Taking centre stage
Personally, I always thought the zen-like calm which descended upon the featured actor/radio host/politician on trial that week was a put-on affectation, solely for the benefit of the camera. I now know from personal experience that, despite the best efforts of my pint-sized progeny on our weekend family break, it is nigh on impossible to stop one’s shoulders from relaxing and creased brow unfurling at the programme’s venue, the Wineport Lodge, Glasson.
Wineport Lodge is only a few miles from the centre of Athlone, which, lying smack bang in the centre of Ireland, is close to a main road leading to every corner of the country. Yet accessibility has not taken from the central premise of what husband and wife owners Ray Byrne and Jane English describe as their “foremost philosophy” — relaxation.
Swinging into the hotel’s driveway one is confronted with what at first sight appears to be a low-rise, but very exclusive boat house with its wooden clad buildings, verandah and jettys.
On entry to Paulliac — the bedrooms are not numbered but given winery-inspired names — the eye skips momentarily past the decor of the accommodation and through the walls of glass which all point over Lough Ree, a few feet from the balcony. The effect is that, even on the cloudy day on which we arrived, all corners of the large family room were bathed in natural light. It’s a very comfortable place to be. The kingsize bed passes the main test — it has a proper duvet and a decent mattress. The bathroom’s walk-in shower with oversized shower-head can plunge torrents of water down on world-weary shoulders and the complimentary personalised cookies and their spell over small mouths made unpacking so much more bearable than usual.
Our “Family Fun” package entitled us to two-nights’ bed and breakfast and one dinner. However, while there are highly recommended places to eat in Glasson, tired children lead us to avail of the menu in the hotel’s bar, the Tattinger Lounge for the first night. My 6oz striploin must have pumped iron after the weigh-in, because it appeared significantly larger, while Sheela’s salmon medallions were praised for the complex but complimentary flavours. A Pinot Grigio may not be the traditional accompaniment for red meat but it was a pleasant addition to both main courses. What I found particularly impressive were the crisp vegetable accompaniment to our food and the homemade burger from the children’s menu, which thankfully my daughter was too small to finish, as it allows me to report that it was one of the finest I have ever tasted on any menu, adult or child’s.
Much hinged on the quality of breakfast we received the following morning — a poor hotel breakfast can ruin a weekend away for Sheela. It scored full marks. The poached eggs were suitably runny and the bacon, sausages and black pudding were scrumptious. The pancakes with maple syrup scored exceptionally highly with the four-year-old. A word to the wise for any parents whose child is of high-chair age — small handfuls from the miniature box of rice krispies kept our one year-old from throwing wobblers for a significant portion of the breakfast and all subsequent meals, even in the face of mounting tiredness. The following evening we sat just metres from where Paulo Tullio and co usually dispense their wisdom for RTÉ. While my lemon and cumin spiced rabbit starter was very pleasant, a nibble of Sheela’s pan-fried tiger prawns made me wish I had followed her lead. She had also hit the jackpot with the main, sautéed medallions of monkfish. While my slow roast daube of Irish beef was satisfactory, it lacked the depth of taste I was hoping for. However, a fine New Zealand Marlborough stopped my brow from re-creasing.
With the lake a few steps from the front door, waterside and boating endeavours are the first activities which spring to mind, though we found at four and one, our children were a little too young for anything too water related, though a lakeshore stroll was a great way to make space for even more delicious food. The hotel has a heated roof-top cedar hot tub, the perimeter of which our children happily cruised around while we relaxed and enjoyed the elevated views of the lake. Earlier we had spent time and a not inconsiderable amount of euro in the main shopping centre in Athlone which lists a decent range of high-street names as its tenants. Hotel guests can also take a boat trip on Lough Ree, grab a courtesy BMW touring bike from hotel reception or play a round of golf.
The hotel has a Wii Room where kids can build up a sweat in a virtual world. To bring them back down to earth, reception also offers a DVD collection and board games. Locally there is also Glendeer Pet Farm which sounded great but which we were sadly forced to avoid due to a still raw and unmentionable encounter with a donkey in a similar establishment.
The Wineport’s owners pride themselves on the staff, and it is easy to see why. Without exception, they were attentive and extremely helpful and interactive with the children. Furthermore, parents with young children often feel they will be trapped in the room once the early bed-time strikes. In the Wineport it is a pleasure. Get them asleep and the sheltered balcony, a nice drink and stunning lake-views await.
The family fun package costs €225 per adult for the two night package. www.wineport.ie
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