Walking The Dog At The Lovely Sneem Hotel

Walking The Dog 

At The Lovely Sneem Hotel

Walking the dog is probably the wrong way to put it…

After a hearty breakfast in the Sneem Hotel, we decided to take the walk in front of the hotel that winds around part of the nearby inlet, and also provides a delightful view from your room.

Window view. Also pictured this the evening before and it got
over 10,000 impressions on Twitter.

So with coat and hat on, we headed out the front door and were immediately accompanied by Red. Red? Well he is the hotel’s resident dog and is a big friendly Red Setter that we had met briefly while enjoying a drink in the lounge the previous evening.

He bounded on ahead of us this promising morning and we walked on down to the water and around the path. Every now and then he came back to us and then headed off again. When we turned back towards the hotel he headed off in front. But there was a little delay as we stopped to take a few photos. All of a sudden he rushed back - I’m pretty sure he was checking on us. Back at the hotel, he walked in ahead of us, probable seeking someone else to guide. 

Chicken

It is a dog friendly hotel but has much else going for it, including that terrific view - make sure you book a sea-view room as it is well worth the supplement. Besides the view, the room is very spacious, very comfortable and you’ll have everything you’ll need.

One of the more unusual treats here is the facility to enjoy an open air Seaweed bath near the hotel. “It is scientifically proven that having a seaweed bath is beneficial for supporting our nervous system and making us feel more calm.” Over to you! Don't worry too much though - the water is heated

Curry

The hotel is in the village where you have quite a lot to do, including checking out the dozens of sculptures around the two sections of Sneem. That done, you may want to check out quite a variety of food options.

Sneem is of course on the Ring of Kerry. Kenmare, another lively little town packed with bars and restaurants, is less than half an hour away to the east. Nearby, to the west there is the iron-age Staigue Stone Fort.

Beyond that, the marvellous Derrynane House and gardens, once the home of the the Liberator Daniel O’Connell, and well worth a visit. After that there is Waterville and so much more of the Wild Atlantic Way.

After your trip, you might like to dine in the hotel (either restaurant or bar). We had a very satisfactory lunch earlier in Killarney so weren’t going for the full dinner but were well pleased with our meal.

Just one course needed as it turned out, accompanied by draught pale ale from the Killarney Brewing Company, a beer that you find in quite a few establishments in the area. 

One dish enjoyed was the Thai Red Curry with seafood and Jasmine rice and topped with cashew nuts. No shortage of fish here and everything was very acceptable and easy to dispatch. The other, also a quite satisfactory plate, was Chicken Breast with spiced pumpkin purée, fondant potatoes, mushroom, and chicken velouté.

In Derrynane Gardens

Breakfast was mainly from the buffet, a supervised one which always lends itself to better quality. Very happy with that, especially the outstanding local Sneem black-pudding. And another aspect that helped was the fact that the tea wasn’t delivered as you sat down, coming instead as you started to eat and was much the better for it. So often the pot is delivered early on and is lukewarm when you really need it!

After that final cuppa, it was time for the walk with our unexpected escort, a nice ending to our stay in this lovely place with welcoming and friendly staff.

Red, on guard at the hotel

Recent Kerry posts

Killarney's lovely Victoria Hotel

Dinner at The Ivy in Killarney

Dining at The Harrow Killarney

Excellent Lunch at Brehon Hotel

Coming Soon

Sneem Hotel DBB

Lunch at Killarney Distillery and Brewery in Fossa.

Killarney's Victoria Hotel. A comfortable and convenient location on the Ring of Kerry.

 Killarney's Victoria Hotel. A comfortable and convenient location on the Ring of Kerry

Victoria Hotel on a March morning

Killarney’s Victoria Hotel, on the Muckross Road, is a comfortable and well situated base for a short break in Kerry. It is on the Ring of Kerry and the National Park is just a short stroll away.

We were immediately struck by the warmth of the welcome at the reception, later in the dining room and also in the breakfast room. The fact that this 33-bed hotel, owned by the Courtneys, has separate dining rooms indicate their focus on space and comfort.

Cashel Blue included in breakfast platter of cheese and charcuterie

Breakfast is excellent here and you won’t have to leave your seat. No buffet. Everything, including juices and breads and cereals is brought to your table. You just indicate your preferences sit back and enjoy. Quite a menu as well. We can recommend the pancakes, the Full irish (or variants thereof), and the Charcuterie and Irish cheese plate.

The Ivy Restaurant at Killarney’s Victoria Hotel is a splendid place to dine. Again, here’s a high degree of comfort and space, a friendly and courteous team, and the food (not to mention the drink) doesn’t disappoint either. We had dinner there and can give it a big thumbs up! More details here. 

On another night, we had dinner at the relatively new Harrow Restaurant on the town’s High Street, another splendid and comfortable establishment with a very high standard of service and cooking. Read all about it here.

Slea Head

We spent a brilliant day on the road with the main focus on Dingle and the surrounding coast, including the spectacular Slea Head. It was mid-March and the weather was mixed but our hours on the coast and in the town were enhanced by the sunshine even the winds blew hard.

Torc Waterfall, mins from hotel

A few months back, we came across a magnificent sea salt made by a small enterprise called West of Dingle. It is usually stocked by the well-known Little Cheese Shop in Green Street but they had run out. We were directed to the Health Food Shop on Main Street and here we were able to stock up.

Local brew in hotel

We were looking for a mini-snack ourselves (enough after that big breakfast in the Victoria) and called into Seed & Soul and my highlight here was their Gingerbread Latte. Not a great Latte man normally but I certainly enjoyed this one.

Great to see well-known places such as Dick Mac’s (lively lunchtime buzz there) as we strolled around. It may have been cool but that didn’t stop the punters piling into Murphy’s Ice Cream. Passing Ireland’s smallest shop, McCarthy’s Crepes, and a sign outside Bob Griffin’s Bar telling us that Soup of the Day was Guinness, raised a smile.

Since I was in Kerry I was keen to get my hands on some local craft beer, especially those that wouldn’t be readily available in Cork. And I found quite a treasure trove of craft a few minutes from the hotel. The Carry Out at the town end of the road down to Ross Castle had a huge selection including some from my own local the Cotton Ball. They also bottles from four Kerry brewers: Tom Crean, Torc, West Kerry and Killarney Brewery. Filled a big box there!

Just across the road from the off licence, a couple from Argentina run Tango, a café and bakery, with an interesting South American and European menu. Didn't have time to call on this trip but noted it. Another to check, nearby, out is Luna, a wine bar stocking some excellent natural wines.

The hotel and Harrow both serve local beers but if you want a large selection on draught then the best place to visit would the Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder in the town centre. They do some very tasty food there as well.

I didn’t get to visit the new facility of the Killarney Brewing and Distillery Company out in Fossa on this visit but that was remedied on w/ending March 31st - I'll have a post up soon. Cheers!

On this trip:

Dinner at The Ivy in Killarney

Dining at The Harrow Killarney

Coming Soon

Sneem Hotel DBB

Brehon Lunch

Lunch at Killarney Distillery and Brewery in Fossa.

Best local produce finds a fine home at Harrow in Killarney’s High Street.

Best local produce finds a fine home at Harrow

 in Killarney’s High Street

Chicken

Killarney's Harrow has just reached the 12-month milestone on the town’s High Street and is making quite an impression. It is an impressive building, both inside and out, very comfortable and spacious, with a very friendly staff and, very importantly, local produce is supported and well handled here.

Harrow (where Gabys was)

The culinary team of John, Christian & Zvonimir are bringing all their experience to bear and local producers supported and listed on the menu include Poppadom’s Farm Killarney - Star Seafood Killarney - Spillane’s Seafood Killarney - Tim Jones Killarney - Fenit Veg Tralee - Wild Kerry Game - Terra Foods Tralee - Irish Hereford Prime - Our Chef’s Garden. Local brewers and distillers also feature in Harrow.

Mussels

Interior

The main restaurant, well decorated and lit, is a split-level ground floor room and off to the right and upstairs is a separate party room for around 30 guests. Service is friendly and efficient from welcome to goodbye.

We were soon seated and checking the menus. Some very tantalising dishes here. The produce may be local and Irish but there are some different touches from the continent and beyond. They offer A La Carte and a 3-course set menu (for forty euro where you choose from starred items on the A La Carte).

There is a long wine list here, quite a few by the glass. They have a full bar of course so no scarcity of spirits, cocktails, and beer. Some non alcoholic options too. I often look out for the local beer and we enjoyed bottles from Killarney Brewing (Devil’s Helles) and 9 White Deer (Stag Bán Pale Ale).

Celeriac

After tasting and enjoying their smoked butter on their crispy bread, I started with Hay Baked Celeriac (Salt and Hay Baked Celeriac with Truffle Dressing, Pickled Cranberries & Toasted Pistachios). You don’t see this too often. I enjoyed it very much, light, flavourful and colourful. Happy sounds too from the other side of the table where the Mussels served with Garlic Bread Curried Lemongrass and Ginger went down well. They also had a Garlic and Parsley Cream sauce available for the more cautious.

CL went for a more traditional main course: Chicken Supreme. It was stuffed with Black Wild Garlic, Mushroom & Spinach Arancini, Grilled Butternut Squash, Pickled Chanterelles, Roasting Jus. A splendid dish indeed, packed with flavour and accompanied by Crispy Potato dressed with Confit Garlic.

I haven’t had Pork Schnitzel in a long long time and the Harrow version was excellent in both quality and quantity and served with a very tasty German Potato Salad. The full description is Pork Schnitzel, Celeriac Purée, Herb and Parmesan Dressing, Celeriac Slaw with Jus. A hearty flavoursome dish to watch out for if you visit.

Schnitzel

The dessert list is short, shorter than the list of sweet wines (including ports). Our pick, for sharing, was the Vanilla Crème Brûlée lightly flavoured with Pedro Jiménez, served with Boozy Armagnac Prunes & Cinnamon Biscuit. Yum.

You may be wondering where the restaurant name comes from. Not from the London borough of that name nor from any grand palace or family. It is from the humble farm implement used to break up the soil after ploughing. Apparently, the people behind Harrow have an agricultural background and that shows also in the names on their sophisticated cocktail list. Here, among the classics, you’ll find The Plough, The Hoe, The Oxen, and The Iron Harrow. A haggart full of cocktails then but no sign of the Scuffler! Cheers.

CorkBillyBeers #7. Craft lager with Killarney Brewing, O'Donovan's, 9 White Deer, Kinnegar, Bradleys, Staropramen

CorkBillyBeers #7

Craft lager with Killarney Brewing, O'Donovan's, 9 White Deer, Kinnegar, Bradleys, Staropramen

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Killarney Devil’s Helles Lager, 4.5% ABV, 500 ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Pale gold is the colour of this Kerry lager, a lager that made a good impression when I first came across a few years back in the Cellar Bar of the lovely Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney.

Killarney Brewing say, fairly accurately as it turns out: we brew it with highest quality German ingredients to bring out a delicious malty and honeyed flavour with the perfect touch of noble hop aroma. Refreshing!

The aromas are mild with both the malt and hops sharing the spotlight. And that harmony continues right through the palate to the refreshing finalé, clean and crisp, balanced and subtly sweet (as a scone is sweet). 

It is a German style, often associated with the Munich area where it originated. Try this with a bowl of mussels from Cromane. By the way, if you’d like to try one from the source then the Augustiner Lagerbier Hel is the “textbook-defining Munich Helles” according to Mark Dredge in his Beer: A Tasting Course.

Killarney beers often come with a legend attached and this one concerns a fierce battle between Thor and the Devil. Thor cast down lightning bolt after lightning bolt upon the Devil, who retaliated by tearing up the earth and hurling it back. The resulting basin filled up with water and became known as the Devil’s Punch Bowl.

If you are in Killarney and visit the new premises of the Killarney Brewing and Distillery Company in Fossa, the Devil’s Punch Bowl is just half an hour’s drive away. Indeed, I’m thinking (I haven’t visited yet) that if you are upstairs in the new building you may be able to see it across the lake.

Highly Recommended

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9 White Deer Stag Kolsch, 4.2%, 500 ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Kölsch is a style of beer, of the lager family, originating in Cologne, Germany. In appearance, this 9 White Deer produced example is bright and clear with a yellow/amber colour. And a soft white head.

The Stag Kolsch, with its high carbonation level and gentle hop character, is palate friendly with an almost creamy feel. Easy to quaff and easy to see how this refreshing gluten free and flavoursome beer (more malty than hoppy) has become quite a seller, widely available in both bottle and draught.

The team in 9 White Deer have certainly cracked the style here. They have brewed with German Nobel Hops, Premium Irish and German Malt and German Yeast. Stag Kolsch gets “an extended lagering time where it can develop and mature into a classic premium European style beer”. 

Excellent when quietly sipped in a hotel lounge, or noisily dispatched in the club after a game, or shared while chatting with friends at a barbecue session, this West Cork lager impressively fits the bill.

The Ballyvourney based 9 White Deer Brewery was brought into being by two people, Gordon Lucey and Don O’Leary. They each have a passion for quality beer and, between them, they have a lot of experience in all aspects of beer from growing barley to front of house customer experience and everything in between. More details here.

Highly Recommended

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Kinnegar Brewers at Play #27 Black Lager, 4.7% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This is the first dark lager from Kinnegar and #27 in their Brewers at Play list. 

The brewers have been hard at it even though this series "is all about letting the brewers have some fun and to keep us drinkers on our toes”, and this release is no exception. Rich and dark, with a hearty roasted malt character, coffee, caramel, and molasses make this a serious tipple with its many similarities to stout and porter.

It doesn’t quite have the body of a stout of course but could well pass for a porter. Forget about style for a while and just enjoy this dark gem from the crafty coiníní in the north west. 

Very Highly Recommended

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Staropramen Lager, 5.00% ABV, 500 ml bottle O’Donovan’s

It’s got a beautiful bright pale gold colour with a pristine white and bubbly head, fountains of little bubbles racing towards the top. Aromas speak of malt, hoppy too with a slightly fruity character. And the malt, now somewhat less intense, is also the major feature of the palate. Softly malty with a gentle refreshing finish, that’s your Staropramen. 

I can see why I got to like it as I, more or less unknowingly, began making the switch from mainstream to craft. Well balanced, quite refreshing and engaging and a good introduction to better beers ahead. It may well again serve that purpose if you are going from mainstream on the way to craft. But, other than being a pleasant beer, it doesn’t have all that much for the more experienced craft drinker. 

The brewery was founded in 1869, according to Wikipedia, “and the brand name Staropramen, literally meaning old spring, was registered in 1911. It is owned by Molson Coors and its products are exported to 37 different countries, mostly in Europe and North America."

They say: Coming from a city of lovable sins that knows everything there is to know about great beer and enjoying life, Staropramen has many stories to tell you – stories about life well spent. Pairings: “Hamburgers are always a great choice for dinner and socialising. A classic is a classic! For an extra touch, add a bit of Emmental and we believe that your friends will be delighted.”

The brewers are quite proud of their barley. “Hordeum vulgare. That’s the Latin name for barley, but there’s nothing vulgar about it. In fact, it is a rather special malting barley we use. We have our own Barley Breeding Group, which works in close contact with our brewmasters. The group selects the barley with the best traits and grows it in our research fields, using only traditional breeding methods.  So considering that Staropramen is made from 100% pure malt—i.e. no adjuncts- it could take some years before we breed the necessary amount of barley. Probably worth the effort.”

Castlerosse Hotel. Ace Kingdom Base.

Castlerosse Hotel. Ace Kingdom Base.

Morning view from Ross Castle

The Castlerosse

The comfortable Castlerosse Hotel was our base for a packed two day trip to the Kingdom last month (Aug 2022). It is a low rise building overlooking its own golf course and offers much for the active person, young and old alike. Not to mention the excellent Mulligan’s Bar where they serve the local craft beer on draught.  No shortage of music in the bar either.

Aside from the spacious hotel rooms, they offer many chalets on the grounds, ideal for families with young kids who can of course avail of the hotel’s facilities including pool. In addition, the kids can get on their bikes and head off, accompanied of course, on at least two paths into the Killarney National Park.

The Workmen's Rowing Club

We didn’t take the bikes but we did walk the paths which are signed. One late afternoon, we headed off on the shorter one through the woods and by the fields to Killarney. After about 25 minutes, you come close to the cathedral and a stroll down New Street will take you into the very centre. Our destination was the Celtic Whiskey Bar. Whiskey on my mind but that changed when I saw the long list of craft beer on offer and here we enjoyed the Rascal’s 4.4% Stout and the Tom Crean St Brigid’s Lager.

The other walk is almost double that and takes you around the golf course all the way to Ross Castle. We did this on our final morning. We hadn’t seen a jarvey and jaunting car since we had arrived but, having just remarked on it, no less than six appeared in a row, all coming from the castle. Must have been a tour bus there! Very enjoyable walk, also met a few deer on the way, and enjoyed the views over the waters and the islands.

Ross Castle

We also made a couple of "sterner" walks. Perhaps, no perhaps about it actually, the biggest challenge for us was the Cronin’s Yard Loop Walk (8km) that takes you close to Carrauntoohil (Ireland’s highest mountain). Tough enough going for these old legs but most enjoyable. 

Ross Castle

Breakfast

Another, easier, walk was also completed, the splendid Bray Head Walk on Valentia Island. Take the bridge from Portmagee (you may also get the ferry from Caherciveen) and turn left (signed) after the Skellig Experience and then left again (also signed for Bray Head). Roads are narrow so take it easy! Soon you come to the car park, on your left (cost €2.00). Enjoy the walk and its great views including the Skelligs themselves.

After all that exercise, it was so great to look forward to the comfortable and friendly Castlerosse for a leisurely break before heading out again later on. It is the kind of hotel that we’ll return to, especially for any attraction or visit on the western side of the town (like the soon to be opened visitor centre at the Killarney distillery and brewery in Fossa). A bientôt Castlerosse!

Also on this trip:

Check out the Kingdom 1795, Kerry Restaurant of the Year

Valentia Island's spectacular Bray Head Walk 

Cronin's Yard Loop Walk (near Carrauntoohil)

Superb Killarney Dinner at The Mad Monk by Quinlans