Weekend break: The Blarney Hotel, Co Cork
The gift of the gab isn’t top of the list of things that are in short supply in our house.
In fact, getting 30 seconds of quiet in any one 24-hour session would be doing well. What with the whinging and the wailing and the “I didn’t ask to be BORN”-ing... and that’s just the adults. Boom boom.
So when the kids find out there’s a castle built by their mother’s namesake and a magical stone that bestows powers of persuasion, within half an hour’s drive, our weekend break is decided.
“It sounds like something out of Harry Potter!” says the 7-year-old. Destination Blarney it is. No muggles allowed.
We have a superior family room on the first floor of The Blarney Hotel with plenty of space for us all to throw ourselves down and chill out, with all the extras one expects of a 4 star hotel.
We’re talking flat screen TV, free teas and coffees, king sized beds, gorgeous bathroom and goose down duvets.
There are three options for food at the hotel, we’d heard tales of exquisite cuisine in Blarney village but being in the hotel is just easier with the kids.
We opt for Cormac’s Bar most of the time - good fresh food, relaxed setting, kid and pocket friendly.
The Iniscarra Restaurant is more fancy but still child friendly. Lots of room with attentive yet relaxed staff - a hard balance to achieve when serving frazzled parents and giddy children.
The menu has plenty to offer the grown up wanting to feel like it is a special night out with inspired ingredients giving familiar dishes a fresh - and delicious - twist.
Case in point, the Glazed Arsalagh Goats Cheese starter came served on sourdough bread, the salad revealing the unexpected pairing of carrot and scallion on a bed of rocket, with a pear and walnut dressing. Beautifully presented and competitively priced at €6.50. Mains offer similar delights.
I opt for the slow braised rump of Cork lamb, butternut squash pudding, asparagus, spiced couscous , finished off with a Shiraz and redcurrant jus. Again the price is reasonable at €19.50. The dessert highlight is the Baileys crème caramel with coconut shortbread for €6.25. The kids menu is varied, fresh, and is gobbled up.
The Lion’s Den Bar and Bistro is in the separate clubhouse, we were happy enough with the offerings inside the hotel so didn’t check it out.
The hotel’s leisure club is very family friendly, there’s a gym, golf club and the afore (geddit?) mentioned clubhouse.
All well and good, but wrap me in a fluffy towel, pour out the cucumber water and let the good times roll, baby, because the spa treatments at the hotel are the highlight of my weekend.
I now know what Ludwig van Beethoven, Miles Davis and Jennifer Brown, the spa manager in Blarney have in common. Magic hands.
The hot basalt stone massage and Indian head massage treatments are possibly the best I’ve ever had. The effects last weeks. A neck knot that I had accepted as just part of getting old, succumbs to the stone and Jennifer’s insistent expertise.
As soon as you step through the doors of the spa, the experience begins. The vibe is different, like first class in a plane - it’s the same building, but it’s just better in here, ya know?
The spa is serene, zen-like and has that very specific Yon-ka scent, that’s a combination of rosemary and citrus and the possibility of a better world, dammit.
There’s an Ultimate Winter Treat package on offer at the moment: back, neck and shoulder massage; hot oil head and scalp massage; Yon-Ka Escale Beaute mini facial; heated hydrating foot massage and mask; eyebrow shape; Yon-Ka skin consultation, along with complimentary herbal tea and fruit, for €99 (normally €160).
The playroom is a hit with the lads. It was one of the biggest we’ve seen with something for all ages, including free old school arcade games (for 7-year-old) giant Connect 4 and Jenga (for the 4-year-old), a rocking horse (for the 1-year-old) and a full-sized pool table (the 39-year-old dad).
This proved really handy when we were eating dinner at Cormac’s Bar, the older two boys felt very grown up being able to fly off to the playroom between courses. And we had coffee in relative peace. Win, win.
There’s an outdoor play area that we made good use of too.
Kissing the Blarney Stone is top of our to-do list.
The last time I was at the castle was over 25 years ago and boy, a lot has changed.
It’s hard to find time to be a tourist in your own city but Blarney Castle should be on everyone’s list - it’s too beautiful an experience to leave just to visitors.
We are blessed with a gloriously clear day, which I’m sure helped, but it was a wonder to discover the castle and the grounds with the kids.
Kissing the stone was such an adventure (not suitable for anyone under the age of 4, by the way) and the walks around the grounds are sensational.
Our favourite is the Poisonous Garden, we could totally imagine Harry Potterish goings on here.
There’s a deliciously dangerous collection of poisonous plants including Wolfsbane, Mandrake, Opium and even Cannabis.
Imagine what Prof Snape could have conjured up with that. A family ticket is € 32, www.blarneycastle.ie
The hotel has a special winter offer, an overnight stay with breakfast, two-course meal in Cormac’s Bar and a glass of wine for 2 people, from €59 per person.
€20 per room supplement on Friday and Saturday nights. This offer is not available from December 23 to January 1 2017.
A 3-month leisure membership, plus two free guest passes is €135. Visit www.theblarneyhotel.ie
Call 021 438 4477 or email info@theblarneyhotel.ie
The spell Specialis Revelio reveals hidden secrets or magical properties in Harry Potter land. In this dimension, our trip to Blarney did the same. A revelation.
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