Travel Ireland Magazine Volume 1 Issue 7 by Travel Ireland Magazine

Travelireland Volume 1 Issue 7 November 2014

magazine

Cashel arts festival Reading between the lines at the Dublin Book Festival

The art of French Wine at the Beaujolais Festival

Plus our essential guides to food and drink

Rol ling at t o he C ut th ork e red Film car Fes pet tiva l

Seeing the light at the Galway Tulca Visual arts Festival

contents... Welcome to our November issue, Whether this is your first time visiting these our shores, or whether you are returning once again to trace the steps of your distant ancestors, here at Travel Ireland we hope in some small way to be able to gently guide you as you plan your stay here. Whether it is myths and medieval castles, or craic and culture in the confines of a cozy pub and to the tune of a stray tin whistle, you are going to need a friendly hand to gently point you in the right direction. So from all of us here at Travel Ireland, a hefty and heart-felt Céad míle fáilte! And enjoy your stay!

Publisher/Managing Director John Carey Director Paul Daly Features Editor Anthony O’Keeffe Design and Art Direction Tim Evans Credit Control Manager Nichola Thomas nichola@ellenmediacom.ie Advertising John Carey john@ellenmediacom.ie 087 9113732 Bill Daly bill@ellenmediacom.ie 087 1533262 Sabrina Morris sabrina@travelirelandmagazine.ie Tel. 087 2020234 Contributors: Arran Henderson, John McCurdy, Paula Moore, Patrick O’Neill, Anthony O’Keeffe, Stephen Walker and Pauric O’Donnell. We wish to record our thanks to Paula Sneyd, Failte Ireland, The Office of Public Works and the National Monuments Service, Dept of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. And to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and The National TrustGiants Causeway (NI), for their help and guidance in the production of this edition. And to Paddy Donovan, Ed Reeve, Carr Cotter and Naessens, jonandlauren.wordpress.com and10bestpubsingalway.wordpress.com for the use of their images. Ellen Media Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Ellen Media Communications Limited does not accept responsibility for any advertising content. All unsolicited manuscripts will not be accepted or returned. No material may be used in whole or in part without the publishe’rs prior consent. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of all the events information or recommendations on this site, no responsibility will be accepted by Ellen Media Communications Ltd, its editorial team, designers, authors or agents acting on their behalf for alterations, errors or omissions which may occur.

05 - WELCOME TO LEINSTER 06 - EXPLORE LEINSTER 08 - Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! 10 - Acapulco Chef Interview 12 - THEATRE 14 - Dublin Book Festival 16 - LEINSTER RESTAURANTS 18 - LEINSTER PUBS 20 - Hidden Dublin 21 - Rudolf Heltzel Jewellery 22 - Yarn Storytelling Festival 23 - WELCOME TO MUNSTER 24 - Cork Film Festival 26 - MUNSTER RESTAURANTS 28 - MUNSTER PUBS 30 - Cashel Arts Festival 33 - Listowel Food Fair 34 - Sneem Storytelling Festival 36 - EXPLORE MUNSTER 38 - WELCOME TO CONNAUGHT 40 - TULCA Visual Arts Festival 42 - Sligo Choral Festival 43 - CONNAUGHT RESTAURANTS 44 - CONNAUGHT PUBS 45 - EXPLORE CONNAUGHT 46 - WELCOME TO ULSTER 47 - EXPLORE ULSTER 48 - XXXXXXXXXXXXX 49 - ULSTER PUBS 50 - ULSTER RESTAURANTS

Leinster - The east coast province

Leinster is the most easterly of the four provinces of Ireland, and is the most populated with the city of Dublin at its heart. The province is made up of counties Dublin, Louth, Meath, Carlow, Kildare, Wicklow, Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Kilkenny and Wexford. These counties have a host of historic monuments, a picture perfect coastline and cities and villages thronged with things to do and see. County Dublin is the home to the capital

Dublin city. Dublin is the administrative, cultural, and economic capital of the country. It is one of the most exciting places to visit with a thriving arts, musical and theatrical nightlife. All roads lead to Saint Stephen’s Green in the very centre of the city. You’ll find it at the top of Grafton Street, with Trinity College down at the other end. And just around the corner you can stroll around the cultural quarter of Temple Bar between Dame Street and the river that, famously, divides the North and the South of the city. If you want to escape to the country without actually leaving the city, then you can head north to Howth Head, or south to the charming and culturally vibrant villages of Dalkey and Killiney. Half an hour on the DART train will take you from the centre of the city to what feels like the heart of the country.

Hill of Tara

County Meath formerly known as the Royal County is the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland who were based around the Hill of Tara. Meath is also one of the most archaeologically important counties on the island with its Neolithic sites at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. These ancient religious sites (built before the Pyramids) have been excavated and restored in recent years making them some of

the busiest visitors’ attractions in the country. The sites are all only less than an hour’s drive out of Dublin and are accessible through the Bru Na Boinne Visitors Centre. The county also features the site of the Battle of the Boyne which was one of the great battles fought on Irish soil. For horse racing lovers, Meath has the wonderful Fairyhouse Racecourse, and there is also summertime horse racing on Laytown Beach. County Wicklow has several world famous sites and attractions, from the Glendalough monastic settlement with its Abbey and Round Tower, to the fabulous Powerscourt House and Gardens. The Wicklow Hills rising majestically over the county and the seaside town of Bray are just some of its many attractions. Offaly is situated in the centre of Ireland. Nestling between the Shannon River to the West and the Slieve Bloom Mountains to the East, Offaly is one of the lowest lying counties in the country. Any visitor should travel along the Royal Canal where one can experience a peace and tranquillity little known in our busy world. Kildare is the home of the National Stud, Newbridge Silverware and Maynooth College. Couple all these with Mondello Park motor racing, Naas horse racing course and Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park and there is something for everyone. Westmeath is a county which has at its heart the town of Athlone which is exactly situated in the middle of Ireland. It is home to Kilkenny Castle the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival, the oldest pub in Ireland and some of the finest golfing, fishing and health spas on offer throughout the land. Louth is known as “the wee county” as it is the smallest county in Ireland but what it lacks in land mass it makes up for in places to see. It is the home of the Cooley Mountains, the Boyne river which is famous for its salmon fishing and the beautiful Carlingford area. If it is a leisurely drive you seek Louth is the place to go. Carlow is where you will find three of Ireland’s key national walking routes – the South Leinster, the Barrow and the Wicklow Ways. Carlow is blessed with hundreds of miles of excellent and varied walking trails, and hosts a wonderful arts festival every June. Laois is where you can try your hand at a range of activities from paintballing in the Stradbally Woods to western-style riding at

Fossey Mountain, bowls at the only indoor bowls stadium in the Republic or tie a fly at the unique Irish Fly-fishing and Game shooting Museum . Kilkenny City was voted Ireland’s Top Tourism Town for 2013 by Failte Ireland which is Ireland’s main tourism body. It was voted Cleanest Town in Ireland at end of 2013 by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL), and has also been voted 9th friendliest city in the world by readers of Conde Nast Traveler. The city was in addition voted Most Friendliest City in Europe. Couple all these awards with a huge countywide cultural heritage trail and it is a must

see destination for any visitor. Longford is situated in the basin of the River Shannon and the upper catchment area of the River Erne. It is ideally located in the heart of the Lakelands region within easy reach of many stunning and historic tourist attractions. The county’s accessibility to many of Irelands main towns and cities make it a prime location as a holiday base. Finally, Wexford is famous for its glorious sandy coastline and together with County Waterford is known as ‘The Sunny South East’. You can also visit the oldest lighthouse in Europe which stands on the Hook Peninsula. So now you know, whether you are a family group, a couple, or a single traveller, there is something for everyone in Leinster! NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 5

Explore Leinster

The National Stud The Chester Beatty Library The Irish National Stud has been producing winners on the racecourse since they sent out Minoru to win the Epsom Derby in 1909. But it is far more than just a centre of equine excellence. It is also home to some of Ireland’s finest natural treasures, in particular the breathtakingly beautiful Japanese Gardens, the finest of their kind in Europe. The gardens trace the passage of a soul from birth to death and beyond, at the same time providing a meeting place for the cultures of East and West. You can also savour the serene and spiritual experience provided by one of the Stud’s more recent additions, St Fiachra’s Garden, a stunningly raw representation of our country’s singular landscape. There are guided tours, a gift shop and restaurant. Tel: 045 521 617

Glendalough

This beautiful glacial valley in County Wicklow is renowned as the place where Cistercian monks settled in the sixth century, and the remains of the monastic priory including a round tower can still be seen today. Known locally as “the valley of the two lakes” , the locals also say it will still your mind, inspire your heart and fill your soul. The early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the “Monastic City”. Tel 0404 45325/45352. 6 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

The only museum in Ireland to win ‘European Museum of the Year’ and described by the Lonely Planet as not just the best museum in Ireland, but one of the best in Europe, the Chester Beatty Library opens a window on the artistic treasures of the great cultures and religions of the world. Egyptian papyrus texts, beautifully illuminated copies of the Qur’an, the Bible, European medieval and renaissance manuscripts are among the many highlights that you’ll find on display here. And be sure to avail of the excellent guided tours that the loquacious and extremely well-informed guides provide there, free of charge. They take place on Wednesdays at 1pm and on Sundays at 3 and 4pm. Opening hours, 10-5 Mon-Fri, Sat 11-5, Sun 1-5pm. Tel 01 407 0750

Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) Kilmainham Gaol may seem like an unusual place to spend a morning or afternoon but despite its sometimes grim past it makes for a fascinating visit. Built in 1796, Kilmainham Gaol served as a prison for 128 years, and tours detail some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation. The tour of the prison includes an audio-visual show. Tickets are sold on a first come first served basis and cannot be booked in advance. Tel: 01453 5984.

The Book of Kells

The Guinness Storehouse

Formerly known as the Hop Store, the Guinness Storehouse is laid out over seven floors surrounded by a glass atrium that rises up through its centre. You make your way up on a self-guided tour, where you learn all about the beer’s history, the central part that the Guinness family played in the development of the city, and of the world famous advertising campaigns that did so much to help promote it. Tours are 16.50 Euro, which includes your pint of Guinness in The Gravity Bar on the 7th floor. Which might sound a bit steep for a self-guided tour, but it’s all beautifully laid out and the whole experience is richly rewarding. Tel 01 408 4800

The Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition in Trinity College Dublin are the first things that all visitors gravitate to when first setting foot in Dublin. Located in the heart of the city, a walk through the cobbled stones of Trinity College will bring visitors back to the 18th century, when the magnificent Old Library building was constructed. And upstairs, you’ll find yourself in the magical environs of the justly famous Long Room. Inside the Book of Kells itself is a 9thcentury gospel manuscript famous throughout the world for its lavish decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in a bold and expert version of the script known as “insular majuscule”. Guided tours of the campus, including the Old Library, The Books of Kells, and the magnificent Long Room upstairs are 12 Euro. Opening hours: 9:30-5:00 (4:30 Sun) Tel 01 896 1661

Explore Leinster

The War Memorial Gardens

Avondale House and Forest Park

Jameson Visitors Centre Bow St, Smithfield, Dublin 7 Experience the Jameson Distillery tour and let their expert guides take you back in time as they lead you through the fascinating story of Jameson. Set in a recreated distillery scene, all visitors learn how three ingredients make the number one Irish whiskey in the world. Guided tours last one hour and include a signature Jameson drink. Volunteers are selected to partake in a tutored whiskey tasting where each person receives a much coveted Irish Whiskey Taster Certificate. Open daily from 9am to 6pm. 01 807 2348

Cultural and Historical Walking Tours The streets of Dublin have been home to the Vikings, Normans, Elizabethans, Georgians and Victorians. What better way to explore its secret nooks and crannies than to take one of the many cultural and historical walking tours that the city has to offer. At Dublin Decoded, Arran Henderson provides a wide range of fascinating insights into Dublin’s history, with particular emphasis on its art and architecture. From “How To Read A Painting:symbols and meaning at the National Gallery” to Architecture of Georgian Splendour, and an historic Medieval Treasure Hunt. Alternatively you can talk to him about designing your own tour. See www.dublindecoded.com

When you are visiting IMMA in Kilmainham, you should walk on over to Islandbridge about half a kilometer further on. The gardens there are dedicated to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the 1st World War. The names of all the soldiers are contained in the beautifully illustrated Harry Clarke manuscripts in the granite bookrooms in the gardens. Not merely a place of remembrance, they are also of great architectural interest and beauty. They are one of only four gardens in this country designed by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944). The others being Heywood Gardens, Lambay Island and those in Howth Castle. The sunken rose gardens, herbaceous borders and extensive tree planting on view here make it well worth that extra bit of a walk. Open all year round. 01 475 7816

The National Museum of Ireland

The Museum is recognised as Ireland’s premier cultural institution and home to the greatest collections of Irish material heritage, culture and natural history in the world. Admission to the museum is free and there are numerous exhibitions, talks and tours. Tel 01 6777444.

Avondale House was the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891), one of the greatest political leaders of Irish history. Set in a magnificent forest park of over 500 acres, there are tree trails and walks ranging in duration from one to five hours. Visitors are introduced to this wonderful historical house by a specially commissioned audio visual presentation. Other facilities include a licensed café, bookshop, picnic areas, children’s play area, three orienteering courses (maps can be downloaded at www. coillteoutdoors.ie) and a large car/coach park. 0404 46111 www.heritageisland.com

Casino Marino

The Casino was designed by Sir William Chambers as a pleasure house for James Caulfield, 1st Earl of Charlemont, and is one of the finest 18th century neo-classical buildings in Europe. The Casino, meaning “small house”, and notwithstanding its name, contains 16 finely decorated rooms, endlessly rich in subtlety and design. It is a remarkable building, both in terms of its structure and its history. The Casino is located at Marino, just off the Malahide Road and only three miles north of the centre of Dublin. Open 10-5pm, admission 3 Euro, 1 Euro for students and children. Tel 01 833 1618 NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 7

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

he Alliance Française on Kildare Street in the heart of Dublin is a bastion of gallic culture. Every year they celebrate one of the quintessentially French phenomena; Beaujolais Nouveau. Made from the Gamay grape and produced in the Beaujolais region of France,

it is the most well-known “vin de primeur” and is fermented for just a few weeks every year before being released for sale on the third Thursday of each November. Medium-red in colour, with a refreshing and fruity taste, it’s the most famous though not the only wine produced in the region. Other Beaujolais wines include Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin à Vent, Régnié, Saint Amour, Beaujolais Village, Beaujolais Blanc and Beaujolais Rosé. This year, that third Thursday falls on November 20th, and where better to continue and share in that proud tradition than at the Alliance Française? You can taste the first wine 8 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

of the season, and enjoy a delicious cheese and charcuterie plate in a wonderfully festive atmosphere, accompanied by the sound of Mick Flynn’s piano accordion. Attending as the Special Guest will be Patrick Thévenet, wine specialist from the Domaine des Gandelins, whose family has been in the business of wine growing for four generations. Their Domaine is located on a seven hectare property, in the south of the world famous Burgundy Region, on the foothills of the Massif Central.

Patrick works with his daughter to organise the harvest, turning the grape into wine and selling the resulting bottles, to personally ensure absolute traceability. He will present the Beaujolais Nouveau 2014, and explain all that you need to know about this very particular wine. Passionate about this job, and with a great respect for a centuries old tradition, the Thévenets harvest the grapes by hand and press them in a specially constructed wooden press to meet carefully evaluated sustainable farming standards.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

The price for the evening’s entertainment is €12 for members of the Alliance or students, and €15 for non-members, and you need to be registered by Monday 17th. But be warned, it gets booked up fairly quickly. Established in January 2000Call Zaytoon have 01restaurants 676 17 32 This is just one of the many cultural evenings and courses that the Alliance Française two branches in 14/15 Parliament street and 14-15 Parliament Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 1 - 01 677 3595 Parliament Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 1 www.alliance-francaise.ie organises. Yearly membership costs €30 forLr.44/45 anCamden Adult (20€ concessions) 44/45 St., Dublin 2 - 01 400 5006and 40€ for a family 44/45 lower Camden street. Lr. Camden St., Dublin 2 Number 01 4005700 of 2 adults and 2 children. Members are thenDelivery entitled to free access to the Multimedia They are casual diners offering delicious kebabs served Library, as well as discounted prices at the cultural events, partner shops and restaurants.

Persian Cuisine

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with freshly made naan bread which is cooked in a traditional Persian clay oven. Often referred to as having the best kebabs in Ireland.

Persian Cuisine Here at Zaytoon we pride ourselves on sourcing and Persian Cuisine Established in January 2000 Zaytoon restauran providing the highest quality products. All our meat

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Established in January 2000 Zaytoon restaurants have two branches in 14/15 Parliament street and 44/45 lower Camden street.

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Persian Cuisine

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Persian Cuisine

Anthony O’Keeffe chats with Acapulco’s Head chef Carlos Mendoza

omatoes and chillies are indigenous to the Americas, and were only introduced into the rest of the world after the discovery of the New World in the 15th century. So I’m informed by Carlos Mendoza, head chef at Dublin’s Acapulco restaurant on South George’s Street in Dublin. I indignantly inform the affable Mexican maestro that I shall go home and look that up. And sure enough, obviously, the man is right. Mexican food was added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list by UNESCO in 2010, and there can be few better advocates than Acapulco’s head chef. And tomatoes are something he knows a great deal about, as they are, he informs me, one of the key ingredients in Mexican cooking.

10 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

Mendoza has been overseeing the kitchens at Acapulco restaurant for nearly two years now, but his journey here was, to put it mildly, a circuitous one. He left Mexico ten years ago and began working at one of the Marriott hotels in Vail, one of America’s most exclusive ski resorts in Colorado. Two years later he was off again, this time to China. There he began working for the Mexican Embassy in Beijing. One of his first jobs there was to serve up a banquet for the 350 guests gathered there to celebrate Independence Day on September 16th. So no pressure there then. It took him four full days to prepare for it. From there he moved down to Shanghai where he worked for Mission Foods, the largest producer of

Mexican food goods in the world. There he helped prepare the mountains of burritos that are shipped over to Japan from neighbouring China. Then it was back to the Americas, where he did a course in wine in Mendoza, in Argentina. But when then he was made head chef at the Torandina restaurant on the Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Andes, he ended up spending a year there. He was on his way back to the States in 2009, but found himself grounded in Monterrey in northern Mexico because of the outbreak of swine flu. So for the next three years he taught as a chef instructor in Monterrey. Until one of his students on holiday in Dublin discovered that a Mexican restaurant there was looking for a new head chef. Dismissing Mexican cuisine as little more than burritos, enchiladas and tacos is like saying that Italian food is nothing but pasta and pizza. It’s what you do with it that counts. And you only have to listen to the affable Mendoza as he talks to you with unbridled enthusiasm about precisely how he crafts his sauces or prepares his re-fried beans that there really is only one place to go if you are in the vicinity of the capital and are minded to have a Mexican; Acapulco.

Theatre

The Abbey

The Waste Ground Party by Shaun Dunne

Gary returns home from college to confront age-old rivalries, bitter disputes, and bin bags that just won’t stop falling from the sky. As Gary and his old friend Martin fight to find their place in the world, their mothers desperately search for meaning in a life that has already passed them by. Will Gary leave the estate forever or return to the rubbish heap? Directed by Gerard Stembridge, The Waste Ground Party marks the Abbey Theatre debut of the award-winning Shaun Dunne (I’ve To Mind Her, Death of the Tradesmen).

Catherine Earnshaw and her adopted brother, the brooding, elusive Heathcliff, whom her father discovered as a mysterious foundling on the Liverpool docks and brought back to his home Wuthering Heights. Humiliated by his adopted family and spurned by the woman he loves, anger and resentment grow in Heathcliff. Will his all-consuming passions ultimately destroy both himself and those around him? Nov 13-29th Tel: 01 874 4045

National Concert Hall

Sive

by John B. Keane

The Gate

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Brontë, adapted by Anne-Marie Casey Emily Bronte’s novel of intense desire and impossible love has thrilled generations of readers since its first publication in 1847. Set in the magnificent and desolate landscape of the Yorkshire moors, it tells of the doomed relationship between the wild and beautiful 12 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

This most famous of ballets combines romantic themes, classical technique and ethereal imagery together with Tchaikovsky’s majestic score, to ensure this masterpiece’s immortality. November 19-22nd Tel: 01 679 5622

Bord Gais Energy Theatre The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie

The Mousetrap is celebrating the 62nd year of a record breaking run during which over 25,000 performances have been given, including a sell-out run at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre last year. An iconic piece of theatrical history, this is a classic whodunnit written by the greatest crime writer of all time.

Oct 29-Nov 22nd

This gripping new production by director Conall Morrison was enjoyed by over 30,000 people during a sell out run at the Abbey Theatre. Now Sive returns for a major all Ireland tour, including a two week run at the Abbey Theatre. Beautiful young Sive lives with her aunt and uncle in rural Kerry. Seán Dóta, an elderly farmer, offers the local match-maker Thomasheen Seán Rua a large sum for her hand in marriage. Will this be too much for her aunt and uncle to resist? Don’t miss this chance to rediscover what the Sunday Independent called ‘an explosive, searing revival” November 12-22th Tel 01 878 722

Ballet Ireland Swan Lake

The National Concert Hall is home to the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra, and the National Chamber Choir of Ireland. But its cultural brief extends across all musical genres from Classical and Irish Trad, to jazz, folk and world music. Highlights this November include Barry Douglas Piano at 3pm on Sunday 9th, Perspectives: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau again on Sunday 9th, at 8pm, Giants of Ragtime and Stride Piano on Friday 14th at 1:05pm, and the Harlem Gospel Choir on Wednesday November 26th at 8pm. Tel: 01 417 0000 Or go to www.nch.ie

The Gaiety

Grease the musical The No 1 Party Musical, GREASE, comes to the Gaiety Theatre in November. A new Irish production of the original high-school musical will be rockin’ Dublin and it promises to be truly ELECTRIFYIN’ November 5-16

November 10-15th

One Man Two Guvnors by Richard Bean

Richard Bean’s award-winning play is a glorious celebration of British comedy – a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, songs, slapstick and glittering one-liners. ‘The funniest show in the western world,’ Daily Mail November 17-22nd Tel: 01 677 7999

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he Dublin Book Festival runs from Thursday November 13th until Sunday the 16th. It is one of Dublin’s largest book festivals with four days of readings, public interviews, book launches, and workshops celebrating Irish publishing across a whole range of genres, from comedy and literary fiction, 14 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

business, cookery and children’s literature, to poetry and the Irish language. And best of all, most of them are free! The festival opens with an evening celebrating Lines of Vision (Thames & Hudson), a beautifully illustrated anthology published to mark 150 years of the National Gallery of Ireland. The book

features specially commissioned pieces by fifty-six acclaimed Irish writers who chose a particular work from the National Gallery’s collection describing what it is that inspires them about it . Seán Rocks of RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena will be talking to four of the contributing authors, Alex Barclay, Kevin Barry, John Boyne and Donal Ryan about their writing in general and the piece that they chose. And afterwards there’s a wine reception there in the National Gallery. Over the course of the weekend there are a number of cross cultural conversations where the subjects of art, culture, criticism, politics and indeed food and drink will be tossed back and forth and argued over vigorously if goodhumouredly. One such to look out for sees Dermot Bannon, hotelier and now TV presenter Francis Brennan from the Park Kenmare, Sinead Crowley, RTE presenter John Kelly, Alice Taylor, and Niall Williams In Conversation with Dave Kenny (Sat 15 Nov, 10am – 1pm Smock Alley Theatre). Whilst the commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of the 1st WW continues with The Irish Who Went to War with the brilliantly named Turtle Bunbury and Myles Dungan (Sun 16 Nov 2.00pm Smock Alley Theatre). And with World War 1 Remembered, which will present poets Gerald Dawe and Hughie O’Donoghue In conversation with John McAuliffe, exploring how WW1 inspired some of the century’s profoundly moving poems and visual art. (Sat 15 Nov 8pm, Irish Georgian Society). For budding authors looking for a few handy tips, there’s The Art of the Short Story with Sara Baume, Madeleine D’Arcy, Alan McMonagle and Billy O’Callaghan In conversation with the founder of The Stinging Fly, Declan Meade. (Sat 15 Nov, 1pm, Smock Alley Theatre). As well as another invaluable opportunity to get writing and publishing tips with some of Ireland’s leading publishers and UK agents at Meet the Publishers and Agents with Gráinne Clear, Sarah Davis-Goff, Nicki Howard, Polly Nolan, Peter O’Connell, Vanessa FoxO’Loughlin and Sallyanne Sweeney (Sun 16 Nov 11am Smock Alley Theatre.) If it’s music you’re looking for there’s Songbook – Exploring the Craft of Songwriting in Music, with Hilary Woods, Emmet Condon and the brilliant Cathy Davey. (Sun 16 Nov 7.30pm, The Irish Writers Centre). And there are literary themed walking tours organized by Liz Gillis, Pat Liddy and Dr. Frank Cullen.

www.dublinbookfestival.com

French Courses Halloween Term 17 Nov 2014 – 24 Jan 2015 Toddlers, Children, Teenagers and Adults

Language. Culture. Our Business. The French Language & Cultural Centre in Dublin, 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 www.alliance-francaise.ie

A Most Peculiar Wintry Thing at the Ark

The Ark and Music Network are delighted to present A Most Peculiar Wintry Thing, a brand new family festive music show by the composer Brian Irvine. With a dynamic blend of original music, improvisation and audience interaction, this intimate and alternative festive show will explore the magic and mystery of all things snowy, with a host of favourite memories of winter old and new. The result is a heady atmosphere that’s part circus, part Tim Burton! Inspired by winter oddities, the show brings together four world class improvisation and classical musicians, with a live animator to make a musical snowball of wintery stuff. The result is a wild, rollicking ride filled with tangled up songs and abominable snowmen. It’s a musical adventure that’s been created especially for children and families, and is not to be missed! A Most Peculiar Thing is on at The Ark in Dublin’s Temple Bar, and at venues across the country in Castlebar, Sligo, Bray, Virginia, Letterkenny, Portlaoise, Tralee, Newbridge and Drogheda from the 22nd of November to the 22nd of December.

Go to www.musicnetwork.ie or www.ark.ie

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Recommended Restaurants in Leinster

777

7 Castle House, S George’s St., Dublin 2. tel 01 425 4052

Thornton’s Restaurant

Above the Fitzwilliam Hotel, Stephen’s Green. tel 01 478 7008

There’s been a huge influx of Chinese in Dublin of late, and the choice of Chinese food in the city has improved no end. But this is still the best place to find dim sum. And significantly, most of the people you’ll find eating here are other Chinese diners.

Super Miss Sue

Drury St, Dublin 2. tel 01 679 9009 One of the few places to get really great fresh fish in the centre of town, and surprisingly affordable. You can treat yourself to a full meal in the restaurant proper, or a traditional fish and chips of exceptional quality in the diner next door.

A little pricey for a Mexican restaurant, but well worth it. Beautifully decked out and effortlessly fashionable, you could comfortably skip the main courses and go instead for a selection of starters, which tend to be as generous as they are enticing.

Acapulco Mexican Restaurant

7 S George’s St, Dublin 2. tel 01 677 1085

Darwin’s Restaurant

80 Aungier St, Dublin 2. 01 475 7511

This one star Michelin restaurant is, as they say, reassuringly expensive. Which is only as it should be as the man in charge is Ireland’s finest chef, Kevin Thornton. If you have any intention of cementing a relationship, or of instigating a new one, this is the place to take them.

Yamamori

71-2 S. George’s St., Dublin 2. tel 01 475 5001

This family run restaurant caters to all possible tastes, whether carnivorous, coeliac or vegetarian. Their own in house butcher provides them with meats, game and poultry, they have fresh fish and a wide selection of dishes made from locally sourced vegetables. And you can finish it all off with their homemade desserts.

Fade Street Social

4 Fade St, Dublin 2. tel 01 604 0066 The latest venture from Dublin’s hottest hipster chef Dylan McGrath, this manages to be both screamingly fashionable and a really good restaurant, without being overpowering. It’s not quite as casual as it would have you believe, but it is really, really good.

This lively Mexican Restaurant offers the very best traditional Mexican cuisine, with sizzling fajitas, burritos, tacos and, best of all their famous deep fried icecream!

Ciao Bella Roma

24-5 Parliament St., Dublin 2. tel 01 677 0004

Café Topolis

37 Parliament St, Dublin 2. tel 01 670 4961 The original Yamamori on George’s Street still serves up the best and simplest Japanese food in Dublin. But Yamamori Sushi, their sushi bar on the quays, runs it a close second. And if you’re looking for something a bit more funky, there’s always Yamamori Izakaya.

The Good World

18 S George’s St, Dublin 2. tel 01 677 5373

These are the best pizzas you’ll find north of Naples, and are very much of the Neapolitan variety rather than the much thinner Roman sort. And their special lunch deal, which gives you a pizza and glass of wine for around a tenner is not just the best value lunch in town, it’s the best lunch full stop.

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Situated on Parliament St, Café Topolis is one of the best Italian restaurants in town with an extensive menu offering superior Italian cuisine. Best of all, it’s one of the very few places where they cook their pizzas in the traditional wood fired oven.

Recommended Restaurants in Leinster

Le Bon Crubeen

81-2 Talbot St., Dublin 1. tel 01 704 1026

Whether it’s for an Italian coffee, a sweet or savoury snack or a full meal with wine, you can call in here for continental cuisine, exemplary service and great value.

Peploe’s

16 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. 01 676 3144

KC Peaches

28-9 Nassau St, Dublin 2 01 633 6872 There are four KC Peaches (so far) in the centre of town, but the one opposite Trinity on Nassau Street is probably the best known of them. They specialise in giving you the freshest of ingredients with which to fashion your own lunch. Their salads are especially impressive.

The Elephant & Castle This is one of the best value restaurants in Dublin with a brasserie menu to suit all tastes. It won the Best Value Restaurant Dublin in “The Dubliner” Top 100 restaurants in 2012, having previously won the Irish Restaurant Awards’ Best Casual Dining Restaurant in Dublin in 2010. Value and quality.

Whitefriar Grill

16 Aungier St, Dublin 2. 01 475 9003

19 temple Bar, Dublin 2 01 679 3121

This stylish Bistro produces the very best quality food at relatively affordable prices. Plush yet comfortable, their 28 day dry aged steak is the best you’ll find anywhere in the city. And their 3 course dinner special for just 24,50 is the proverbial steal.

Il Primo

16 Montague St., Dublin 2. 01 478 3373

Dublin’s original American style casual diner, if you haven’t had their spicy chicken wings during your stay here, you really haven’t visited Dublin’s Temple Bar at all. But go early or in the middle of the afternoon, because it gets very busy at lunch.

Mao’s Restaurant Chatham Row, Dublin 2 01 670 4899

One of the best of the oriental fusion restaurants, there are actually four of them now out in Stillorgan, Dundrum and Dun Laoghaire as well as here in town. Thai and Asian flavoured noodles and rice, they offer an extensive menu at a reasonable price. And the food is top notch.

Zaytoon

14/15 Parliament St., Dublin 2 Tel. 01 677 3595.

They pride themselves on putting brunch back on the menu, and in producing the best brunch in Dublin. But there’s a lot more than that going on at this superior smart casual restaurant. Their latest Ribs N Rump gives you a 14oz steak and a choice of ribs plus 2 sides for just €40 on Sunday nights.

Kafka Restaurant

236 Rathmines Rd Lwr., Dublin 6. 01 497 7057

“If you want to taste risotto made as it should be, you’ll need to go to Il Primo,.” So says Paolo Tullio of the Irish Independent. And this restaurant has been producing some of the best rustic, Italian food you’ll find anywhere in Dublin for over 20 years now.

Aqua Restaurant 1 West Pier, Howth 01 832 0690

One of the best places to get a bite to eat at the seaside village of Howth, Aqua is at the very end of the pier. So you get spectacular views of the sea, as you munch contentedly on creatures that were recently living there. And they’ve a good value early bird menu to take advantage of too.

Zaytoon gives you the chance to choose a healthy eating option and indulge in the guilty pleasure of treating yourself to a scrumptious kebab. More a casual diner than a fast food place, they offer the very best of Persian cuisine. And as well as the one in Temple Bar they’ve opened a second one at the top of Camden Street.

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Recommended Pubs in Leinster

The Stag’s Head 1 Dame Court, Dublin 2 01 679 3687

This is the regular hang-out for Dublin’s finest writers and painters, or the great unwashed, and the walls inside are decked out with paintings and drawings which can, for a small sum, be purchased. Improbably, it is also part of one of the most fashionable mini crossroads in the city centre. And at weekends, the place is humming.

The Grave Diggers Hidden away just off of Dame Street, there’s been a tavern here on this corner for over 200 Years. And the Stags has long been a traditional haunt for Trinity students, and for the stars of film and television that they grow up to become. Whilst downstairs you can see comedy on Mondays or Irish Trad at the weekends.

Hourican’s Bar

7 Leeson St Lwr, Dublin 2 01 678 9030

Gravediggers

28 Parliament St, Kilkenny 056 776 2573

It reads “John Kavanagh” above the door outside, but everybody knows it as the Grave Diggers, as it’s just around the corner from Glasnevin Cemetery. Before Gunness became so efficiently corporate and the quality of a pint was far less predictable, this used to be where you’d go for the best pint in Dublin. It still is, and they haven’t changed a thing here for years. Happily.

Cleere’s pulls off that rare trick of successfully being two things at the same time. Out the front, it’s a classic, traditional Irish pub. And out back, it’s an exciting theatre that plays host to gigs and plays. And they are as serious about the acts that they allow perform there as they are about keeping the atmosphere exactly the same as it’s always been.

Johnnie Fox’s

Glencullen, Co Dublin. 01 295 5647 Set high up in the heart of the Dublin mountains, Fox’s is an institution. Superb food and a unique atmosphere, there’s Irish trad here every night, and at weekends in the afternoons as well. And there’s a shuttle bus that gets you there and back in 30 minutes for a fiver either way. But be sure to book, as it’s one of the most popular pubs in Leinster.

Situated at the Stephen’s Green end of Leeson Street, this is the perfect place to stop off for a quiet pint before heading off to some of the more glitzier venues in town proper, or on to the rest of the Leeson Street strip.

Grogan’s

15 S William St., Dublin 2 01 677 9320

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Cleere’s Bar and Theatre

1 Prospect Sq., Dublin 9 01 8307978

Recommended Pubs in Leinster

The Porterhouse

Temple Bar, 16-8 Parliament St, Dublin 2 01 679 8847

There are three now here in town, but the one on Parliament Street is the best known. part of the increasingly popular micro brewery scene, the Porterhouse produces its own choice of stouts, lagers and craft beers, as well as a choice of others from home and abroad. And they usually have live music playing on the mezzanine.

Sweeney’s Bar 32 dame St, Dublin 2 01 635 0056

One of the more recent additions to the Dublin pub scene, you can get to it either from Dame St or from the back of the Stag’s Head. And once inside, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d strayed into a Spanish or Greek taverna. The place is hopping at weekends with students and hipsters earnestly nodding their heads to the bands who play there. And out back, where Sweeneys meets the Stags is a veritable melting pot come the small hours of the morning.

Slattery’s of Rathmines

217-19 Lower Rathmines Rd, Dublin 6

There’s plenty to do in Dublin’s unofficial student quarter, but the only place to go drinking in Rathmines is really here at Slattery’s. No felt, carpet or neon in sight and only the odd television to stain this otherwise classic spit and sawdust pub. Enjoy it while you can as they seem to be going the way of the dodo.

The No Name Bar 3 Fade St, Dublin 2 01 648 0010

Officially it’s the bar above Kelly’s Hotel, opposite the Market Bar and next door to Hogan’s but locals only ever refer to it as the No Name bar. Up on the first floor they’ve taken a suite of elegant Victorian rooms and turned them into a laid back, fashionable bar, complete with a terraced smoking area. And, as you’d expect, they serve up a mean cocktail.

The Liquor Rooms 7 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2 087 339 3688

Situated under the Clarence Hotel on the quays, the Liquors Rooms offer up a heady mix of retro, vintage decor and a smart modern vibe that the too cool for school hipsters find hard to

Doheny & Nesbitt’s 5 Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2 01 676 2945

One of the oldest and more venerable pubs in Dublin, and traditionally the spot where politicians of old would juggle figures before swinging round the corner and into the Dail to present the next budget. It has now been extended both back and up, so that without sacrificing any of its illustrious history, it is now significantly roomier. resist. Once you get in, it’s actually a lot bigger than it seems, and there are all sorts of nooks and crannies for you to get up to who knows what kind of mischief.

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Hidden Dublin

Art Historian and Dublin city guide Arran Henderson has spent years exploring art, architecture and design history. He writes on some of the hidden gems in the city centre.

Saint Patrick’s cathedral artifacts

Saint Patrick’s stands on the site of a tiny early Christian church, founded by the eponymous saint in the 4th century. Much later, in the medieval Anglo-Norman period, a massive church was built here, then raised to cathedral status. In the intervening 8oo years, it’s become a sort of giant history lesson writ in glass and stone. Here’s just a tiny handful of the many treasures within…

war-torn era, became one of the richest men in Europe. This huge, late renaissance monster in wood is by far the largest memorial in the cathedral, dedicated to Boyle and wife and their immense brood. One son was Robert Boyle, later dubbed the father of Chemistry, responsible for Boyle’s Law of Gasses. This detail is thought to be Robert as a boy.

War flags and memorials

Boyle memorial

Richard Boyle, first earl of Cork, a ruthless adventurer in the late Elizabethan reign, acquired huge estates in Munster and astronomical fortunes from forestry, land, trade, agriculture and iron works. He transformed the infrastructure of the south of Ireland, and despite his turbulent

All the sons of these Irish families who paid for this window were young Irish officers lost to WWI. The ancient shard of glass from Belgium was worked into the design.

Dean Swift

You can’t go to St Patrick’s without doffing your hat to its most famous inhabitant, the great Dean Jonathan Swift, that irascible, complex yet compassionate genius, champion of liberty, finest satirist in the English language, author of A Modest Proposal; Drapier’s letters and of course Gulliver’s Travels. “He left a house for fools and mad/ and proved, by one satiric touch/ that no nation /needed it so much.” The cathedral maintains a selection of his mementos.

To the North side of the choir, you’ll find battle colours from many former historic Irish regiments of the British army, spanning from the Battle of the Boyne (1690) to the Battle of Britain in 1945. Large sculptures commemorate Irish who fought in 19th century China and South Africa. See the rolls of honour books from the First World War, with stunning illustrations by artist Harry Clarke.

Stained glass

This stained glass window was commissioned by a small number of Dublin families to commemorate their sons. One son was walking in the ruins of the great Gothic cathedral of Ypres, in Belgium near the front line, when he picked up a fragment of stained glass, fallen from the ancient, shattered windows above. On his next leave home in Dublin he gave it as a keepsake to his sister. When he returned to the front line he was killed in action. 20 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

Arran Henderson is an art historian and writer, who also runs the much-lauded Dublin Decoded tours (reviews on TripAdvisor). Information on these unique tours through www.dublindecoded. com. Special private, bespoke and custom tours also available.

Rudolf Heltzel Jewellery

ver the past six decades Rudolf Heltzel has been designing and creating some of the most beautifully intricate pieces of handmade jewellery, painstakingly crafted in silver and gold, that you’ll find anywhere in Europe. Unsurprisingly, his timeless designs and impeccable workmanship have won him international acclaim.

Originally from Berlin in Germany, Heltzel was invited over to Ireland in 1966 by an Córas Tráchtála, the Irish Export Board. He set up and led the trail-blazing gold and silver studio and workshops at the government sponsored Kilkenny Design Workshops. In 1968, he branched out on his own and established his own workshop there in Kilkenny, and he and his son Christopher continue to be based there to this day. He trained both in the more sculptural discipline of the silversmith, as well as a goldsmith, and both of these separate if complementary sets of skills are evident in the originality of the designs he produces. For Heltzel, jewellery making is part of a living, cultural heritage and he takes inspiration from the history, mythology and symbolism of the precious metals and stones that he uses in his designs. Hence his advice and help are constantly in demand from jewellery manufacturers throughout the Far East, South East Asia, the Near East and in the Caribbean. For Heltzel, each piece of jewellery is an expression of the individuality and aspirations of both the maker and the wearer. Hence, each individual one-off piece is both dynamic and sculptural yet wearable and comfortable, combining abstract elements that work together in harmony. And he’s

constantly pushing the boundaries that working in precious metals and gemstones inevitably impose with the elaborate nature of his designs. With the result that some of his pieces can take anything up to 15 years to conceive of and construct. All of the pieces that they make are done by hand, and he and his team would be delighted to talk to you about whatever it is that you are looking for. Visit the studio at 10 Patrick Street in Kilkenny, or contact them on at

http://rudolfheltzel.com

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he seaside town of Bray, which links the city of Dublin to the garden county of Wicklow, is no stranger to storytelling. A certain James Joyce lived there as a child between 1887-1899 in one of the many, many houses that his father moved the family to in between dodging creditors. Oscar Wilde inherited the Bray Strand hotel from his father, who had made a number of investments in the town. But the bright lights of London were more to Oscar’s taste, so he sold it and moved across the water. Whilst the creator of London’s most famous sleuth, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived for a while in Bray in Rahan House, where he developed a fascination with the occult and with psychic phenomena, which was often reflected then in the interests of his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes. So it is only as it should be that Bray will this year host YARN, its very own storytelling festival which runs for fully eight days from Saturday November 15th until Sunday 23rd. It’s all being run and organised by the Mermaid Arts Centre, and is a non-profit making festival where the entire focus is on creating a platform for the art of storytelling, with the aim of bringing communities together to listen to and hopefully tell a few tall tales. There will be events taking place throughout the town in schools, community groups, pubs and pretty much anywhere where more than one person is gathered. This year’s festival is being curated by Jack Lynch, who is the Chairperson of Storytellers of Ireland. And quite correctly he has loads to say about it all: “How do we account for the magic of storytelling? This oral art which pre-dates the 22 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

earliest forms of writing is an unerring human response to memorable experience. Our cavedwelling ancestors drew around the fire and told of the day’s adventures, the hunting and gathering. Whether it be in the cave, the desert, the teepee or in the cottage, the fire was the heart and hearth of the community.” “In Ireland the wireless and more modern media may have replaced the seanchaí as the focus of local culture, but the everyday craft of storytelling has survived as a vibrant phenomenon, shared in libraries, schools, prisons, care centres and festivals. The story lulls small ones to sleep and often keeps the big people awake. Tales have made their way across seas and down through the centuries. We need to retrieve our own stories of community and family. In Mali they have a saying, “When an old person dies it is like a library burning to the ground”.” Amen to that. Events at the festival include workshops for kids and adults, afternoon tea and tales, Cliff Walk stories, and numerous theatrical performances.

Call 01 272 4030

www.mermaidartscentre.ie

Welcome to Munster

unster is the most southerly of the four provinces of Ireland and stretches from Tipperary in the South Midlands to Waterford in the South East, and from Clare, Limerick and Kerry down to Cork in the South.The entire area is famed for Irish traditional music, song and dance. There are many ancient castles and monasteries in the province, and coupled with the vast green countryside and its three cities (Limerick, Cork and Waterford) Munster is a must see destination for tourists.

Bunratty Castle Bunratty Castle in County Clare is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland. Built in 1425 it was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries, and works of art which capture the mood of those times. Travelling down the coast, Limerick is the next port of call which this year has been designated as Ireland’s first City of Culture. From theatres to outdoor music events, museums to festivals, Limerick has an eclectic mix of sights

Limerick and sounds to suit all tastes. County Limerick also incorporates the Foynes Estuary with its world famous Foynes Flying Boat Museum. The museum tells the story of the Pan Am Clipper aircraft which brought commercial flights from America to our shores, landing in the estuary itself. It includes the only full-scale model of a Boeing B-314 Flying Boat anywhere in the world. The Rose of Tralee is the most famous Festival in Kerry and this internationally acclaimed festival comes with all the bells and whistles you would expect from a truly Irish experience. The festival celebrates its 55th year this year and commences with the International Rose Ball on the 15th of August before culminating with the selection of the 2014 Rose of Tralee in the magnificent dome four days later. There is a packed programme of events during the week

for all to enjoy. One of Munster’s most famous landmarks the Rock of Cashel, in County Tipperary is the historical seat of the Kings of Munster. The outcrop on which the Castle and grounds stand is one of the most photogenic spots in all of Munster. The spectacular group of medieval buildings Fota Wildlife Park are set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale and include the 12th century round tower, the High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, the 13th century Gothic cathedral, the 15th century Castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars Choral. Contact : Telephone No: 062 61437. E-mail: rockofcashel@opw.ie. County Cork is well worth the drive as it has sandy beaches, the wonderful Blarney Castle, Foto Wildlife Park and golf course, wonderful coastlines and a city nightlife to rival any of that in Europe. Travel from east to west or north to south in this sprawling county and there is a view, an historical point of interest or an adventure to explore. Finally at the extreme South East of the island of Ireland is Waterford. Waterford is the capital of the ‘Sunny South East of Ireland’ and Ireland’s oldest city. The city and county is famous throughout the world as the home of Waterford Crystal. A visit to the House of Crystal visitor centre includes an opportunity

to choose from the world’s largest selection of Waterford Crystal. The factory tour offers first hand access to all areas of traditional crystal production. County Waterford offers a dazzling 147 kilometres coastline, with 49 beaches, beautiful river valleys, lakes and two dramatic ranges of very accessible mountains.

The Cork Film Festival

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey

he 59th Cork Film Festival kicks off on Friday November 7th and runs for ten days until the 16th. The festival opens with a screening of the Australian film Charlie’s Country, directed by Rolf de Heer, and

Björk: Biophilia Live

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starring the legendary indigenous actor David Gulpilil, who won the Best Actor prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s the final film in the trilogy after 2002’s The Tracker and 2006’s Ten Canoes, and will also be Australia’s entry for

Best Foreign Film at next year’s Academy Awards. The other three big gala events are the Music Film Gala screening of Björk: Biophilia Live, directed by Peter Strickland and Nick Fenton. Then there’s the Irish Gala film world premiere of Ron and Ronan Burke’s Standby, starring Brian Gleeson (the Stag) and Jessica Paré (Mad Men). While the Closing Night Gala film is Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which has recently been restored and is being released on a 4k digital print by the British Film Institute. On Sunday the 9th, the IFTA winning Irish actor and comedian Pat Shortt (Killinaskully, Garage) will be joined by the entertainment phenomenon that is Jarlath Regan for a very special one-off episode of An Irishman Abroad Live in the Cork Opera House. Shortt can also be seen in the new John Boorman film Queen and Country which is being screened on the same day.

Also on that Sunday, RTE presenter Philip King (The South Wind Blows, Other Voices) will be in conversation with Christy Moore, followed by a rare chance to see the iconic 2009 concert film Come All You Dreamers - Christy Moore and Declan Sinnott at Barrowland, Glasgow in its entirety. And that evening there’s a free screening of Philip’s film Christy at the Triskel. The Triskel, which has recently been completely refurbished, will be hosting the music and festival clubs throughout the week as well as a variety of indie programmes. The Twisted Celluloid Series offers a choice of late night screenings including

David Michôd’s The Rover, with Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, Sam Peckinpah’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia from 1974 and Brian de Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise. They also have a four part Derek Jarman retrospective, with new digital prints of Caravaggio, Jubilee, Sebastiane and The Tempest. But for my money the hidden gem at this year’s festival will be the screening of two films from the enigmatic and genuinely legendary Chilean film-maker Alejandro Jodorowsky. Jodorowsky is credited with single handedly launching what became the New York midnight film screening tradition with his second feature, the completely bonkers El Topo (‘70). The Festival will be screening his equally famous and, remarkably, even more insane follow up Holy Mountain from 1974. As well as his most recent film, the autobiographical Dance Of Reality from 2013, which was shown to huge acclaim at the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes last year. If you are looking for something a bit more conventional, some of the big names to watch out for include Tommy Lee Jones’s epic Western The Homesman, starring Hilary Swank, James Spader and Meryl Streep, which was nominated for the

Palme d’Or at Cannes this year. Then there’s Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy, with Jake Gyllenhaal (twice!) in an adaptation of Dostoevsky’s The Double; The Imitation Game, with Keira Knightley, Charles Dance and Benedict Cumberbatch in a biopic of the life of British mathematician and cryptanalyst Alan Turing, which opened the London Film Festival earlier this year; and John Ridley’s All Is By My Side, starring Imogen Poots and Hayley Atwell, with Outcast’s dapper Andre Benjamin as a young Jimi Hendrix.

For more info tel 021 4271711 www.corkfilmfest.org

Rockmount

Holy Mountain

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Recommended Restaurants in Munster x

The Old Convent Clogheen, Co Tipperary 052 746 5565

The Lime Tree

Shelbourne St, Kenmare, Co Kerry 064 664 1225

Out of the Blue Dingle Harbour (066) 915 0811.

Hidden away in the village of Clogheen, with the possible exception of the Cashel Palace, this is the finest restaurant in the whole of county Tipperary. Only one sitting at 8pm, and a set tasting menu at 65 Euro, this is quite simply one of the finest dining experiences in Ireland.

Ballymaloe House Shanagarry, Co Cork 021 4652 531

Myrtle Allen bought Ballymaloe in 1948 and she and her extended families have been entertaining and educating the rest of the country ever since. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but whether dining in the restaurant or staying on the grounds, this is about as luxurious as it gets.

Fishy Fishy Café

Crowley’s Quay, Kinsale, Co Cork. 01 470 0415

With the possible exception of Kinsale, Kenmare is Ireland’s unofficial culinary capital. And this is one of the town’s very best restaurants, specializing in wonderfully fresh fish and succulent lamb.

Dromoland Castle

Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare 061 368 144 Quite simply one of the most imposing and impressive castles on these islands, it boasts rooms and a restaurant to match its imperious surroundings.

They serve only only the freshest, most succulent fish and shellfish here, which they have delivered every day, literally, from the sea outside their front door. And if there’s no fish on a particular day, then they won’t open the restaurant. A certain Mr. Paul Hewson, aka Bono is a fan. So book early to avoid disappointment.

An Canteen Dykgate st Dingle Tel 0866603778.

Ristorante Rossini 33-4 Princess St, Cork city. 021 427 5818 Kinsale is unquestionably the food capital of Ireland, and this by common consent is one of its finest restaurants. Impeccably fresh fish at reasonable prices.

Isaacs Restaurant McCurtain St, Cork city. 021 450 3805

Hidden away in a budget style hotel, Isaacs has always had a reputation with locals for being a considerably better quality restaurant than you might have expected. And as you’d expect, its very reasonably priced too.

Small quaint front room restaurant with locally sourced high quality ingredients making this little gem a must visit when in Dingle.

The Mustard Seed Ballingarry, Co Limerick 069 68508

About 40 minutes outside of Limerick City, off the Adare road, this is one of those roomy country houses that’s been transformed into a top class hotel and restaurant. One of the finest restaurants in Munster.

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La Cucina Antonio Toscano opened this Italian restaurant in the heart of Cork City in 1994, and has always gone out of his way to staff it with his fellow country men and women, from both the North and the South of Italy. And it’s this, together with their extensive menu that makes eating here as close to actually dining in Italy as you could hope to find.

5 University Court, Castletroy, County Limerick. Tel 061 333980 Simply one of the best places for a pizza in the country.

Out of the Blue - Half Page.indd 1

24/04/2014 17:19:46

A week of storytelling, ďŹ reside sessions, workshops and performances

15 - 23 November 2014 Presented by Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre

www.mermaidartscentre.ie 01 2724030

Recommended Pubs in Munster

The Bierhaus Pope’s Quay, Cork 021 455 1648

There are over 220 different beers to choose from here, including 6 rotating guest draught taps and a cask. So whether you are looking for a bottle or draught, an international or an Irish beer, there’s a reasonably good chance you’ll find it here. And they spend as much time on getting the atmosphere right as they do on choosing their beers.

An Brog

72-73 Oliver Plunkett St, Cork 021 4270074

kingdom there, or base themselves there for its duration.

Jack Meades (under the bridge) Dunmore Rd, Waterford 051 850 950

Set on 5 acres of impeccably kept lawns, this sprawling complex boasts a number of bars. The old world bar it has dates back to 1705, whilst its lime kiln and ice house were built around 1860. But there is also a modern bar, and an extensive beer garden looking down over the gardens and streams. And good quality food is served here throughout the day.

Dick Mack’s

Greene St, Dingle, Co Kerry 066 915 1960

An Brog has been attending to fans of alternative and indie music for over 20 years now, and they’ve a constantly evolving roster of Djs and live bands catering to all and every musical taste. And best of all, they are open til 2 in the morning, seven days a week.

Buckley’s Bar

The Arbutus Hotel, College St, Killarney, Co Kerry. 064 6631037

Named after the leather craftsman, this small and gloriously “busy” pub still sells hand made leather ware inside at the shop to one side. Its walls are drowned in archaic photographs, and outside there’s a star studded pavement where the likes of Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery and Julia Roberts have left their mark. For many, many people, this is what they imagine when they conjure up the image of an Irish pub.

Dolan’s Pub and Restaurant 3-4 Dock Rd, Limerick 061 314 483 (ext 1)

The oak panelled walls and turf fire are the perfect accompaniment to the many musicians who drop in here for the impromptu sessions that seem to be forever going on here. Both bar and hotel have been welcoming visitors since it opened in 1926. And many people either begin their trip around the

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Dolan’s is made up of three venues, two outdoor areas, a traditional Irish pub and a restaurant. So there’s music here every day of the week, and they’ll serve you your breakfast, lunch and dinner as you require. Some of the many guests who’ve enjoyed their hospitality include Kasabian, Franz Ferdinand, Sharon Shannon and Imelda May.

www.winterval.ie

IRISH CRAFT SHOP Est. 1995

in Irish Knitwear, “ We SellSpecialists Traditional Aran Sweaters, Tweeds and Wool Products Wool & Tweed Products” C

Open 7 Days

Located on Top Floor of St. Stephens Green Centre

CMY

www.donegalshop.ie

For further details and bookings go to www.winterval.ie Winterval Programme 16 pagesTEST.pdf

22/10/2014

17:10

Top Floor, St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Dublin 2 Phone: 014754621 Website: www.donegalshop.ie

CMY

Horse Drawn Sleigh LOCATION: The Mall, outside Waterford Crystal PRICE: Adults €7, Children €6. Group rates available on request 20+ DATES AND TIMES: Days as per calendar (page 3)

Our majestic Shire horses will take you on a magical tour of Waterford City taking in all the wonder of the Christmas market, the Viking Triangle and festivities at John Roberts Square.

Toy Museum in the Large Room LOCATION: In the Large Room, City Hall, The Mall PRICE: FREE DATES AND TIMES: Monday to Thursday 9.30am - 2pm Friday 9.30am - 6pm Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 12 - 6pm

Winterval Express Train LOCATION: Barronstrand Street PRICE: Adults €6, Children €5 (weekends) DATES AND TIMES: Days as per calendar (page 3) Hop on board the magical “Winterval Express”, a road train that takes you on an enthralling half hour journey through the historic streets of Waterford. See the Winterval attractions; the Giant Postbox and Carousel, the Singing Christmas Tree, Santa’s Grotto, Reginald’s Tower, Winterval Christmas Market, Yule Viking Settlement and the Polish Christmas Village.

59th Cork Film Festival Pick up point at The Mall, Waterford Crystal.

Why not come and enjoy a beautiful display of toys from Christmas past and introduce your children to your childhood favorites. As part of Action Man’s 50th anniversary we are delighted to showcase a stunning collection of Action Man figures!

Pick up at train station Barronstrand St.

7 - 16 November

WORLD PREMIERE

Standby

Come All You Dreamers (Christy Moore live intro)

Films. Music. Ideas.

IRISH PREMIERE

The Homesman

Set Fire to the Stars

(intro by Celyn Jones, Actor/Writer)

corkfilmfest.org

NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 29

The Cashel Arts Festival

he town of Cashel in county Tipperary is built around the ancient Rock of Cashel. This has been the ancestral seat of the High Kings of Munster for some two thousand years, and Cashel has played a central role in Irish history since pagan times. It was here that Saint Patrick baptized the third King of Cashel in the fifth century. In 977, Brian Boru became the first outsider to claim the crown of Munster in over 500 years. Boru was from Thomond in neighbouring Clare. And it was here that King Henry II of England came in 1172 for the Synod of Cashel. Henry had been urged by Pope Adrian IV to bring Ireland back under Roman rule. The wild brand of Christianity that was being practiced here was, it was felt, far too Irish, and Ireland needed, in short, to be re-Catholicised. That at least was the official explanation. There are some who have claimed that it was simply an excuse to justify a Norman invasion of Ireland by the English. Adrian IV was coincidentally the only Englishman ever to have become Pope. Funny that. 30 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

cashel -arts festival For A Dolphin Dingle My Kingdom

Irish Book Awards. He gives a talk and a reading on Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the library, and admission is free. With the National Gallery celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire, Education Assistant at the National Gallery will present an illustrated talk about the early history of the Gallery and its most important purchases and bequests. He will be showing examples of paintings, works on paper and sculpture from the Irish and European collection throughout the presentation. That takes place at 8pm on Monday after Yvonne Edmonds’s Art Exhibition, and is again free. Whilst on Friday evening, the festival welcomes back David Day of Jabba Jabba Jembe who will be demonstrating his drumming workshops from 6.30pm in the plaza on Main street. Followed on by by a fire show from Realta Productions together with a theatrical performance of clowns and who knows what more madness besides. The Festival concludes on Snnday 16th with the Finale Concert organized by spiritual singer Nóirín Ní Riain and her son, Moley, who will perform songs from a wide variety of spiritual traditions including the Irish amhrán cráifeach, Gregorian Chant repertoire and world spiritual songs. Tickets are 10 Euro and the performance starts at 8pm in the Cathedral Church. All in all it’s a busy seven days, offering up a selection of workshops, exhibitions, theatre, literature, music, and family entertainment.

www.cashelartsfest.com Moley

Donal Ryan So Cashel is, to put it mildly, steeped in history. And not before time it now has its own Arts Festival, which is held this year between Sunday November 9th and Sunday 16th. This year the theme for the festival is “connecting”, which is very appropriate as it was this year that North and South Tipperary were merged. Or at least their Councils were. And by the by, just as the most northerly part of Ireland is actually in the south (ie the Republic), similarly North Tipperary is in fact west of South Tipp, which is east of North Tipp. And it almost goes without saying, those responsible for drawing up both sets of Alice-in-Wonderland borders were of course the English. But enough of this Cromwell bashing. Back to the Festival. When the festival organisers asked last year’s literary guest John Boyne, the author of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas to recommend an author for this year’s festival, he immediately suggested local man Donal Ryan, the writer from Nenagh in North Tipp. When his debut novel The Spinning Heart was published in 2012 it took the literary world by storm and went on to become an unlikely bestseller. Unlikely in so far as few other bestsellers are quite as well written as his book is. Co-published by The Lilliput Press and Doubleday Ireland, The Spinning Heart has won two Irish Book Awards, the Guardian First Book Award, was a finalist for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and was long-listed for both the Man Booker Prize and the Desmond Elliott Prize. His second novel, The Thing About December topped the Irish bestseller charts shortly after its release in October 2013 and was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the

NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 31

236 Lower rathmines road, dubLin 6 teL: 01-4977

236 Lower rathmines road, dubLin 6 teL: 01-4977057

32 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

The Listowel Food Fair in county Kerry

he 20th Listowel Food Fair runs in County Kerry from Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd of November and this year it celebrates its 20th anniversary. Over the past 20 years, the event has grown in prestige and is now firmly established as one of the premier food fairs on the Irish Calendar. One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a special evening on Thursday 20th of November in the Listowel Arms Hotel, entitled from ‘Farm to Fork’, which features food demonstrations by local chefs and culinary talks given by experts in the meat and fish industry explaining exactly how it is that the food that we eat arrives on our table. The evening will conclude with a delicious showcase by sponsor Pallas Foods involving chocolate and wines! On Friday the 21st, the well known Kerry based chef and food author, Mark Doe, will host a cooking demonstration focused on how best to reduce food waste with some creative, easy to create dishes. Also on that Friday, there’s the Craft Beer Symposium in St. John’s Theatre. Speakers there will include experts from the Brewing Dog in Scotland, as well as a host of other industry leaders in what is rapidly becoming a craft beer movement. It’s sure to be an enlightening insight

into this fast emerging industry and, much more importantly, a lot of fun! There is also have an extensive programme of workshops, including Coeliac Information and cooking demonstration by Richard Sheehan, and the always popular children’s workshops. All Workshops sell out very quickly so early booking is advised. The festival culminates on Saturday 22nd with the Listowel Food Fair Gala Dinner and Awards, which will be held in the Listowel Arms Hotel. During which, a series of awards will be given out to the many individuals who have made a significant contribution to both the Irish food industry and the economy as a whole. Tickets are only €50, so pre booking is advised. And as ever, the Craft Fair will bring

the festival to a close on Sunday the 23rd in the Listowel Arms Hotel. And throughout the week there will be Cookery competitions and an expanded programme of workshops for people of all ages, with particular attention this year being focused on children.

www.listowelfoodfair.ie

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Sneem International Storytelling & Folklore Festival

s you make your way along the ring of Kerry from Killarney, up through the national park leaving behind you the spectacular views of the lakes below, you eventually come to a fork in the road. Left takes you into Kenmare, and the inevitable stop at the Park Hotel there. Right takes you past the equally tempting stop at the Parknasilla, until you arrive at the village of Sneem. And for many

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who know the area well, this marks the real beginning of the Ring of Kerry. From there, it’s on to Waterville, Ballinskelligs and the island of Valentia. Well now there’s an even more compelling reason to include Sneem on your itinerary. As over the weekend of November 7th to the 9th they are hosting the third year of their International Storytelling and Folklore Festival. Batt Burns is the founder and Chairman of the festival, and he explains, “We want to celebrate the rich oral tradition that has existed in South Kerry going back to pre-Christian times. But more than that, we want to inspire a generation of new storytellers to have fun with the tradition, share stories and listen to masters of the trade.” Apart from Burns himself, who is a seanchai of some renown, and hails obviously from the

village of Sneem itself, the festival also features Cork’s Pat Speight and Teddy Black, Kerry’s Sonny Egan, Dublin’s Nuala Hayes, Michael Harvey from Wales and Mike Mazur from Ohio, USA. The two highlights of the festival though will be the presentation of the ultimate Kerry adventure story, the award-winning play Tom Crean– Antarctic Explorer, written and performed by Aidan Dooley. And the Gala concert on the Friday night in the Sneem Hotel, where all and any of the storytellers in the area will congregate together with musicians of the renowned Sliabh Luachra area on the Cork/Kerry border. Over the weekend, visitors can look forward to storytelling workshops and lectures, a storytelling pub trail, and the lunchtime theatre and ‘Story Swap’, where members of the public can swap stories with each other over the weekend. And if you are looking to walk off some of those calories, you can either take a storytelling walk into the countryside, with a stop at an 18th century farmhouse where you’ll be entertained by Dublin storyteller Nuala Hayes. Or you can do the village walk with a local historian, finishing up, inevitably, in a local hostelry.

Go to www.sneemstorytellingfestival.com

Dublin Decoded

Unique, city walking tours of Art, Architecture and History in Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, with writer, art historian and acclaimed guide Arran Henderson.

To see our 5-star reviews, go to the Dublin Decoded page on TripAdvisor For full menu of tour descriptions and booking details, see www.dublindecoded.com

Explore Munster

Cliffs of Moher

Stretching for eight kilometres along the coastline and standing at 214 metres at their highest point, the Cliffs of Moher give the visitor a panoramic view out onto the Atlantic Ocean. It is said that on a clear day you can see the Aran Islands and Galway bay, over the twelve pins and the Blasket Islands off the coast of Kerry. When there you really should ascend O’Briens Tower which has been used as a viewing point for centuries past.

Blarney Castle

The Hunt Museum

The Hunt Museum has artefacts from Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Olmec civilisation. There is also an important collection of Irish archaeological material ranging from Neolithic flints, Bronze Age material, and Christian art. One of the strengths of the collection is the medieval material, which include statues in stone and wood, painted panels, jewellery, enamels, ivories, ceramics, crystal and crucifixes. Plus work from Picasso, Renoir, Roderic O’Conor, Jack B. Yeats, Robert Fagan and Henry Moore. 061 312 833 www.huntmuseum.com

Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry ( Irish: Mórchuaird Chiarraí) is not a ring in the conventional sense but a 179-km-long circular tourist route in County Kerry. Clockwise from Killarney it follows the N71 to Kenmare, then the N70 around the Iveragh Peninsula to Killorglin, passing through Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen, and Glenbeigh, before returning to Killarney via the N72. The scenery along this route is spectacular to behold and the route takes you through the Gap of Dunloe, the Bog Village, past Rossbeigh Beach, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, The Blue Pool, Ross Castle, the Ogham Stones, and many more visitor attractions.

Bunratty Castle The Burren

Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting visitors from all over the world ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney, making it a world landmark and one of Ireland’s greatest treasures. And notwithstanding how impressive an example it is of a medieval castle, this is probably because of the famous stone you will there at the top of the tower. People from all over the world have climbed up there to kiss it in the hope of acquiring the gift of the gab. Which needless to say they duly receive. 021 438 5252

The Burren, from the Gaelic word Boireann is an area of limestone rock covering imposing majestic mountains, and tranquil valleys with gently meandering streams. With its innate sense of spiritual peace, extraordinary array of flora and wildlife, and megalithic tombs and monuments older than Egypt’s pyramids, the Burren creates a tapestry of colour and a seductively magical aura which few people leave without wanting to experience again. To Begin to discover the secrets of the Burren, a walk through the Burren Centre Exhibition is essential.

Bunratty Castle in County Clare is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland. Built in 1425 it was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries, and works of art which capture the mood of those times. Browse the castle and marvel at the finest collection of medieval furniture in the country which brings to life a vital part of our Medieval past. You can explore at your own leisure or join in a guided tour with the experienced guides. At night time the castle is the impressive setting for the medieval castle banquets which are held all year round.

Louis Mulcahy Pottery

ocated on the scenic Slea head drive, nestled at the foot of a mountain and overlooking the wild Atlantic of Clogher strand, Louis Mulcahy pottery started as a two person operation in 1975 and today employs over twenty people in a part of Ireland that is rich in history, culture and the Irish language. Just step through the front door of Louis Mulcahy’s studio and workshop at Clogher, and your senses will get the hit they’ve been missing. You can see the full range of pottery in the extensive showroom at workshop prices from huge pot bellied urns, floor sized lamps, oven dishes, hand painted shades, mugs and plates to tiny egg cups and vases. Louis Mulcahy’s pottery range covers everything. Caife na Caolóige, recently awarded Bord Bia’s “The Just Ask restaurant of the month” for August, serves home baking and the best in local produce including crab toasties, smoked mackerel paté and fresh seaweed bread. If

you want to know what the Dingle Peninsula tastes like, you’re in the right place. Stop by, browse through the stunning pottery shop, and treat yourself to a slice of west Kerry, all served on Louis Mulcahy pottery. Their workshop comes alive during the October bank holiday weekend when their Annual sale takes place. In the past, customers have travelled from as far away as the US and Italy for Louis’ renowned sale where they offer up to 75% off some of the pieces. It’s also the only time of the year where they sell their “seconds”. Their Customer Evening takes place on Friday 24th October from 5pm8pm where pre-registered customers can avail of 25% reduction in a relaxed atmosphere, with competitions and light refreshments throughout the evening.

For more details go to www.louismulcahy.com NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 37

Welcome To Connaught

Ancient stone walls in the Aran Islands

he province of Connaught lies in the West of Ireland with its coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. The counties of Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Galway and Roscommon make up this geographically diverse region with the Atlantic Ocean to its westerly boundary, and the midlands of Roscommon to the East. It is the least populated with a population of just over 400,000. Historically, Connaught has retained its rich Gaelic heritage and today still has communities where the Irish language only is spoken amongst them. But English is the primary second language. These regions are collectively called the Gaeltacht. The remote and beautiful Aran

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Islands off the mainland of County Galway are also part of the Gaeltacht. The primary business centre of Connaught, and the most densely populated area is the thriving city of Galway to the south of the province. Although Sligo City, Carrick on Shannon, and Boyle are all fine business and shopping centres in their own right. Connaught has some of the most scenic and unspoilt countryside to be found in Ireland, including the spectacular mountainous landscape of Connemara, the lock gates and river banks of the Shannon Waterway, the famed Galway Bay and the historic glens of County Leitrim. Couple these with the beautiful Ashford Castle in Mayo near to Cong where the film ‘The Quiet The Claddagh by night Man ‘ was filmed, and the natural serenity of Lough Key Forest Park in Roscommon, and a tour of this region is a must for all. For those interested in a religious experience Mayo is famed for Knock Shrine where on the 21st August, 1879, at about 8 o’clock, Our Lady, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist

are reputed to have appeared. The apparition was seen by fifteen people whose ages ranged from six years to seventy-five and included men, women and children. The shrine has become so popular in modern times that the Ireland West International Airport was built especially in 1985 to cater for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors to Connaught. The county also features the pilgrimage site known as Croagh Patrick, which overlooks Clew Bay in County Mayo. This is considered the holiest mountain in Ireland. The tradition of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches back over 5,000 years from the Stone Age to the present day without interruption. Croagh Patrick is renowned today for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick is said to have fasted for forty days in 441 AD, and the custom of trekking up the mountain has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation. Croagh Patrick is 5 miles from the picturesque town of Westport, and its conical shape soars majestically above the surrounding countryside with magnificent views of Clew Bay beneath. So, whether it’s water activities on the Atlantic coastline, cruising on the Shannon Waterway, religious pilgrimages, chilling out amongst an unspoilt landscape or driving along roads where motoring is still a pleasure, Connaught has it all.

NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 39

TULCA Festival of Contemporary Visual Arts in Galway

Conor McGarrigle

ULCA is a multi-venue, artist-centred Festival of Contemporary Visual Arts taking place in Galway city and county between 8-23rd of November. Since 2002, it is the only festival in Ireland to specifically commission Irish curators to develop a theme unique to the event. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival Curator is Aisling Prior and the theme is entitled

Saoirse Wall

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NEUTRAL. Prior hopes to draw attention to the lure of stillness and of silence in this increasingly digital age where all of us, even those who chose to live in the most remote parts of a country, are known, traceable and expected to be readily reachable. Escape is impossible. TULCA will continue its commitment to

the educational aspect of the Festival through the development and launch of its education programme T.Ed which will focus on looking at and responding to visual art. There will be a particular emphasis this year on reaching out and engaging with schools and colleges to create an increased awareness and a shared understanding of the visual arts.

TULCA Festival of Contemporary Visual Arts in Galway

festival will be on for, a wide variety of artists from all around the world will be arriving to take part in the festival. The best known of which will undoubtedly be Mark Wallinger. Wallinger represented Britain at the 2001 Venice Biennale and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1995, which he then won in 2007. Whilst his best known work is probably Ecce Homo (the first commission for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square (1999) he was also one of three artists commissioned for Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 at the National Gallery in London as part of the London 2012 Olympics. And he has work in the collections at the Tate, MoMA in New York and the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

www.tulcafestival.com

Colin Martin Throughout the festival T.Ed will host guided tours, talks, seminars and workshops which are specially designed for younger art enthusiasts. There will also be an art-through-education programme that invites schools throughout the city and county to participate in the arts and experience the festival. Children will be encouraged to enjoy the gallery space, and there are going to be tours offered in a relaxed, friendly and child centred environment, which will be sensitive to the varying learning needs of each age group. During this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival, exhibitions will take place in both gallery and non-gallery spaces, featuring projects and events across urban and regional contexts. This year the main gallery space will be located in the former Connacht Tribune Printing Works in Market Street. And over the course of the two weeks that the

Faigreen Gallery

NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 41

The Sligo Choral Festival

he 26th Sligo International Choral Festival takes place this year from Friday November 14th until Sunday 16th. Since it was first launched in 1988 over 1,100 choirs and some 44,000 singers have made their way to the West of Ireland to compete in this prestigious event, generating over 14 million Euro for the local economy in the process. Last year, some 62 choirs attended the festival bringing with them more than 2,000 choristers and this year’s festival in likely to attract even more again. It all kicks off on the Friday, with the Opening Concert featuring The Sligo Academy of Music Sinfonietta, St. Mary’s Community Youth Choir and The Folleso Male Voice Choir from Norway. Then, over the rest of the weekend scores of choirs from all over Europe will be taking part in the 12 separate competitions for €4,000 in prizemoney and a host of prestigious trophies. Competition categories include Mixed Choirs, 42 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

Male Voice, Female Voice, Barbershop, Gospel, Sacred Music and Schools. There’s also going to be a reprise of the highly successful competition for songs set to music from the poetry of W.B. Yeats. Most of the events will be held in The Gillooly Hall and The Cathedral Of The Immaculate Conception. But there’s more to Sligo than just the competitions. There will also be a host of concerts,

workshops, and outdoor performances. Not to mention the new Sligo Schools Sing. This will see many of Sligo’s Secondary and National Schools perform in the Johnston Court Shopping Centre on Friday, Nov. 14th, commencing at 1.00 p.m. The Musical Director is Maire Hunt, who is no stranger to musical circles in Sligo. As usual, different choirs will entertain shoppers on the Saturday, and will then enhance the various religious services on the Sunday after. And for anyone curious to see just what goes into the organising of a school’s choir, Bernie Sherlock, Musical Director of the renowned New Dublin Voices, will conduct a workshop for School Choirs on the Friday morning.

086 2592290 www.sligochoralfest.com

Recommended Restaurants in Connaught

Kai Café

Sea Rd. Galway city. 091 526 003

Roasted pig cheeks with black pudding, and apple and vanilla sauce is just one of this award winning restaurant’s specialities. One of the finest restaurants in the West.

The Cottage Restaurant Jamestown, Co. Leitrim. 071 962 5933

Head chef Sham Hanifa’s sauces are so well regarded, you can buy jars of them to take away with you after your meal. Originally from Malaysia, he’s been here in Leitrim for over 14 years and applies his culinary skills to the local Irish produce that are native to the West.

Ashford Castle

Cong, Co. Mayo. 094 954 6003 Dating all the way back to 1228, this is one of the most imposing castles on the island. And where better to dine than in the George V dining room, built specially by the Guinness family when they hosted the Prince of Wales in 1906.

Upstairs @ West Restaurant The Twelve, Barna, Galway city. 091 597000 David and Jessica Murphy’s restaurant in the heart of Galway has justly won a mountain of awards over the last couple of years, including Restaurant of the Year in 2012. Of the many, many who sing its praises, John McKenna wrote, “It’s vital food, packed with good energy, and it lifts you up to eat it because it’s so simple and elemental.”

Situated in the luxury 4 star hotel The Twelve in Barna, minutes away from the city centre, this is one of Galway’s best kept secrets and is well worth a visit.

Waterfront House Restaurant Enniscrone, County Sligo. 096 37120

Eala Bhán

Rockwood Parade, Sligo town. 071 914 5823

If it’s fresh seafood or a prime steak you’re looking for, this is the place for you. Situated in the heart of Sligo this restaurant is warmly recommended by one and all, including Lucinda O’Sullivan and Georgina Campbell.

The Yew Tree Restaurant

Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon. 090 666 1255 Half way between Athlone and Roscommon, and a quarter of an hour’s drive from either, Aidan Murray has been head chef here for over 20 years. Superior bistro food.

An Port Mór Restaurant

1 Brewery Place, Bridge St, Westport, Co. Mayo. 098 26730

The Waterfront House Restaurant boasts one of the most outstanding sea views in Ireland. You can wine, dine and relax as you peer out over the 5km beach overlooking Killala Bay. Since it opened in 2011 the Seaview Restaurant and Wine Bar have become popular with locals and visitors alike. Fresh Seafood is a specialty. NOVEMBER 2014-TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE- 43

Recommended Pubs in Connaught

Tigh Neachtain (Naughtons) 17 Cross st, Galway 091 568 820

Just across the road from Galway’s justly celebrated Druid Theatre, the Neachtain family have been running this pub here since 1894. And the artsy crowd that congregate here are as likely to be treated to a live jazz trio as they are to the best in Irish trad.

The Quays

11 Quay St, Galway 091 568 347

Shadow and Dinosaur Jr. The only difference is, they’ve got a beer garden on the roof now!

Furey’s Pub Bridge St, Sligo 087 958 3080

Furey’s is located in the centre of Sligo, and is your no nonsense, strictly Irish trad music only, Irish pub. And they are as keen on real beer as they are on serious music, offering up an impressive choice craft beers.

Bosh Bar and Restaurant Don’t be put off by the reams of tourists that flock here all year round, there’s a reason that this pub enjoys such a lofty reputation. It looks and feels exactly like an Irish pub should. And be sure to check out the back of the pub which has been decked out with stained glass and wooden pews borrowed from a Medieval French church!

Linenhall St., Castlebar, Co Mayo 094 925 0534

Whether you are looking for a bit of good quality food, hoping to catch some live music, or just want to watch the match, this is the place you’re looking for when you find yourself in Castlebar.

Roísín Dubh

Matt Malloy’s

Lower Dominick St., Galway 091 586 540

Bridge St., Westport 098 26655

It might have changed hands a few years ago, but the Roísín Dubh is still the premier music venue in the West. In the past they played host to Ray Davies, The New York Dolls and Townes Van Zandt and, more recently the XX, DJ

This is exactly the kind of pub you’d expect the flute player with the Chieftains to have opened. And when he’s not on tour with them, you can expect to see Matt Malloy here in person, joining in on the sessions that take place within.

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Explore Connaught

Kylemore Abbey

Few places on earth have the tranquillity and beauty of Kylemore Abbey and its majestic walled garden. The castle was bought by the Benedictine nuns in 1920. The Victorian walled garden was re-opened in 1999 and won the prestigious Europa Nostra Award in 2002.The garden comprises of roughly 6 acres and is divided in two by a natural mountain stream. The eastern half comprises of the flower or pleasure garden, glass houses and gardeners’ houses. While the kitchen garden makes up the other half of the garden and is predominantly given over to the growing of food. This is a gem and should definitely be at the top of any visitors list.

Glencar Waterfall

Glencar Waterfall is situated near Glencar Lake, 11 kilometres west of Manorhamilton, County Leitrim. It is particularly impressive after rain and can be viewed from a lovely wooded walk. As you reach Glencar which straddles the border between counties Sligo and Leitrim with its dramatic steep cliffs, you will notice a series of waterfalls cascading from the heights. Glencar waterfall is perhaps the most dramatic, descending from a 50ft rocky headland into a deep pool below in a haze of white spray. A paved path to the viewing area provides a wonderful vantage point from which to view the waterfall which is particularly spectacular during wet conditions.

Inishbofin Island

Inishbofin (island of the white cow) is situated seven miles off the Galway coastline and is an extremely popular tourist attraction.The island is 5.7km by 4km, and has three official looped walks of varying difficulties, each offering spectacular views of the island’s wild Atlantic scenery. The island also has several safe, award winning sandy beaches, and its clear waters make swimming, snorkelling and diving a joy. Two of the beaches on Inishbofin have been awarded the ‘Green Coast Award’, prized for their exceptional water quality and their natural, unspoilt environment.

Croagh Patrick

Connemara

Mullaghmore

Mullaghmore is one of the surfing capitals of the Irish Atlantic coastline, and is recognised as one of the top surfing destinations in the world. Indeed, on 8 March 2012, surfers and windsurfers from all over the world rode waves up to 15 metres (49 ft) high off Mullaghmore Head. The area is also safe for bathing, and has all the modern facilities that you could wish for to make your stay enjoyable. And it is overlooked by the majestic Ben Bulbin mountain.

Connemara is one of God’s gifts to this world with unspoilt natural beauty, rolling hills, leafy glens and crystal clear mountain streams all overlooked by towering majestic mountains. Travel from the rugged Twelve Bens mountain range in the North through lake-rich Roundstone Bog, to the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean. This wondrous landscape is bounded on the West, South and North by the Atlantic Ocean. Connemara’s land boundary with the rest of County Galway is marked by the Invermore River which flows into the north of Kilkieran Bay.

Croagh Patrick is 5 miles from the picturesque town of Westport, and its conical shape soars majestically above the surrounding countryside. You get spectacular views of Clew Bay and the surrounding Mayo countryside from all stages as you climb. Widely considered the holiest mountain in Ireland, pilgrimages date all the way back to the time of the pagans, when people are thought to have gathered here to celebrate the beginning of harvest season. It was on the summit of this mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD, and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation. On the last day in July 25,000 pilgrims climb it, and over a million people visit Croagh Patrick every year. 098 64114

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Welcome to Ulster

Marble Arch Caves

he Ancient Irish province of Ulster, made up of 9 counties, was partitioned in 1921 and six of the counties in it now make up Northern Ireland. These are Fermanagh, Antrim, Down, Derry/Londonderry, Armagh, and Tyrone. The other three counties are Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. County Fermanagh has over 300 square miles of water, 365 islands, breathtaking scenery, the mystical Marble Arch Caves Geo Park, world class fishing and more historic monuments than you could shake a stick at. In short, Fermanagh is a Lakeland Paradise.

is the most notable. The famous mountains or ‘Hills of Donegal’ consist of two major ranges, the Derryveagh Mountains in the north and the Bluestack Mountains in the south, with Mount Errigal at 751 metres the highest peak. The Slieve League cliffs are the second highest sea cliffs in Europe, while Donegal’s Malin Head is the most northerly point on the island of Ireland. Giants Causeway

Malin Head

County Donegal is in the northwest of the Republic of Ireland. The name “Donegal” comes from the Irish, meaning “the fort of the foreigners”. The county consists chiefly of low mountains, with a deeply indented coastline forming natural loughs, of which Lough Swilly 46 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

County Antrim with its beautiful coast road and famous glens is the most north easterly county on the island. On a worldwide scale Antrim’s most famous attraction is the Giants Causeway. However the renowned ‘Glens of Antrim’, the Bushmills Distillery and Carrickfergus Castle are well worth visiting as well. Belfast City too has many things to see including the grandeur of the City Hall, the new

Titanic Quarter and the Odyssey Arena to name but a few. This vibrant city has a culture all of its own and its restaurants, theatres and nightlife are amazingly good value.

Belfast City Hall

Explore Ulster

Titanic Belfast

Since it opened in March 2012 Titanic Belfast has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland, and over a million visitors went through its doors in its first year. Housed in an iconic, six story building, it’s located in the heart of Belfast, right next to the very site where the famous ship was first built. Once you enter the building proper, you’re introduced to the building’s giant atrium surrounded by the four “ships”, hull shaped wings which act as the beginning of the Titanic experience. Your journey will then take you through the building’s nine galleries, telling the story of the Titanic from its conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through its construction and launch, to its famous maiden voyage and tragic end. The story is brought up to the present with the discovery of the wreck, and into the future with live links to contemporary undersea exploration. And the galleries employ a variety of interactive media including CGI, film, audio, artefacts and full-scale replicas. Not only that, there’s an actual ride through the Titanic giving you a view of how the ship was physically put together. Tel 028 9076 6386

The Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway stretches for around five kilometres along the Antrim coast north of the town of Bushmills. Legend has it that it was built by Finn MacCool so that he could get across to Scotland to the East to take on a giant who lived over there. Voted by BBC Radio listeners as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the UK, visitors flock here from all over the world to marvel at one of Europe’s most magnificent coastlines and its unique rock formations, which have stood as a natural rampart against the unbridled ferocity of Atlantic storms for millions of years. The rugged symmetry of the columns never fails to intrigue and inspire people. And to stroll along the Giants Causeway is to voyage back in time. In 1986 they opened the Giants Causeway Visitors centre, after the World Heritage Conventions added it to its coveted list of sites, which are of exceptional interest and universal value. And the National Trust which oversees the Causeway provides the half million tourists who go there every year with any and all the information that they might need.

The Old Bushmills Distillery In 1608, King James I of England granted Sir Thomas Phillipps a license to distil whiskey, and Bushmills became the first ever distillery in the world to begin officially producing it. “Whiskey” with an “e” is Irish by the way, and without is Scotch. And the word itself originated from the Irish word for water, “uisce”. Bushmills is the only distillery in Ireland to make triple-distilled malt whiskey. This is at the heart of all Bushmills whiskeys, whether Bushmills or Black Bush, and it is this that gives them their unique combination of smoothness and richness. In 2008, Bushmills celebrated the 400th anniversary of their original licence to distil whiskey. They marked the occasion with the release of a limited edition Irish whiskey of exceptional smoothness, Bushmills 1608. Today Bushmills Irish Whiskey is owned by Diageo, and over 120,00 visitors come to the Old Distillery every year to discover more about how it is all done, and to see for themselves where the magic happens. Tel 028 2073 3218

Ulster American Folk Park

Situated at the base of the Sperrin mountain range just 5 miles outside of Omagh on the road to Strabane, the museum is your chance to mix family fun with a fascinating exploration of our shared histories. Immerse yourself in the world famous story of Irish emigration at the museum that brings it to life. Follow the emigrant trail as you journey from the thatched cottages of Ulster, on board a full scale emigrant sailing ship leading to the log cabins of the American Frontier. Meet an array of costumed characters on your way with traditional crafts to show, tales to tell and food to share. And you can also avail of the facilities at the residential centre and museum restaurant. They offer an array of ensuite rooms, and dorms that sleep up to 7 in bunk beds, with linen, laundry and drier rooms, plus kitchens, bathrooms, and TV, DVD and games rooms. Museum: +44 (0) 28 8224 3292 Residential centre: +44 (0)28 8224 0918

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Donegal

Jewel of the Wild Atlantic Way

op into the car and follow hidden gems of amazing holiday experiences, colourful people and outstanding natural beauty. Nestling as it does on the most north westerly point of the island of Ireland, Donegal is rich in beaches, glens and mountains not to mention a people whose friendliness and Cead mile Failte (one hundred thousand welcomes) is legendary. Here are some of the outstanding

A narrow road twists steeply up from Teelin to the dramatic Slieve Liag cliffs and mountains. From the viewing point, you look across one of the finest panoramas in Europe that will set your heart racing. The nearby cultural centre, Tí Linn, is run by Paddy Clarke, a rich source of information on the area and its archaeological heritage.

Fanad Head

Drink in the best views in Europe with golden sandy beaches and rolling farmland threaded by

800 ft. above sea level, on a spectacular hilltop in Inishowen, the Grianán of Aileach fort is a former home of the Irish High Kings. Sweeping views take in patchwork fields and lakes as well as the wider hilly countryside. At the nearby Old Church Visitor Centre you can enjoy the latest multimedia technological exhibits surrounding the mythical Tuatha De Danann Race of Gods and Warriors.

Glenveagh

Look out for golden eagles

Based in the largest tract of land in the wildest part of Donegal, Glenveagh National Park incorporates moorland, mountain, lakes and woods within its 40,000 acres of wilderness. You may be lucky enough to catch sight of soaring golden eagles which have been reintroduced into the area.

attractions that make this county unique.

Malin Head

Dip into history or look up at the night sky from Ireland’s most northernly point

Follow the Wild Atlantic Way, the west coast of Ireland’s touring route including Donegal’s 100-mile circuit of the scenic Inishowen peninsula. Those with an interest in military history will want to see Fort Dunree Military Museum near Buncrana, with its remarkable collection of memorabilia.. Further along,you will find Doagh Famine Village, an outdoor museum,which provides a thoughtprovoking look at the area from the tragedy of the Famine in the 1840s up to the present day.

Sliabh Liag

Awaken your mystical spirit

narrow roads which set the scene in the secluded Fanad peninsula squeezed in between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay and leading to remote Fanad Head. Families can enjoy a day of watersports at picturepostcard resorts such as Rathmullan or Portsalon. Take your pick from spinning for mackerel off a pier, learning to fly-fish for rainbow trout, hire a pedalo or paddle a kayak. If you are feeling energetic, why not saddle up and gallop along the shores of Lough Swilly on the pristine Rathmullan Strand. As you drive around this thrilling peninsula be prepared for delays on single track roads; your path may be blocked by a herd of heifers and you will be reduced to cow-speed; don’t forget you are in north Donegal where the motto festina lente ‘hurry slowly’ applies and where life moves at an easy pace.

Aurora Borealis

Catch a cloudless evening and you may be enchanted by a night sky display of the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. The celestial light show, with its ghostly wispy rays of dancing colours has been seen hanging like a fluorescent curtain over Malin Head – what better reason to go than to witness this astonishing sight. Perched 48 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

Surfing in Bundoran

The reefs around Bundoran are world renowned,

producing the optimal wave size for great surfing. Donegal Adventure Centre in Bundoran -– the largest of its kind in Ireland – provides expert tuition from qualified instructors in the tricky art of staying up on your board. Located in the south of the county, Bundoran has become the unrivalled gung-ho centre of surf culture hosting world class competitions. Regarded as the top spot by the black-clad brigade, it is a place where wave-riding runs deep in the veins of some locals’ blood.

For more information on Donegal tel. 074 912 1160

Ulster Recommended Pubs

The Crown Liquor Saloon 46 Great Victoria St, Belfast 028 9024 3187

Located in Belfast’s Cathedral district, very unusually this pub is owned by the Belfast Unemployment Resource Centre, which was opened by local poet, socialist and Freeman of the City, John Hewitt. Hence the name. They’ve an extensive range of craft beers, both on tap and in bottles. And if that’s not enough, they even have a genuine gin palace! Which includes locally made Shortcross Gin.

White’s Tavern

2-4 Winecellar Entry, Belfast 028 9024 3080 Dating all the way back to 1630, this is the oldest tavern in Belfast, and one of the oldest anywhere on these islands. You can warm yourself by the fire downstairs where you’ll find the original pub, whilst upstairs they’ve opened a second bar where more livelier fare goes down.

Kelly’s Cellars 30-32 Bank St, Belfast 028 9024 6058 Now owned by the National trust, this is one of the most justly famous pubs to be found anywhere in Britain or Ireland, with its mixture of oak panelling, leather chairs and its exquisite, ornate Victorian tiling. And, just as you’d expect, they’ve a wonderful selection of real ales and home made food.

The John Hewitt 51 Donegall St., Belfast 028 9023 3768

This is the oldest pub proper in Belfast, dating back to 1720. Stone floors, white washed walls, and traditional Irish music rings through its low ceilinged rooms. It’s like finding a country pub in the middle of the city.

The Duke Of York 7-11 Commercial Ct, Belfast 028 9024 1062

One of the liveliest pubs in town, its walls are busy with paraphernalia and whatnots, and the place is hopping with (mostly) young people who fill the place up all weekend and most of the week. And if you are looking to treat yourself to a sneaky, antique whiskey, look no further.

Peadar O’Donnell’s 59-63 Waterloo St., Derry 028 7126 7295

There are three bars to choose from here at this famous Derry pub, and music to suit any and all tastes. You can move from an impromptu session that might have materialised magically in the corner of the traditional bar downstairs, to a gig proper upstairs in the Gweedore. Before coming back downstairs to what they swear is the best pint in Derry.

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Recommended Restaurants in Ulster

1 Oxford St, Belfast. 0044 28 9031 4121 Having won the Best Newcomer Award in 2013, Ox took Best Restaurant, Best Chef and Best Wine Experience in Antrim for 2014. Chic, smart and very good.

spectacularly situated hotel resorts you will find anywhere in Europe.

The Ginger Bistro

7-11 Linenhall St, Belfast. 0044 28 9031 1150 Located in Belfast’s historic Linenhall Street just behind City Hall, this is one of the best dining

7-8 Hope St, Belfast. 0044 28 9024 4421

55 Degrees North

1 Causeway St, Portrush, Co Antrim. 0044 28 7082 2811

experiences you will find here in the city centre in Belfast. Its chic boutique surroundings make it very much the place to see and be seen.

This family run business has been open since 2005. And this stylish restaurant has been receiving plaudits ever since, both for the quality of its food, and the spectacular views of the Atlantic that it offers.

Vanilla Restaurant

The ginger in question is owner chef Simon McCance, and since relocating here closer to the centre his reputation for producing quality food at surprisingly reasonable prices has got even stronger.

Deane’s Restaurant

36-40 Howard St, Belfast. 0044 28 9033 1134

67 Main St, Newcastle. 0044 28 4372 2268

Shu

253 Lisburn Rd, Belfast. 0044 28 9038 1655 They serve deliberately simple, Frenchinfluenced food here using only the best seasonal ingredients, and all served at a reasonable price in an elegant location. And you can have a drink in the cocktail bar in the basement while you are waiting for your table.

Telfords Restaurant

Local man Darren Ireland opened this smart new establishment here in 2009, and it’s one of the best quality bistros on the East coast.

5 Donegall Quay, Belfast. 0044 28 9043 4000 Overlooking the river Lagan and situated in a maritime building that dates back to 1843, Telfords operates on three levels and is in walking distance from the Waterfront Hall, the Odyssey complex and the Ulster Hall.

Lough Erne Resort

Belleek Rd, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. 0044 28 6632 3230

Sun Kee Restaurant

42-7 Donegall Pass, Belfast. 0044 28 9031 2016 One of the best Chinese restaurants in Belfast, the Lo family have been producing impressively adventurous and authentic Chinese cuisine here for years.

Michael Deane trained at London’s prestigious Claridges and since returning to Belfast he has opened up a number of top quality restaurants across the city. And losing the Michelin star he had in 2011 has he says liberated him, allowing him to concentrate on the food without having to worry about critics.

Lusty Beg

Boa Island, Kesh, Co Fermanagh. 0044 28 6863 3300

This 5 star hotel just outside the town of Enniskillen is quite simply one of the most 50 -TRAVEL IRELAND MAGAZINE-NOVEMBER 2014

This island spa is set on a 75 acres in the heart of the lakes of Fermanagh, and where better to unwind than in its award winning restaurant.

Coco

Sakura, 82 Botanic Av, Belfast

0044 28 9043 9590 In the city’s busy Botanic Avenue, this is one of the city’s few authentic sushi bars, but they also serve a variety of fusion dishes if sushi is not your thing. A superior Japanese restaurant.

Speranza Restaurant, 16-9 Shaftesbury Av, Belfast 044 28 9023 0213 Hand made oven baked pizzas are one of the specialities here, but there is a wide choice of all types of Italian food on offer here in one of Belfast’s finest Italian restaurants.