Castlemartyr

From Nohoval we made Castlemartyr our base for four nights. Our accommodation was the Mews, and not exactly as the website had advertised. The bedrooms were great but the kitchen/dining/lounge left a lot to be desired - so much so I didn't even take a photograph even after some ingenious furniture arranging by Donncha. But the kids loved the open space just outside the front door and as always made friends to play with.

Lovely grounds around the hotel for walks

And the village just outside the hotel grounds

One of the things we love about Ireland is the quality of raw ingredients available here. Not much has to be done to produce a great meal. One day we headed to the English Market in Cork City - (now made even more famous after the visit of Queen Elizabeth in June) - and bought trout fillets, asparagus, samphire and salad. So simple but such amazing flavours!

For the kids the highlight of Castlemartyr has to be the pony & trap ride which they couldn't get enough of. And it was nice to see them comfortable enough to pat the ponies.