more information and is up for any questions you may have. The ship was very interesting and it’s difficult to imagine how anyone survived the 4 to 6 week journey across the Atlantic. It was all very informative and interesting, well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.
After the ship we grabbed a quick coffee in the upstairs café and hit the road to our accommodation for the night, Ballymaloe House.
I could probably wax lyrical bout Ballymaloe and especially Myrtle Allen along with the story behind it and the influence she had and has to this day, on Irish food and hospitality sector, but there’s just too much to squeeze in at this time.
We arrived late evening, parked up the car and checked in. The place was busy and the weather was fantastic. They have an on-site pool and some guests were already sitting outside enjoying an evening drink. We were brought to our room which is in a coach yard outside the main house which is known as the coach house. We’ve stayed at Ballymaloe before but this was our first time in the coach house. Over the many years that the house has been open, all the old stables, sheds, storage areas etc have been turned into guests rooms and our room is no different. There’s a small sitting area which leads nicely into another small reception area with very comfortable seats. The bedroom is really well appointed, spotlessly clean and fresh. We were informed by the staff member who brought us to our room that it was just recently renovated and updated.
The ensuite was a really good size, full size bath tub, double shower with underfloor heating, it was fantastic. Once we got settled we went for a short walk around the grounds of which there are several areas to wander around on the 300 acres of land.
Add to this, they have a pool, tennis court, croquet and one of the newest attractions, a sculpture garden. They also offer tours of the house, kitchen area if you ask, wine tasting and several other bits and pieces to enjoy your stay at the house and surrounding area.
Food at Ballymaloe is a big deal, a really big deal. As well as breakfast for staying guests they do lunch and dinner for non-residents – book in advance for either. As part of our package we have dinner included.
After our walk we got back to our room and got spruced up for dinner. As is always the case you get to enjoy a drink in the comfortable lounge area before your meal and you can also look over the dinner menu. While enjoying your drinks the delightful waitress will come and take your order, which proved difficult as the menu was impressive, on paper at least. But we decided and purposely ordered different dishes each from the 5 course menu so we would taste as much as possible.
A few minutes later just as we were finished our drinks our waitress brings us into the dining room to get things started.
We ordered another drink to begin, C stuck with wine I kept with my cider. For our first course, C ordered the oysters which came with mignonette sauce which was made with balsamic vinegar and shallots. The oysters were delicious, fresh as expected and the mignonette sauce worked perfectly. I kept my starter simple and went for the soup – carrot, coconut and lemongrass – which was served with sourdough and the famous Ballymaloe brown bread, it may have been just soup but it was fantastically smooth and deliciously tasty.
For our next course, C opted for the special of the evening, fresh caught mackerel, served simply with butter and lemon, again, fantastic. I went with the tender beef, served with leaves and horseradish crème fraiche, it was very tasty although the mackerel was the winner.
Next up our mains. C went with the poached wild salmon served with cucumber, green beans and a basil hollandaise which was outstanding. However my dish of guinea fowl, served with a honey and marjoram sauce, pork belly, red currants and baby beetroot, plus buttery carrots with new potatoes on the side was easily one of the best plates of food I’ve ever had, fantastic.
A small selection of cheeses arrived before the famous Ballymaloe dessert trolley. Once upon a time a lot of old restaurants used to wheel out a trolley of desserts but this practice is all but gone, but not at Ballymaloe and no one does it better. All the desserts on offer are made fresh using the finest local ingredients and it shows. It’s fun to look around the dining room watching guests faces light up when they see the dessert trolley.
You can have as much or as little as you like. C went with the chocolate meringues which came with a chocolate mousse and some of the praline ice cream, I took some peach cake, raspberry fool and also some ice cream. I was convinced my choice was the best, the fool was fantastic, the peach cake delicious and the ice cream just worked, of course that was until I tried C’s chocolate meringues, they were simply amazing.
With so many places buying in desserts and pastries some from as far away as the far east (which is crazy), Ballymaloe makes everything fresh onsite using the best of ingredients soured locally where applicable, clearly here we have a pastry chef on top of their game, top marks.
After our meal all that was left to do was retire for the evening so we rolled ourselves out of the dining room and back to our room for a good night’s sleep.
The next morning, breakfast was the next port of call. They usually have a breakfast buffet with homemade scones, breads and some pastries that you can help yourself to, but due to Covid-19, this has been suspended. However they now bring you some scones and breads to enjoy before ordering your hot breakfast. The scones and fruit bread were freshly baked and tasty. For breakfast I went again with the full Irish, C opted for poached eggs, we left feeling full and set up for the day – well at least until lunch time.
We had some time to spare before having to check out so we perused the kitchen supply shop and picked up a few bits, we also had time for one more stroll around the grounds.
As stated above, this was not our first time staying at Ballymaloe House, on previous occasions the staff, food on offer and overall comfort of the place shone through, however, on this visit it surpassed our already high expectations. Our room was charming, the staff could not do enough to make you feel welcome and comfortable – and the food was magnificent. This is the pinnacle of Irish hospitality and nobody does it better than Ballymaloe House.
Until next time,
C&J
cjfoodandtravel 