A retreat and bolt-hole in one

ARDMORE has very much moved with the times. The new Cliff House Hotel and its Michelin-starred chef, Dutchman Martijn Kajuiter, has put it on a far more sweeping radar for visitors than heretofore.

The coastal, west Waterford community has been welcoming holidaymakers for decades, generations even, and there’s a strong pattern of repeated, regular visits from families in Cork, Tipperary and further afield. New, improved roads have put it on the more accessible map for Dubliners, too, and the recession-defying Cliff House Hotel (95% occupancy for August) shone in summer sunshine, glinting off swish D-registered cars and SUVs on this elevated, east-facing ledge overlooking golden beaches.

Hop over the hill from Ardmore, skip past its famed and much photographed Round Tower and you drop down to an even more glorious beach, Whiting Bay, scenic, special, serene and great for all sea sports.