The Celtic Ross Hotel. A West Cork Jewel

The Celtic Ross Hotel 

A West Cork Jewel

Well placed to visit
the treasures of the West Cork coast

Situated between Clonakilty and Skibbereen, the Celtic Ross is a jewel in the West Cork coastal necklace. This is a gem that exudes warmth in every aspect of its hospitality: reception, touring help, accommodation, food and drink. 

The hotel overlooking the Rosscarbery estuary has a splendid location and not just for the immediate views. It is one of the most central places from which to visit the West Cork highlights, from Clonakilty to the peninsulas in the West.

And just on its doorstep it has the beautiful villages of Glandore and Union Hall and coastal walks galore. And if you like a bit of height as you stretch the legs why not head up to Carrigfadda where you get the most splendid 360 degrees views inland and over the sea.

Warren Strand, within walking distance

And another thing about the Celtic Ross, under manager Neil Grant, is their huge involvement in and support for local events, including A Taste of West Cork, the Clonakilty Street Carnival and the prestigious West Cork Sports Awards to name but three. 

And more recently, they have thrown their weight behind a new initiative, the West Cork Farm Tours, that gives you the chance to visit one of five farms in the area. We did a tour recently and you may check it out here.

There is a wide range of outdoor activities available in the area including horse riding, cycling, golf, pitch and putt, woodland trails, garden visits and water sports such as kayaking and stand up paddle boarding.

Dinner in the Celtic Ross

And after all that touring and walking and other activities, you might well like to relax in their leisure facilities.  Let the aches of the day evaporate in the steam room or sauna, take an invigorating swim (15m pool) or unwind with a hot stone massage. As they say: “When you visit us you’ll find everything you need to make your stay as laid-back or as active as you want it to be.”

Celtic Ross is an active participant in the delightful Clonakilty Street Carnival

They support local drink producers in the hotel bar. Whiskey from the West Cork Distillery in Skibbereen and gins from the Beara Distillery are given pride of place here along with quite a few other Irish spirits. And local breweries too are highlighted with beers from Baltimore’s West Cork Brewery and Mitchelstown’s Eight Degrees available, some on draught, some in bottle. And when the sun shines, they have outdoor facilities where you may snack and sip.

Breakfast

And the food is splendid here, its reputation gradually built up over the past few years by hard-working General Manager Neil Grant and Executive Head Chef Alex Petit. Alex now has the considerable assistance of Head Chef Shane Deane. We enjoyed a terrific dinner here recently, details here. And we were able to choose between two very tempting menus indeed. Breakfast is excellent too, mainly from an assisted buffet where everything is kept at optimum temperature. 

They have 66 bedrooms and many enjoy beautiful water views over Rosscarbery Lagoon or Rosscarbery Bay. As well as the double, twin and triple rooms, they also have family rooms, interconnecting rooms and rooms with built in accessibility features.

During our recent stay (March 2019), our room had a view over the lagoon and had everything we needed, including tea-making facilities, iron, hair-dryer, safe. Of course, it had a splendid comfortable bed and was restfully decorated. The bathroom too was top notch. Indeed, the room was faultless, just like the well-maintained hotel itself.

You might see these two on a West Cork Farm Tour

You may check the room rates here at their website. It may be getting on in the year now but do keep an eye out for offers. I spotted my chance in a January Black Friday sale and the B&B cost me about fifty six euro. A very good deal indeed!

Also on this 24-hour trip:
A day out with West Cork Farm Tours
Super Food at Ardfield's Mountain Bar
Celtic Ross Dinner

Gilbeys with Bibendum Showcase Their New Wine Offering At Irish Venues.

Gilbeys with Bibendum Showcase Their New Wine Offering At Irish Venues.

Michele, proud of the Perusini wines

Gilbeys and Bibendum introduced their new partnership to existing and potential Munster customers at a major tasting in the Kingsley Hotel last Tuesday. This week’s other tastings saw them in Galway (yesterday) and, today Thursday, they'll be in Dublin's Merrion Hotel. As part of the C&C Group’s ownership, the partnership will combine the best of Bibendum’s premium and artisanal wines with the established Gilbeys wine brands popular in the Irish market.

In a press release from Bibendum, Gilbeys Sales Director Duncan Millar said the partnership is about opening new doors. “Bibendum’s portfolio offers a huge variety of countries of origin that you don’t really find in Ireland. Access to these wines gives us the opportunity to expand conversations with luxury hotels, Michelin-star restaurants and premium, wine-led venues.”

“Through partnership with Bibendum, we’re hoping to increase the business we do on the island of Ireland – doubling the wine business over the next three years.”

Michel, keeping the French end up!

And they have certainly acquired some excellent wines, many of them on show at the Kingsley, a showing that was well attended. First up were the bubbles, from France, Spain and Italy. I said to myself: Why not England? 

The prompt had come from seeing some Nyetimber bottles on the first stand and an invitation to sample. Nyetimber, where accomplished Limerick winemaker Dermot Sugrue got his first job, are one of the pioneers of English sparkling wine, one of the first to use the classic Champagne grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

And these three featured in their Classic Cuvée with its fine bubbles. complex aromas (more than three years on lees)  and an intense palate with a long finish. Superb! As was the Rosé which was every bit as charming. Let us hope that Brexit doesn’t throw up any thorns.

The French are never far from the English and I started the still wines there with a 100% Chardonnay, not from Burgundy but from Languedoc. The Jeff Carrel Morillon Blanc Pays D’Aude has a surprisingly good structure, a little hint of the wood, very dry and recommended for the likes of scallops and foie gras.

The Bago Amarelo Albarino was very approachable, fresh, clean and fruity, more or less at the good standard we’ve come to expect from Rias Baixas. More surprising was the Terras do Cigarrron Godello Monterrei, intense on the nose and palate and with a long persistent finish, this one certainly took my fancy. “People just need to get to know the grape”, said my enthusiastic server.

Some impressively fresh tasting wines from Germany and Austria also, with Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey and Hungary, getting a look in at the same table. The pair I enjoyed were the Peth Wetz Crauer Burgunder Rheinhessen and the Singing Gruner Veltliner. The GV is produced by  Laurenz V a firm dedicated exclusively to the production of world-class wines from the famous Austrian grape.

Winter in New Zealand

I found another super white in the Americas table, with Des King in charge. This was the Norman Hardie Chardonnay from Ontario. The vineyard is close to Niagara and the wine, unfiltered, is really beautiful with a caressing mouthfeel. Norm is a vinous celebrity the world over, and his wines are served at top restaurants in every major city in Canada, America and across the world.

Not easy being a wine-maker here. The vineyards are located in Prince Edward County and they employ unusual methods of protecting vines during the freezing winter months, when temperatures can plummet to -20C. This process involves surrounding the vines with a small trellis, which is then covered with earth, burying the vines so that they can survive the worst of the cold.

Tanunda

And more excellent whites from down under, two featuring Viognier. I loved the uncomplicated Millton Riverpoint from Gisbourne (New Zealand). This organic gem is nice, soft, delicate - very good company indeed.

Over then to Chateau Tanunda in Australia’s Barossa for a sunny blend of Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier. Nicely scented and, after 11 months on lees, almost creamy. A harmonious wine and another to take home! I should also mention another shy one, soft and smooth too, and that is the Prophet’s Rock Pinot Gris, very nice!

The Hunter’s Chardonnay, from Marlborough, is excellent, very well balanced and mellow, 15% per cent raised in new oak. Finished the whites here with the top notch Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc, a Marlborough classic. Unoaked, hard to beat.

Some of the Italian wines at the Kingsley

Time then for a trip through the reds and, I’ll tip you off that most were Pinot Noir. There was no Pinot Noir at the Italian table but there was no getting past Michele either. He plied me two of his reds. The first was a Perusini Merlot from Friuli-Venezia. Using their own clone, they produce a fruit packed juice. The second, their Rosso di Postiglione (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), is more restrained, fresher, more acidic.

Concentration!

There was a terrific trio of Pinot Noirs in the down under corner, beginning with the Prophet’s Rock Home Vineyard, fruity with a smashing body, really excellent.

Expected good things from the Craggy Range PN from Martinborough and they arrived in force in this unoaked gem, lighter of colour and more fruit forward than the Prophet, pretty perfect.

Pinot Noir in Yering

And the high standard continued with the switch to Oz where I encountered the Little Yering Pinot Noir, very impressive and close to matching the Craggy Range. Love to try the three of them in a longer session.

I finished this mini-Pinot tour in France, not in Burgundy but in Languedoc-Roussillon, with a now busy Michel pouring from the Jeff Carrel Pinot Noir en Coteaux bottle, fresh, fragrant and juicy. By the way, Jeff Carrell is noted for offering great value in both red and white.

Taste of the Week. Killenure Castle Dexter Beef Salami

Taste of the Week

Killenure Castle Dexter Beef Salami

Taste of the Week is a gem: Killenure Castle Dexter Beef Single Estate Salami, to give it its full title. The cattle are raised in Dundrum, Co. Tipperary.

It is salami and you may eat it in much the same way as you’d enjoy any other salami. But this is not just another salami as it has got its own amazing texture and flavour thanks to the heritage beef and “a heritage curing process”.

Killenure have returned the native Irish breed to its “original birthplace in Dundrum”. The salami is not the only product. Watch out for their “Boutique Beef” and “Dexter Dripping”. Nothing is wasted: they also do leather and bone crafts. Must see if I can visit!

Glad I recently ordered the #IrishFood hamper to raise awareness & funds for #RearingtoGo @TeacTom via @gingerbreadmiss , as that’s where I came across the salami. Not too sure about stockists but you may purchase direct from the castle.

Killenure Castle 

Knockavilla,

Dundrum,

County Tipperary.

• E: info@killenure.com
• T: + 353 (0) 62 71498
• M: + 353 (0) 87 640 2664

Ninja Sushi Bento Can Brighten Up Your Day!

Ninja Sushi Bento Can Brighten Up Your Day!

There’s a new ninja in town, hanging out in Daunt’s Square (opposite the Roundy) since the start of the year.

They do sushi here, lots of it. Buy yourself a box, take it home or eat in-house (there are a few seats). They also do Hot Bento, again many choices including Japanese Beef Curry, Chicken Kara-age and Seafood Cha Han. Various ramens also and a selection of salads, even desserts (anyone for Dorayaki Green Tea Custard?)

I called in there at the weekend. Previously, manager Hilda McCarthy told me that the best time to come in is from 12-3, “because our sushi is fresh made on the day, once they are sold out they are gone!”.

The place is beautifully maintained, both inside and outside (where there are also a few seats. I was in at twelve on the dot and the display of sushi was eye-catching. I intended to bring mine home and eat it out in the garden with the sun shining so I was concentrating on the Bento. (A Bento by the way is the word for a decorated Japanese Lunch box).

If you’d rather make up your own selection, that is easily done because most of the elements and others pieces are sold individually. For instance, a Sushi rice ball with a slice of fish will cost between €1.00 and €1.35 and there are about 20 different ones available. Check out the menu for other choices including Hosomaki and Uramaki, also Futomaki and Temaki. There are also a few Sushi Wraps available.

With guidance from Hilda, I took a look at the Sushi Bentos. Six different sets were on offer, some small, some larger.  There is a very tempting Salmon Lover’s Set but I settled for the Hana Set where the main feature was the half dozen Sushi Nigiri (fish slices on rice balls). Much more in it as well as you can see from the photo. All for €12.00. Last week also they had an offer of two free healthy drinks with each Bento purchase. Vegetarian and vegan options also available.

It all went down very well in the garden, a delicious lunch. Extras such as toasted seeds, soya beans, wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce are all included in the price. And those free drinks, a blend of apple and pineapple juices, were gorgeous.

They open at noon every day, including Sunday, and closing time has been extended (from April 1st) to 9.00pm. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates and offers. And do call in; enjoy the food and the friendly and helpful service.

Ninja Sushi Bento

1 Grand Parade

Cork

021 241 1878

www.NinjaSushiBento.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ninja-sushi-bento-348466749318091/ 

Enjoyable Lifeboat Inn Wine Dinner. Fabulous Food. Superb Wines. Best of Company!

Enjoyable Lifeboat Inn Wine Dinner

Fabulous Food. Superb Wines. Best of Company.

Monkfish and Ripasso de Valpolicella 

I think many of the customers at last week’s superb Rizzardi wine dinner in Courtmacsherry’s Lifeboat Inn had Amarone on their minds. And when the 3CRU 2013 came, it didn’t disappoint. It was introduced, like all the previous wines, by Giuseppe Rizzardi and he gave us a few tips.

“Don’t decant,” he said. “By all means, open it a few hours in advance but don’t decant! Also, don’t serve it too warm. It is our most prestigious wine. Amarone is not a grape, not a region, it is a method, a process. The grapes are picked and then put into boxes that hold 4 to 5 kgs. Some 15,000 to 18,000 boxes are left to dry out in a large room in a method known as appassimento. It takes 2 to 3 months and you end up with less fruit but with more concentrated tannins, more colour, more sugar. It then spends two years in barrel.”

The Rizzardi version, a 2013, was excellent and fantastic match with the Beef Cheek and the pairing was heartily endorsed by the winemaker. But Giuseppe told us that not all Amarones are the same. “Too often is it very sweet and that sweetness covers the lack of other qualities.”

Giuseppi, enjoyed the craic
in Courtmac

Giuseppe is quite familiar with Ireland and did a few summer jobs here in the 1990s and of course he's a regular visitor now to O'Brien's Wine, his distributors here. On arrival the guests were treated to a glass of Rizzardi Prosecco, the famous sparkling wine made from the Glera grape. “This one is smooth and dry, with a little bit bit of character.” He told us they use it as a base for cocktails, “especially Bellini.”

The Italian enjoyed the food and was intrigued by the local Mozzarella in our starter. Pinot Grigio is quite a well-known Italian white and we started our meal with that. “It is not barrel aged, is quite light, made with fruit from the region of Soave. It’s ideal as an aperitif and will go well with soups.” And it went very well indeed with our delicious opener.

Indeed Giuseppe, like the rest of us, was every impressed with the starer, surprised to hear that the cheese was locally sourced “very interesting texture, very impressed”. He told us that a lot of Soave, our next wine, is made but much of it is just for everyday. Theirs comes from a beautiful fortified village in the Classico area and the Gargenega vines are grown on volcanic soil. “Again it is unoaked, a little bit of Chardonnay is blended in.” And he advised against serving this too cold. “You get more flavour as the temperature goes up.” It was paired with the scallops, local and absolutely superb.

So don’t serve the Amarone too warm, don’t serve the Soave too cool. What next? Well a red wine with fish! And the Roast Monkfish paired with the 2013 Ripasso de Valpolicella was a match made in a Courtmacsherry heaven. Again, Ripasso is a method with the grapes “refermented on the skins of the Amarone and then 12 months in big barrels”. “This is a red wine that can be poured cool, at about 14 degrees,” he advised. “Great freshness and acidity and it provides a link between simple Valpolicella and Amarone.” 

And it did indeed go very well with that splendid Monkfish dish. Front of house here is David O’Halloran and he had been giving us some extra details on the dishes. He told us it was a “purposeful decision” to pair the Ripasso and the Monkfish “to show that fish and red wine will go together”. Referring to the Amarone he said that here, in a reversal of the norm, they picked the food to go with the wine, not the other way round. Chef Martin Buckley got out later on and thanked Giuseppe, saying “it was special to have him here tonight”. 

And there was another surprise when it came to the dessert, an excellent chocolate offering as the wine was, believe it or not, a Merlot, the 2016 Clos Roareti. An unusual choice. And an unusual project, according to Giuseppe, that began in 1999 in a region near Verona where there was no Merlot. But they succeeded and produced their first bottles in 2006. “Now (we were drinking the 2016) the vines have matured, there is a good richness and concentration but not too much. It has spent 12 months in barrel and this 2016 is still a baby. Production is limited and the bottles are individually numbered.”

The Menu

Heritage Tomato, Macroom Mozzarella, Hazelnut, Balsamic Dressing

Pinot Grigio 2018

West Cork Scallops, Parsnip, Gubbeen Chorizo, Blood orange

Soave DOP Classico 2016

Roast Monkfish, Risotto Nero, Parma Ham, Confit Tomato

Valpolicella Ripasso 2013

Haulie’s Beef Cheek, potato, Wild Garlic, Grilled Sprouting Broccoli and Carrot

3CRU Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013

Guinness and Chocolate Cake, Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Clos Roareti Rosso Veronese (IGT) 2016

The Lifeboat Inn
Courtmacsherry
Co. Cork.
For more on the Rizzardi wines, please check the O'Brien website

Amuse Bouche

Inside our house, my mother is also cooking and I have little choice but to wait in anticipation. There is something artistic about the way she moves about the kitchen cooking, the little things she says, the snippets of songs she sings. It all goes into her rice, tacos, enchiladas, menudo and caldo de res.

She’s poetic, lyrical in her creations. I take out my cell phone and record her, hoping to keep the moment ingrained forever.

from Homelands by Alfredo Corchado (2018). Very Highly Recommended.

The Sultan Cafe: Cuisine of North Africa on a Cork Quay

The Sultan Cafe: Cuisine of North Africa on a Cork Quay

Tagine

Stopped in off Penrose Quay on a bitingly cold March night walked through the portals of The Sultan and landed on the balmy coast of North Africa, a warm welcome and a treasure trove of exotic dishes available to us at Taoufik Hammami's restaurant. On the way in, we pass the  Shisha Lounge, which doubles as reception and waiting area, complete with traditional pipes and a display of herbs and aromatic spices that are used in the cooking.

Under a tent-like ceiling, with long lengths of colourful material hanging loosely overhead, African music playing, the cuisine of that long coast, particularly those of Morocco and the Lebanon, are detailed on the extensive menu. Dishes such as Kaftas, Shish, Kofta, Kebab, Cous Cous, Shawarma, Salads, Baba Ghanoush, and Falafel all feature. Spices are used but more to impart flavour than heat.

It takes us a while to make up our minds. I’m looking at everything, the hummus, the vine leafs, the falafel, the sharing Mezzes, the Tabbouleh. In the end though I pick the Fattoush: mixed green salad, tomato, cucumber, parsley, onion, sumac, with pomegranate and oil dressing and cracked bread (7.95). Packed full of flavour and an amazing dressing, took a while to get through it.

We would find out that dishes here are very generous indeed. CL picked the Moussaka (a vegetable version), aubergines cooked with chickpeas, tomatoes, mixed peppers and spices, served with pitta bread. Again a generous mix of flavours and textures for 6.95. 

Moussaka

The Morrocan selection on the mains is based mainly on tagine variations. Authentic Moroccan tagine (16.95) is a slow-cooked stew like dish, served in a traditional Moroccan clay pot, served with a choice of rice, couscous or bread. CL picked the couscous and the bubbling stew did come in the clay dish and was terrific, the couscous (a very generous helping again) served in another dish alongside. She had a choice of beef or lamb and picked the latter. It was cooked on the bone, Generous and delicious too. Lots of pieces of sweet fruit mixed in here, even a spud in the stew!

Fattoush

Meanwhile, I was happily making my way through a Lebanese dish. I had quite a few to choose from: Kafta Lahem (lamb mince), Taouk (chicken breast) and Dawood Basha (spiced meat balls) to choose from. I settled for the Mixed Meat Shawarma (14.95), pieces of chicken and lamb marinated in a lightly spiced garlic and onion mix, grilled on skewers and served with mixed salad, garlic sauce, pitta bread and a choice of rice or chips (rice for me!). Tender, tasty, slightly spiced and overall delicious.

Shawarma

Baklava features strongly on the desserts and do watch out for the Almond finger baklava soaked in honey and topped up with Pistachio. If you can’t manage it at the end of eh meal, don't worry they’ll wrap it up for you and you can enjoy it later on at home. And if want more sometime, don't forget they have a shop in McCurtain Street (near the Met) where they also sell Turkish Delight! And you’ll more than likely see a Sultan stall at various markets and festivals.

The Sultan Café 

5 Penrose Wharf

Penrose Quay

Cork

(021) 241 4272

German Chardonnay. Italian Pinot Noir.

German Chardonnay. Italian Pinot Noir.

Danese Pinot Noir Trevenezie (IGT) 2017, 12%, €13.95 Karwig

Grapes and Wines (Clarke & Rand) recommend that Pinot Noirs from the “home” of Côte d’Or should be drunk young “within five years or so”. Our timing is good with this interesting one from Italy which has some pretty accomplished Pinot Noir producers.

Colour of this Danese is a very light ruby. Blackcurrants and raspberries feature in the aromas. Flavour seems to be in line with the aromas; they are moderately intense and you’ll find moderate spice also, quite dry, with subtle tannins,  and a decent finish. Easy drinking and got the thumbs up from a four person tasting and is Highly Recommended. Pretty good value too.

The Winery suggests pairing this medium bodied wine at 14 to 16 degrees with  Roast chicken , rack of lamb, served pink. Rare fillet steak and carpaccio. Roast pork with herbs and fennel. Chicken or turkey sausages. Mushroom risotto. In summer, you can serve it slightly chilled.

Kilian Hunn “Junge Wilde” Chardonnay, Baden (Germany) 2017, 14%, €18.30 Karwig Wine

Junge Wilde means young and wild and is a name of a series of wines by Kilian Hunn aimed to show off the potential of the Tuniberg vineyard. And  this, the label proclaims, is “an aromatic pleasure wine for many beautiful moments.”

It has an inviting light gold colour; lots of micro bubbles cling to the glass. Yellow stone fruit aromas, apricot to the fore. Quite a complex wine on the palate, richly flavoured, an excellent mouthfeel too (has spent three months on the lees) and a long dry finish (you’ll note the trocken on the label). A very interesting German Chardonnay indeed and, as they say themselves, an excellent “Maul voll Wein” (mouthful of wine) and Highly Recommended.

Try with poultry, fish, white meats, pasta, seafood, vegetables (including asparagus), soft cheese.

Karwig also carry other Kilian Hunn wines including Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Spat Burgunder (Pinot Noir).

Frédéric Desormeaux and his Fantastic Fish at the Mountain Bar.

Frédéric Desormeaux and his 

Fantastic Fish at the Mountain Bar.

French chef Frédéric Desormeaux, well known from his days in Greene’s, is loving life in West Cork. And producing plates of fantastic food in the kitchen of the Mountain Bar in Ardfield. Fifty covers last Saturday night! One hundred and fifty the Sunday before. And the numbers will go up in the summer when Fred cooks outside with customers accommodated in two marquees.

When we arrive in this seemingly isolated country pub, we are presented with the specials board. We know we are in for a treat and, eventually pick the fish specials, as Fred is noted for his fish dishes. 

At the bottom, there is a Buttermilk marinated Southern Fried Chicken Burger, Dubliner cheese and smoky bacon, Brioche bap, aioli, and Parmesan cheese and wedges. Fred likes this, maybe too much! “Never trust a skinny chef,” he laughs. We stick with the fish. I should mention, just in case that you don’t like fish, that the Mountain is also well known for its steak!

We’d never really heard of this pub until recently. But lots of people have, as you can guess by the numbers turning up. It is about ten minutes from Clonakilty, about fifteen from Rosscarbery. There are beaches nearby, some stunning ones, some  fantastic scenery too, including Galley Head. So lots of visitors around and quite a few have holiday homes in the area. 

And, for just over 12 months now, many of them have been flocking to Patrick and Carol O’Sullivan’s Mountain House. The O’Sullivan’s acquired the premises in 2010. Travel The Distance Taste The Difference, they say. We did, on both counts. Not that the distance is all that much: Ardfield is just about 45 minutes from Cork city.

There is a regular lunch menu here including soups, sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips and so on and also a Sunday Lunch. But we didn’t really go past the specials. There was a dish of Quail breasts, confit duck potato croquettes, Turmeric baby pear, broccoli sprout, yogurt and beetroot dressing, light jus. Also one of Chicken, Prawns, Gubbeen Chorizo Caesar salad, crispy potatoes, garlic brioche croutons and poached egg. Pub grub? I ask myself.

My pick is Seared Tuna on a smoked tuna potato salad, pea purée, roast garlic aioli, squid ink tuile (19.95) . A masterly and vivid rendition of the fruits of sea and the garden, the tuna so fresh and flavoursome, the salad a little masterpiece on its own, all topped off with the delicately wrought squid ink tuile. Very Highly Recommended if you get the chance!

Across the table, there was another hymn of praise being murmured as CL engaged with her Fresh Rigatoni Pasta with Salmon, Prawns, Mussels, Gubbeen chorizo cream, Parmesan and Garlic bread.  A magnificent combination, another harmonious song of the sea with that Gubbeen too playing a key role, even the garlic bread was noteworthy. By the way, everything is fresh here, that beautiful pasta was made that morning.

We had a very friendly and helpful server and also a wee chat with a lady who I presume was one of the owners and both seem to be enthusiastic about the food, know the dishes well, always a good sign.

Another chat then with our chef, about old times and new. And what would we have for dessert? There was a choice of three or four. Fred recommended the Tiramisu (made fresh that morning) and I'd seen the Mango Creme Brûlée flying out to a group at a nearby table. So they were the two that we ordered and that we shared. Needless to say, both were superb.

After that excellent meal, we stepped from the restaurant room into the bar and there was Fred preparing a slightly raised section to accommodate the numbers expected that evening. You may also eat in the bar itself. An older gent was tucking in when we first entered and a threesome were eating at the counter as we said au revoir to Fred. Great to hear him say “I’m very happy here”. And many customers of the Mountain will be glad of that as well.

* By the way, if do get to Ardfield, and you should, check across the road from the bar; there is a plaque to a famous English musician, Noel Redding, who came and enjoyed life here. 

Also on this 24 hour trip:
Celtic Ross dinner
West Cork Farm Tours

See Where Your Food Comes From With West Cork Farm Tours

See Where Your Food Comes From

 With West Cork Farm Tours 

Youngsters

Here’s how to get a two week old calf to suck your fingers.

Extend your hand and keep it out there. Keep it steady. No sudden moves. Be sure and have your palm facing upwards - they don’t want any backhanders! Be patient and soon enough the calf will come and suck (probably with more force than you might expect).

Just one of the experiences from our morning West Cork Farm Tour on Denis O’Donovan’s dairy farm between Rosscarbery and Glandore. “Dairy’s the only game in town,” according to Denis and, since 2015, the only type of farming that he conducts. The 150 cows in the herd get the best of care and attention from Denis, his wife Collette (great with the calves!) and son Eoghan (who is attending secondary school). Denis’s father, nominally retired, is also a big help especially when the family need a break.

Denis has an audience in front. And another behind!

They greeted our group when we arrived on the mini-bus and soon we were sitting at the table with a spread of scones, Kerrygold butter, Dubliner cheese, and their very own milk (very delicious!). Collette and Eoghan joined us for a chat and indeed for the tour.

Denis was keen to stress that Ireland is one of the few countries in the world where milk is produced from grass. “Ninety per cent of the world’s milk comes from cows fed on grain,” he told us, stressing that the grass based method was much more environmentally friendly.

There are four farmer owned co-ops in the area and they also have the Carbery factory. This is where the O’Donovan’s milk goes before ending up in products such as that Kerrygold and Dubliner and also milk powder (especially for the big baby food companies).

It seems to me that the perfectly laid out farm would be one of twenty one fields, ten on each side and one at the top of the farm road. Why? Well, the grass cycle is 21 days. Denis: “We have the perfect climate for grass, though the drought (like that of 2018, thankfully a rare occurrence, and severe cold can upset that). This spring has been very kind so far and we have loads of grass.” And where there’s a surplus of grass, it can be harvested as silage and retained for the two and a bit winter months when the cattle are kept indoors.

Milking every morning after 5.45am wake-up call.
Every afternoon at 4.30pm.

Good farm roads are essential and theirs are excellent as we’d find out later, “better than some public roads”. Other essential items are large water troughs for each field or paddock,  piping to get the water out to the fields, electric fencing to control the strips of grass being grazed. Amazing how the cows will stick their heads out under those wires to get a nice mouthful of grass but are very careful not to touch them.

So then it was time for us to get into our trailer and Denis onto the tractor. The trailer by the way is adapted for passengers and you get a great view. Midway through, we walked a bit, getting nearer the West Cork coast and enjoying marvellous views down to Glandore harbour and its rocks and islands and, over to the east, Galley Head and its lighthouse.

Glandore harbour

At this point too, Eoghan gave us a local history lesson as he pointed out the impressive ruin of Coppinger’s Court in the near distance. Must have been much more impressive when it was built in the 17th century with 365 windows, 52 rooms and 12 chimneys. Sir Walter Coppinger intended to build a city around it but his ambition bankrupted him.

He was hauled off to court, leaving instructions with his staff that, if he wasn't back by supper, he’d have had lost his case, and they were to burn the place down. He won the case though and repaired to the nearest tavern to celebrate. He forgot all about his instruction until seeing the glow in the sky from the flames as he arrived home.

Pic by Maxine Christy (Celtic Ross)

Back in the milking parlour, we heard that Denis and Colette are up at 5.45am every morning for ten months of the year. Straight out to do the morning milking; the afternoon milking is around the 4.30pm mark. No escaping those two daily sessions if you’re a dairy farmer.

The herd is a Jersey/Friesian cross, the Jersey used for its higher fat and protein in the milk. Each cow produces about 5,500 litres of milk each year but nowadays farmers such as Denis tend to talk about milk solids rather than the amount of liquid. Their paycheque is based on the solids and hence the importance of the Jersey (who is also a very “efficient cow”).

As we met the herd out on the field, and they came over to check us out, Denis revealed that he does all his own AI (artificial insemination). “Most of the semen we use comes from New Zealand but we (Ireland) will soon have our own bank.”

He pointed out the tags that have all the data (birth date, mother, father etc.). “The department will know exactly her history. Full traceability is all important. There is no traceability in many countries.”

Back at the buildings and right next to the milking facility, we met the current “crop” of calves, just a few weeks old and just as curious (if a little bit more nervous) than their mothers. All the calves, by the way,  are born in the springtime, all by arrangement (thanks to AI and good planning). It makes the whole operation that bit more efficient and means that the family can plan their year a bit better better, especially that well earned break!

There are five farms participating in the Tours programme, all a little bit different. They can do days tours, bespoke tours, specialist tours. We certainly enjoyed our one and you can get most of the info you want from the contacts below, especially the website. Very Highly Recommended. Local hotels, such the Celtic Ross, can also be of help if you want to do a tour and indeed big thanks to Neil Grant of the Celtic Ross who arranged for us to go on this one.

West Cork Farm Tours

Facebook: @FarmToursCork

Twitter: @FarmToursCork

Instagram: westcorkfarmtours

Web: https://www.westcorkfarmtours.com/ 

Also on this 24-hour trip:
Celtic Ross dinner
Fabulous Fish Dishes (and much more) at Ardfield's Mountain House Bar