Sunday, August 18, 2019

Berehaven Lodge Restaurant - Grilled to Perfection

As an American, I take grilling meals on an open fire very seriously. Back in 1982, when I moved here, few people understood the pleasures of throwing a steak on a BBQ. Ah, the aroma! The taste! The fun of standing near an open fire, beer in hand, hoping you're not burning that evening's steak or chicken or hamburger to cinders!

In those days I had to search high and low to purchase a BBQ. When, in 1984, I finally found one in Tesco - a local supermarket chain - I couldn't believe my luck. I didn't bat an eye at the fact I had to spend twice what it would have cost me in the States. Made no difference. Finally, I could grill my meat in style.  

Of course, my Irish neighbours thought I was out of my mind. "What's that pyre of smoke coming from Richards's place?" they'd ask. "He must've murdered someone and is getting rid of the evidence."

Possibly true, of course, but unlikely.

Fortunately for Irish people everywhere, the fine art of grilling meat over an open fire has become de rigueur. And nowhere is that more true than in Beara Peninsula's own Berehaven Lodge Restaurant.

Friday is the Day for Grilled Gastronomic Treats

Founded by owners Grace and Mark (Grace works front of house; Chef Mark handles the
Grace and Mark - fabulous people impassioned by food
cooking), the restaurant is open most days. On any other day except Friday, they stick to a standard menu (go here to have a view of what's on offer - everything is fresh; everything sourced locally; everything divine). 


Walk into the open, airy rooms - all freshly painted, I might add, courtesy of good friend Frank McQuaid - and get a friendly greeting you won't soon forget. Have a drink at the well stocked bar (the wine list is extensive and reasonably priced), sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as you consider what to order.

Or if it's sunny and warm, have your meal on the recently expanded outdoor deck. Overlooking Bantry Bay, you can enjoy your sumptuous local crab claws while wondering which trawler, steaming down the sun-lit waters, caught 'em. And yes, the food at Berehaven is that local and that fresh. 

But - if you're very, very lucky, you'll arrive on a Friday. Friday is "Everything is Grilled" day, and the results are to die for.

Mark is South African and takes grilling even more seriously than I do. Working at a huge outdoor grill fired by local wood chunks and charcoal, the pleasure he takes in cooking for his guests is instantly transmitted to the food we eat. 

Just this past Friday, Gorgeous One and I finally had a chance to sample  the passion of Mark's fine art of grilling. And oh! It was beyond even my demanding American-grill-for-life palate. So let's get started!

From Start to Finish, a Taste of Heaven

Aisling and Gorgeous One
As we consider the extensive Friday Menu, Gorgeous One is instantly served a glass of Pinot Grigio by lovely Aisling, our waitress for the evening. Starters form an extensive list, making it difficult to choose. Open Fire Mussels? Fire Grilled Asparagus Spears? The Seafood Potjikos, a warmly spiced South African favourite? 

She decides on the Grilled King Scallops. Because I'm having fish for my main course, I choose the Chicken & Port Liver Pate. Both are (almost) beyond description.

"Look at these lovely little fellows!" Gorgeous One exhales as Aisling serves them up. Grilled to perfection by Mark, the scallops are presented on a long plate accompanied by crispy Parma Ham and an onion puree that is out of this world (I asked Grace and it turns out the onions are first grilled then pureed. I want that recipe!) 

I had to beg Gorgeous One for a scallop, almost losing a hand when I reached before asking permission.

The Pate was...honestly, it was the best pate I've had in an age. Served with pickled cucumber and apple chutney, I took real pleasure in forking the above onto sour dough bread, doing my best to make it all last as long as possible.  And no, Gorgeous One never had one bite.

The Main Dishes. Oh the main dishes! I must admit it took us awhile to choose because everything on offer sounded fabulous. Do we go for the fresh-out-of-the-sea Monkfish Parcels, or the 12oz Cowboy Steak? The local Castletownbere Black Sole, or the West Cork Summer Lamb Rump?  

At the end of it, Gorgeous One chose the 10oz Hereford Beef Ribeye Steak. I dived for the Surf n Turf: a 10oz, 40 day aged Hereford Fillet Steak accompanied by Grilled Prawns served with a bearnaise sauce. 

The steaks were grilled to perfection. Gorgeous One's Ribeye was the biggest sample of such a cut I've ever seen; the taste (and yes, she gave me a bite) a rich mouthful of wonder. My Fillet was as smooth as butter; the Prawns a reminder of how lucky we are to have such local shellfish available, right off the trawler. 

These succulent grilled delights were served up with a huge bowl of grilled veggies: corn on the cob, tomatoes, immense onion halves, and much more. All roasted over Mark's grill until pieces of heaven. 

We had so much we took some home. The next day, all of it ended up on my grill in the back garden of our Eyeries Village Home, allowing us to enjoy Mark and Grace's efforts twice.

We were so full following our grilled meal, dessert wasn't possible. 

The bill for all of the above worked out at just short of €90, excluding tip. And it was worth every last penny.

Book Early

The Friday Grill at Berehaven Lodge Restaurant has become a 'go to' celebration by locals
who enjoy Mark's passion. For that reason I suggest you book early (and often). 

Where is it? About 4 miles east of Castletownbere, County Cork, on the seaside of the main Glengarriff Road.

For more information, go to their website: https://www.berehavenlodge.com/dining-castletownbere.html, or phone: +353 27 71464.

Opening hours vary on the season that's in it. 


Want to learn more? A Survivor's Guide to Ireland 2019 edition is Now Available.

     This travel memoir of about 80,000 words follows this erst-while American who has lived in Ireland since 1982. If you want to know more about what you can do to get a work permit, get a job, buy a house, and otherwise live and enjoy life like the Irish, I hope you'll have a look at A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Happy Trail - Tom 


Monday, July 8, 2019

Eyeries County Cork: A Little Corner of Heaven

As I write, I gaze out the window at the beauty of Coulagh Bay. Its waters glisten in the late-morning light, framed by the Ring of Kerry to the north and Beara Peninsula's Mishkish Mountains to the south. 

Beyond, to the west, is Scarriff Island, rising like a magical whale, hiding the mysteries of the Skellig Islands from my view. Further west rests only the deep Atlantic, with Nova Scotia and Labrador the next stop. 

The view is captivating. Here, I have found peace within solitude. Here I have made fast friends. Here, I have finally learned what rural Ireland is all about.

Escaping the Big Smoke

For  almost 30 years I lived and worked in the Dublin area. For almost 20 of that, I made the daily commute from Navan in County Meath to my place of work in Dublin. When visitors to my new home in Eyeries ask me about the Dublin area, thinking it still an enclave of restful business practices, I can't believe their ignorance.

"Certainly it is not as crazy as my place of work in Chicago," an American visitor will state categorically. "Dublin is part of Ireland, after all. And Ireland - well the whole country is so, so...backward, isn't  it? Surely, it must be more sane than any American big city."

Ah the silliness of such comments. So I work to set the facts straight. City life in any Irish big city is just as crazed, just as mad busy, just as stressful, as working in any other large US or European country. "It could take me up to four hours a day to get to work and home again," I explain. "The traffic was a curse. Road rage common. We'd shake fists at each other, cursing like a navvy, such was a commuter's life to Dublin."

I'd have to point out that Ireland has changed drastically since the day I immigrated here in June 1982. Back then, when first setting foot on Irish soil, I couldn't afford a car. I couldn't afford a phone. I couldn't afford many of the items I took for granted back in the States. Commuting to my place of work 20 minutes south of Navan was a matter of sticking my thumb out and praying for a lift from some generous automobile owner. 

Back then, I was not alone. Many of us living in Ireland couldn't afford such things. 

But then it all changed. As I've previously written, Ireland's economy blasted off like an Apollo rocket bound for the Moon. As pay increased and money poured into  previously bare bank  accounts, we all bought things: cars, houses, phones, computers... the list was endless. It all fell apart in the 2008 recession, of course. But once again Ireland's economy has  blasted off into the stratosphere. 

And once again, life in much of Ireland has gone mad with the business of making money. Irish people sacrifice their lives just as many do across the world, spending hours every day in the coffined life of their automobiles. They work hard, save hard, take care of children and elder parents, and otherwise do everything they can to make good and safe lives.

But of course, in the process they've lost something. Perhaps it's the lack of time to look at the beauty of the life around them. I know what that's like. For years, I lived a similar life. I lost my soul in the process.

However, I abandoned that  world almost 10 years ago. Instead I moved to Eyeries. And here, I have once again found my soul.

A Village of Tranquility

Eyeries (historically spelt Irees or Iries, from Irish: na hAoraĆ­) is a village and townland on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland overlooking Coulagh Bay and the mouth of the Kenmare River in the south-west. It lies at the base of Maulin, which, at 2,044 feet (623 m), is the highest peak in the Slieve Miskish mountain range that forms part of the backbone of the peninsula. (https://latitude.to/articles-by-country/ie/ireland/104119/eyeries)

To say the village is isolated is to perhaps minimize its distant location from what many would define as civilized. 

Just over 60 souls live in the village. We are served by the friendly owners of only a few amenities: a restaurant. Two cafes.  Three shops. Two pubs (of  course). The Catholic Church. And that's about it.

Want to go shopping? If so, we  travel  four miles south to Castletownbere (the largest white fish deep water port around). If we want something a little more sophisticated than the Town SuperValu grocery store, we must travel to Kenmare, about 60k northwest. If we want a major shop, then it's to Killarney we go (an hour and 20 minutes from here), or Bantry (about an hour), or Cork City (just over two hours).  

I doubt Eyeries is for everyone. Many simply couldn't survive here because it does not have the 'amenities' most people take for granted. That said, I now know I'll never  live anywhere else. Why?  The beauty is staggering. And what matters in my world now rests either in my house, or right outside the  back door.

For instance: yesterday I decided I needed a break. I pulled on my hardy wet suit, climbed in the car, drove a mile south (yeah, I know. I should have walked) and went swimming at our local Strand. For a half hour I was surrounded by a world of wonder: jelly fish, pollack, mackerel. A few years ago I was joined by a local seal. 

Finished, I  stood on the shore and marveled at the life I now lead, and the miracle that had brought me here. No longer do I fight my way through traffic. No longer do I struggle to survive the rigors of a global economy. 

Instead, I breathe the solid sea air. I listen to the cry of seagulls. I watch  the sun setting, golden, beneath a far horizon.

And on those nights when I am especially lucky, I reach up to the glory of stars swimming in the sea above me; stars so close I think I might grasp a bunch in both hands.

Surely I am a lucky man  to have found this place. With any luck, I will stay here the rest of my life, my ashes finally scattered in Coulagh Bay, mixing with this tranquil bit of Ireland forevermore.

For more information on Eyeries, go to their website: https://eyeries.ie/all-about-eyeries

  Want to learn more? A Survivor's Guide to Ireland 2019 edition is Now Available.

     This travel memoir of about 80,000 words follows this erst-while American who has lived in Ireland since 1982. If you want to know more about what you can do to get a work permit, get a job, buy a house, and otherwise live and enjoy life like the Irish, I hope you'll have a look at A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Happy Trail - Tom 



How to Live and Work in Ireland - A Review of the Rules Allowing You to Work Here

A few years back, and having been badgered by many folks wanting to emigrate to this country, I wrote a summary of the Rules.  Since then, the badgering has continued. So I thought I'd best reprint the following for those holding tight to the dream of immigrating to this dear country.

Here you go:

If you're an American wanting to live and work in Ireland; if you're a UK resident desiring to maintain your EU residency following Brexit; if you're a non-EU citizen hoping to move to Ireland and make a living here, you need to understand the rules.

Below find (pretty much) everything you need to know on how to get a work permit and how you may qualify to work in, live in, and become a citizen of this marvelous country.

(This is re-printed from a previous post. To see it in its entirely, go here: http://survivingireland.blogspot.ie/2016/11/getting-job-and-living-in-ireland-trump.html)

The Rules
In general, visitors to Ireland are allowed to stay in this country for 90 days. During that time they are not allowed to work. To live and work here for a longer period, there are a number of rules and requirements:

·         For non-EU citizens: Ireland is a member of the European Union. Citizens of EU member states are legally entitled to work and live in Ireland. Non-EU nationals do not have this right and must instead jump through many hoops.

·         If you are a foreign, non-EU student and studying in Ireland on an approved course: you may take up casual work without an employment permit, but only a maximum of 20 hours per week.

·         Working holiday agreements: Ireland has reciprocal agreements with a number of other countries including the United States, allowing non-EU nationals to stay in Ireland for longer than 90 days and work here. To do so you must apply for a Working Holiday Authorization. For more information go to https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/working-holiday-visas/

·         If you have Irish ancestry: Ireland has a ‘grandfather’ law. That is, if you can prove that your parents or grandparents were Irish you have the right to Irish citizenship. With citizenship comes the right to live and work in Ireland and anywhere in the EU. For more information go to http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/irish_citizenship/

·         Employment permits: Ireland has 9 types of employment permits. Some allow non-EU nationals to work and live in Ireland: General Employment Permits are usually considered for occupations with an annual remuneration of €30,000 or more. Critical Skills Employment Permits are available in a number of categories. To apply, the prospective employee must have a job offer. Upon receiving a permit your family will usually be eligible to join you. Go to http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/migrant_workers/employment_permits/green_card_permits.html for more information.

·         Obtaining Irish citizenship through marriage: foreign nationals who are married to Irish citizens can apply for naturalization. For more information go to http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/irish_citizenship/becoming_an_irish_citizen_through_marriage.html

·         Obtaining residency through civil partnership: if you can prove you are in a long-term relationship with an Irish citizen, you are legally allowed to apply for long-term residency.

·         Retired and desiring to reside in Ireland: you may be granted permission to reside in Ireland for the longer-term if you can prove that you have: an annual income equal to €50,000 per annum and; savings equal to the cost of buying a home in Ireland and; comprehensive private Irish-based medical insurance. If you can prove that you will not become a burden to the state you can apply for longer-termed residency. For more information go to http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/non-eea-permission.

      Gaining long-term permission to live and work in Ireland if you are not an EU national is tough work but not impossible. If you haven’t been to Ireland make sure you visit first. Check out the place. See if you think you can fit in and survive in Ireland as I have. If your answer is yes, if you are determined and focused, you could well end up living the Irish dream just as I have. I wish you so much luck.

     Want to learn more? A Survivor's Guide to Ireland 2019 edition is Now Available.

     This travel memoir of about 80,000 words follows this erst-while American who has lived in Ireland since 1982. If you want to know more about what you can do to get a work permit, get a job, buy a house, and otherwise live and enjoy life like the Irish, I hope you'll have a look at A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Happy Trail - Tom 

2019 Edition: A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland

Well, I'm late this year with a new 2019 edition of the bestselling travel memoir, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland.  Sorry about that - I've been up to my eyes with one thing or another. However, if you have a penchant to follow in the steps of Tom Richards, an ex-pat who has lived in Ireland for over 35 years, and learn how to settle in to modern Ireland like the Irish do, then by all means please read on:

Come for a week – stay for a lifetime! That’s the lure of Ireland. Essential reading for anyone considering a move or visit to Ireland. 6th edition! Over 15,000 copies already sold!

This 2019 edition of a Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland gives you the low-down on this wonderful country, and the latest international headaches that continue to rock the country.

Will the continuing political melees of Brexit and Trumpism affect your plans to move and work in Ireland? Are you entitled to an Irish Work Visa? If so how can you get one? Is Ireland the land of your dreams? Have you ever thought of staying for a prolonged visit, establishing residency, or creating an Irish business? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Ireland? Find out in this rich volume of almost 90,000 words devoted to the ever-changing tapestry of living and working in Ireland. This fun, easy to read book contains (among other things) a brief history of Ireland, the opportunities present here for would-be immigrants, and tips on how to get a work permit, become a citizen, buy a home, cope with taxation and the cost of living, and enjoy this amazing country for yourself. As an added bonus, a Dictionary of Irish Slang and Phrases is also included! 

In 1982, American Tom Richards, fresh out of UCLA, took a four-week holiday in Ireland. He’s been here ever since. Witty and insightful, Tom tells how he overcame the culture shock of living in the Ol’ Sod, learning to twist his middle-class American thinking into a more European point of view while managing to pay his bills at the same time. Along the way, he’s learned some practical lessons that he now shares: From how to understand the Irish to how to drink a perfect pint; from finding a job to how to get a work permit; from purchasing your fist dream home to learning to take soaking walks on a soft Irish day. 
Here, he reveals that to survive in Ireland all you have to do is discover the magic of this wonderful country for yourself. A Survivor’s Guide to Living in Ireland has already sold over 14,000 copies. With it you can learn to Talk like the Irish, Drink like the Irish, Work like the Irish, and Live like the Irish. Essential reading for anyone considering a visit or move to this fabulous country.

If you're thinking of living and working in Ireland; if you think you're entitled to citizenship or a visa to move here; if you're considering a visit and want the low-down on how to best enjoy the Irish and their staggeringly beautiful country, this book is for you. 

Purchase A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland for that friend wanting to live and work in this wonderful country. Or, buy one just for you...

Happy Trails - Tom 

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Surviving Ireland in Style:The Park Hotel, Kenmare. Go!...Despite the Price

Now and then life throws a curve ball or two. In this case it was placing my father into Nursing Care. And I must admit it was one of the most difficult missions of my life. For those readers who have not walked through this particular circle of fire and who may face such a challenge, all I can say is gird your loins.

It's not only the fact you have to close down your father's old apartment, sorting through family memories that cause an avalanche of emotional joy or pain. Or must figure out what to do with Florida-based furnishings you can't possibly take back to Ireland. Or move  Dad and a few selected belongings to a single room studio apartment, knowing you have only a few days in which to do it, and certain he'll never particularly like the result.

Or get rid of the car. Get rid of the firearms. Get rid of the detritus of a full life that is now ebbing. Or find time to take care of Dad while also talking to bankers, lawyers, financial advisers and additional professionals as you attempt to put into place various measures that just might let you manage his affairs from a distance. 

Along the way you're hauling stuff hither and yon. Pleading with everyone and anyone to take this or that, knowing you'd rather see it used than thrown onto a rubbish heap. Eating little. Sleeping less. Keeping in touch with family and friends who ask you about your father because his dementia now prevents him from using email or social media or on occasion even the phone.

And when you're finally finished; when you eventually climb onto a home-bound plane, you wonder if you've done enough for his safety. And the wondering means you'll sleep hardly a bit for the next few weeks. 

At times like this you know in your heart and soul you need a break. A place to lick your wounds and recover. A retreat and a bit of respite from life where, for once in your life, people will take care of you rather than the other way around. 

Which is why two days ago I placed The Gorgeous One in the truck and sprinted to The Park Hotel in Kenmare, County Kerry. 

I must say: it's the best thing I've done in years. A few hours of life about which Gorgeous One and I can only observe - We'll never, ever forget. And here's why:

Luxurious Survival Through Thoughtful Care

The Park Hotel, hidden from prying eyes by vaulting trees and assorted green stuff, is located on the south side of the wonderful Irish town of Kenmare. Situated at the crossroads to the Beara Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, the care...the attention to detail...the feeling you've fallen off a cliff into the laps of the Gods of Luxury, starts the moment you drive up the winding drive toward a towering castle of welcome.

Enter the elegant 19th Century stone cut mansion and senses are accosted from all sides. The Victorian fireplace is all aglow with a warmth of welcome. The reception area filled with antiques and paintings. Rich carpets muffle the outside world. And as I'm greeted by staff who treat me as a long lost relative rather than a guest paying for only a single day's break, do I imagine things? Or have our bags just disappeared?

"What have you done with them?" I ask, not quite used to such caring treatment.

"Why, they've already been taken to your room," the woman in black responds with a smile.

And the room? Such a room! They've placed us on the second floor, room 210. Open the door (with a long, brass key, I might add. None of this 21st Century key-less technology. Not in The Park!) and step into wonder.

Two adjoining rooms. Near the door, an immense bed with the fluffiest pillows I've ever encountered in a hotel. "We'll get lost in that monster bed," I say to Gorgeous One. 


"Not that we'll mind. Nor will he," she ripostes, referring to the lovely white stuffed lamb grazing on the bed.

Step down into the living room. A lovely overstuffed couch. Marble topped bureau. Terrifically comfortable stuffed chairs. And our bags? Found magically resting on suitable suitcase frames, ready for unpacking.

Complementary bottle of The Park Hotel water. Two perfect cups - not glasses! - and a delicate bag of sweets. A welcome note from our personal concierge also confirming times for massage and manicure (massage for me, manicure for Gorgeous One). Breathtaking views over the very eastern bit of Kenmare Bay. It's low tide and a single punt sits unperturbed on a nearby bank. 

The bathroom: a definition of pampered luxury. Full bathtub on one side. Two sinks in the middle. A wet-room styled shower at right, toilet next to it.  In the closet: complementary thick white robes. 

I breathe in. I begin to relax. I take Gorgeous One in my arms and say: "I have a feeling we're never going to forget this."  Later, I know I was right.

Fingers and Figures of Relaxation

If you're not Irish or not living in Ireland, you possibly do not know John and Francis Brennan. They've been at the hostelry business for years. Most Irish folk know them by name because they host an RTE television series, At Your Service. In this long running troubleshooting programme, the lads visit various hotels, B&B's and guest houses across Ireland, helping owners to sort out the most basic problems;  transforming existing situations into visitor-friendly experiences.

Gorgeous One and I have watched it for years. And now, visiting the Home they've owned and nurtured since the 1980s, I understand why they are so effective helping others to help themselves.

In short: the Brennans are very, very good at what they do. The Park Hotel is not a hotel. Rather: it quickly becomes  a loving home.

Why? Undoubtedly it's due to the people who work there.

Let's start with the Bar. Having been bowled over by the room, we wandered down to have a drink. There, we met Connor - erstwhile bartender - and John, the Hotel's Porter and also an accomplished sommelier. Though I stick at that point to my usual pint of black, Gorgeous One takes the advice of our new friends and tries the Blanc.  It is absolutely marvelous. We enjoy an hour, then it's time to get ready for true relaxation.

I go first. Down to the SAMAS Experience, a haven for those requiring healing of the spiritual kind - and aptly named because it IS an experience. Seamlessly secured to the Main House, I started my treatment by walking through a dusky hallway surrounded by walls of water, the glow of candlelight, and the wafting odors of unguents. Out to a reception area of modernity, walls of plate glass filtering in Kenmare's natural beauty.

I am met. I am escorted to a changing room. I am shown around: down a short hallway. There, a wonderful Sauna / Laconium rests next to an Aroma Steam room. A shower with various tropical spray fittings. An ice fountain to chill out heated joints. Out a door and there, the Vitality Pool. It's outside but you'd scarcely notice because the water is heated perfectly. 

I spend an hour there. Into and out of the sauna and steam room. A bit of ice. A shower. Through the door and into the natural reserve of the Pool resting beneath tall Kenmare pines. 

I'm told there are two of these luxurious suites, one set of relaxing structures reflecting the other: one for the ladies, one for the men. And I discover: it's true. With no one else around I strip off my soggy, unnecessary swim suit. It is then I remember Dad and I sob. I sob, I think, because within the beauty of this setting, alone in my nakedness, I begin to heal.

But my session is not yet done, not by half. With the hour over, and having also spent a few minutes in a gorgeous Relaxation Room with comfortable Day Bed and personal music to match, and more views of tranquil gardens, my masseuse awaits. 

Her name, as I remember, is Valene. She is lovely - and as strong as Hercules. She leads me to an appropriately lit, incredibly comfortable room. We start with - and I can't believe it - a cup of natural tea: ginger, honey, lemon. It courses warm and welcoming through me. Then it's onto the bed and I know instantly I am in knowing, professional hands.

When the hour is done, Valene has worked the days of nursing home stress and father worry from arms and hands; feet and legs; back and head. I am transformed. 

I look at wall clock. Dinner is still hours away. I smile. I know my stay in my new Home has only just started.

Meal of Magic

The Irish Restaurants Association deemed The Park as having the Best Hotel Restaurant in Ireland only last year. Now I know why.

Initially, I had opted for dinner of slightly lower fare. As John, our Porter, pointed out: "Tom, do move up to the Tasting Experience. The price will be about the same. The experience unforgettable." He was right.

John also helped me navigate the wine list. I am ignorant of wines. I am also always faced with a miserable budget. John solved both challenges by recommending a bottle consisting of 75% Sauvignon. Oh my.... I've never experienced such heaven.

But the tastes on that night! Extraordinary. It's a set menu so don't think you can easily switch things. A seven course or five course. We opted for the five. We were right. We could not have eaten more. 

But the volume had nothing to do with it. It was all about the ingredients and method. Start with small Hor d'eouvres... one of goats cheese in an aromatic shell. The other of fantastic meats. Folllowed by

Scallop in a wonderful soupy sauce.  Followed by

Crab meat in all its fulsomeness. Followed by

Turbot cooked beyond heaven. Followed by

Venison, its pinkish meat beyond description. Followed by

Dessert of a rich chocolate cake with lovely vanilla ice cream and amazing sauces

Followed by... the final glass of wine. Coffee for two. And smiles from host Lucas.

Finished, we stumbled to the Terrace Lounge for a final glass of wine. An hour being entertained by a lovely piano player, tinkling tranquil tunes on a baby Grand Piano. Then bed.  But before I stop going on and on about the food, I must mention breakfast. 

Obviously, we have it the next morning. In the same lovely restaurant overlooking Kenmare  Bay. Served by the same amazing staff. And such a treat! Eggs Benedict to die for. I've had this dish in many places. But this? This was absolutely amazing. Accompanied by bread, homemade delicate scones, fresh local butter and jam, and gallons of rich coffee. What was not to like? Nothing, that's what.

Yes It's Expensive. But Go Anyway

In an article like this, the writer must mention those cloying bits he did not like. And yet - I can't think of one thing. This is a little piece of magic. A home away from home touched by thoughtful gestures that elude many other hostelries.

For instance: I never quite did get used to Ryan, a relative newcomer to The Park team, opening the front door for me at every occasion. His youthful exuberance, his fresh smile, the fact that he truly meant what he said and did... his very human persona to me symbolized the care and joy The Park staff has in helping its guests. 

(Note: John and Francis, if you ever read this - may I commend Ryan. You have a wonderful fella there. I know you'll continue to nurture him: the lad has a great future in store...).

And yes, The Park is expensive. Our stay in the luxurious room was 210 euro for the night. The meal: 85 euro each. Bottle of Wine: just short of 60 euro. The Spa treatment: for me, 125. For her: 65. 

But on this one single occasion, I simply did not care. I blew our entertainment budget for the entire year. Because... we needed this.

We needed someone to look after us for a bit. As Francis himself told me when I phoned the day before our visit, worrying we'd arrive too early: "You two just get here. We'll take care of you from there."

Which is exactly what John n Francis n all the staff at The Park did.  They took care of us. And at a time when I needed it most, all I can say is: I'm terribly grateful and will never forget. Thank you all.

For more information on The Park Hotel, go to their website: https://www.parkkenmare.com/