Relax into Inchydoney Spa

Sharon Ní Chonchúir savours the sublime new treatment at Inchydoney Spa.

‘I LOOK terrible,” I groaned as I caught sight of myself in the mirror.

My partner nervously considered how to respond. “I wouldn’t say you look terrible,” he said. “You just look like someone who hasn’t had a lot of time to spend on herself for a while.”

I had a baby 19 months ago, so he’s right. The state of my bedraggled hair, tired skin and sunken eyes testify to that.

As my good luck would have it, that very morning, an email arrived asking if I’d be interested in visiting Inchydoney Lodge and Spa to try out a new treatment. Would I ever, I replied. The only trouble was that I’d have to bring the aforementioned partner and baby with me.

The following Saturday, we piled the baby’s stuff into the car and drove to Inchydoney. For those who haven’t been, it’s perched on a rocky stretch of West Cork coastline, next to one of the most spectacular beaches I’ve ever seen.

After freshening up in our room, our first stop was the beach where the toddler roared with laughter at the sight of two dogs gambolling in the surf.

Then, starving after that sea air and the long car journey, we sat down to some good food in the hotel bar, Dunes Bar and Bistro.

Little did we realise that we had a far from relaxing night ahead. The toddler settled down to sleep easily but was already showing signs of having caught a cold. Sniffles woke him during the night and he became frightened when he didn’t recognise where he was. Cue two-and-a-half hours of inconsolable wailing while we tried everything we could think of to get him back to sleep.

Luckily, I had a spa treatment booked for the following morning. The Botanicals Ritual is new to Inchydoney and the only word I can think of to describe it is sublime — simply sublime. From the moment I lay on the massage table and my therapist — the gentle-fingered Inese Farnaste — starting massaging the knots out of my back, I was transported.

For the next 70 minutes, she banished all thoughts of crying toddlers from my mind. Not for one single second did I feel any of the stress that has become part of my life since becoming a working mum.

She massaged my back and then exfoliated my entire body using marine sea salts. Afterwards, a nourishing algae wrap was applied to my skin and I was cocooned in towels so that the wrap could work its detoxifying and regenerating magic.

As I sweated, Inese massaged my face and scalp. I came close to tears with the sheer pleasure of it all.

That wasn’t even the end of it. After a quick shower to wash off the algae, I was massaged again, this time with oils that left my skin as smooth as satin.

Like all good things, my treatment finally ended but its effects were long-lasting. I left the spa feeling more relaxed than I’ve felt in years. That feeling continued for the rest of the day. Once we got the toddler to sleep, my partner and I were treated to afternoon tea in the lounge.

Like my spa treatment, the tea had a botanical theme. The dainty finger sandwiches included fillings such as smoked salmon with peppercorn-infused pickled cucumber. There were lemon and thyme scones and sweet confections such as rose-flavoured macaroons and mini grapefruit meringue pies.

Later that evening, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner in the hotel’s Gulfstream Restaurant. The toddler slept soundly through the night and I considered myself the luckiest woman in the world.

The spa at Inchydoney achieved something I thought impossible. It turned this stressed mother of a demanding toddler into a truly relaxed woman. If ever you find yourself in dire need of some me-time, you now know where to go.

- The Signature Botanical Treatment and Botanical Afternoon Tea package is available from €235 per person sharing. It includes an overnight stay, afternoon tea with a botanical cocktail, and a full 70-minute botanical treatment in the Island Spa. The treatment alone costs €135. For more information or to book, call 0238833143 or visit inchydoneyisland.com