Latest news with #EastCork
Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Tour guides share what makes Ireland truly memorable and the best way to experience its hidden gems
Eddie Fitzgerald, Ballycotton Sea Adventures Eddie Fitzgerald has been giving tours of Ballycotton Lighthouse for 11 years. As a former lighthouse keeper, he understands why people are intrigued by these iconic structures: 'I suppose it's the mystery of it really, when they look out and they see this tower on the rock or the headland, depending on where they are. Because down through the years they were off bounds to be honest.' Eddie, now aged 80, worked for Irish Lights in the 1960s, and was stationed at a number of lighthouses — including his hometown of Ballycotton. Although he left to pursue a music career with the East Cork group Gina And The Champions, he retained his interest in lighthouses: 'I loved it. And it is still a passion that I have for all lighthouses. I just love talking about them, and telling stories about what the light people did, and the craic.' 'At my age, it's lovely to still get out and step onto the lighthouse. And when I get onto the landing, I'm transported back to when I was a young man.' Customers come from all over the world, and occasionally people who spent time in Ballycotton as children join a tour. One man was the son of a former lighthouse keeper who worked with Eddie. 'They'd send the children for a week out to Dad on the lighthouse during the summer months, to give Mam a breather. So that would be quite interesting, because the children would get up to all kinds of mischief,' he says. 'One family came back, and the chap — who was now a grown man — he was out there as a child, and I remembered him.' The tour takes approximately 90 minutes, and involves a short boat trip over to the island, and a chance to go into the lighthouse and up onto the balcony. # 'There's a magnificent view when you get there, and people love that,' he says. Groups might be lucky to meet some wildlife on the boat trip. 'Sometimes we're blessed and you might have a pod of dolphins hanging around for a day or two, and sometimes a tour might see them,' he says. 'Just a couple of weeks ago, we had a lot of basking sharks in the area. The seals usually come into the caves near the landing, and sometimes, when the people on the boat arrive out, there's a seal inside before them. And of course they get a great kick out of that, especially the children.' Sheena Dignam, Galway Food Tours SheenaDignam: "You have such a diverse melting pot of different cultures of people coming to live and stay in Galway, because they feel comfortable. They like the way of life here, it's very beautiful, it's vibrant. It's a small city, but still, there's a lot going on.' Sheena Dignam founded Galway Food Tours 11 years ago. Born in Wicklow and raised in France, Sheena spent 15 years working in the food industry. When she returned to Ireland as an adult, she saw the opportunity to challenge people's perception of Irish food: 'Growing up in France, I was always kind of subject to negative tones about our food industry, which I knew weren't true. You can do fish and chips seven days a week if you want to, when you're coming to Ireland. "But you can also look for those beautiful farmhouse cheeses, you can look for the air-dried meats, our dairy, our fish.' While working as manager of Kai restaurant in Galway, Sheena started giving food tours to French tourists. The tours soon took off, and she began offering them in English. 'Now there's a team of 11, and we have an average of seven tours a day. They vary from food tours, whiskey and storytelling tours, weaving tours where you to learn how to weave, and ring-making and food tours.' They are expanding to Kilkenny this summer, and also offer tours in France. Galway has become a top foodie destination in Ireland, thanks to its rich cultural scene, vibrant city, and celebrated local producers. 'It's got such a dynamic of different things,' says Sheena. 'You have such a diverse melting pot of different cultures of people coming to live and stay in Galway, because they feel comfortable. They like the way of life here, it's very beautiful, it's vibrant. It's a small city, but still, there's a lot going on.' While the majority of Sheena's customers are from overseas, she would love to see more Irish people joining the tours: 'It's a harder sell, you're preaching to the converted. What I will say to them is that you're getting the inside story of who the people are.' 'You're meeting those people. Because you can walk by a place and say 'yeah, I know where that is.' First of all, you might not have been in there. But also, you don't know that he named his favourite cocktail after his dog.' For anyone looking to see a different side to Galway, a food tour promises something unique. 'It gets people off the main thoroughfare of the city. It goes off the beaten track, inside an immersive experience of what Galway is and who are the people of Galway that represent this beautiful industry.' James Foley, Beyond The Glass Adventure Tours James Foley: 'You get to see the western part of the city on my cultural history tour, which is Fitzgerald's Park, the Shaky Bridge, [University College Cork] campus, the Lee Fields. They're all gems that are amazing." When James Foley worked in pharmaceuticals, he regularly dreamed of outdoor adventures: 'I always found myself looking out the window, out over Cork harbour. When I worked in Kerry, I was looking over the MacGillycuddy's Reeks.' This inspired the name of his business, Beyond The Glass Adventure Tours, which he set up in 2018: 'I was always hiking the mountains, cycling in different parts of Ireland, different parts of the world. So it was a natural progression for me.' James offers cycling tours of Cork City, as well as mountain hiking trips in Munster. The guided hikes offer a relaxed, safe way to go up a mountain: 'It's four or five hours out on the mountain, so a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday.' The cycling tours of the city go through Cork's colourful lanes, riverside paths, parks, and attractions such as Shandon Bells and St Finn Barre's Cathedral. People hear stories of Cork's past and get tips on the best places to eat, drink, and visit during their stay. Sometimes locals join in during a tour, which James says adds to the charm. 'You get to see the western part of the city on my cultural history tour, which is Fitzgerald's Park, the Shaky Bridge, [University College Cork] campus, the Lee Fields. They're all gems that are amazing,' he says. Sometimes locals join in during a tour, which adds to the charm: 'By the top of North Main St, it says 'End Dublin Rule In Cork', and I tell them that Cork is the real capital, and we're better than the rest of the counties, but it's all tongue in cheek.' 'And then a customer one day was like 'why are you better?' There was a girl parked in a car alongside us, and she was overhearing the conversation. She just put her head out the window, and she goes: 'Look, we just are better.'' The Metropole Hotel has launched a new partnership with Beyond The Glass. Cork Unrushed is for two people, and includes two nights bed and breakfast, a two-course dinner, on one evening in The Met Restaurant, and the bike tour.
BreakingNews.ie
06-07-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Teach na Carraige: Spacious five-bed home with countryside charm in Killeagh, East Cork
Teach na Carraige in Ballykilty, Killeagh in East Cork, is a five-bedroom house that offers comfort and countryside charm. Situated in the area the now infamous Kingfishr song 'Killeagh' was inspired by, the house was built in 2004, extends to around 2,900 square feet, and has been designed to blend into its surroundings. Advertisement Kingfishr's bassist, Eoin Fitzgibbon, is from the area, and the song was inspired by his sporting past in the local hurling club. The band wrote the song in support of the hurling club, and it is about the pride of belonging somewhere, referencing the local area heavily. It is filled with natural light throughout, with a welcoming entrance hall leading to a large living room where windows frame the gardens outside. Timber floors and a feature brick fireplace add warmth and character. A second reception room offers a space for relaxed family living or entertaining. The house is designed for both practicality and comfort, with an open-plan kitchen and dining area flowing naturally into an adjoining sunroom that opens directly onto the garden patio. Advertisement A utility room and separate laundry area also feature in the house, both with external access. Also on the ground floor is a guest bathroom and a double bedroom with an ensuite. Upstairs, a carpeted staircase leads to a landing with built-in storage. The primary bedroom includes a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom, while another bedroom enjoys access via its own private staircase. Three further bedrooms, all finished with timber flooring and quality fittings offer flexibility. Outside, a private stream runs through the garden, while landscaped areas include elevated beds, a pergola-covered BBQ spot, and multiple patio and terrace spaces for outdoor dining and entertaining. There is also a brick-built garden shed for storage, a gated entrance to the property, and parking for several vehicles. Mature trees and stone boundary walls frame the house. Teach na Carraige is connected to modern services including oil-fired central heating, well water, a bio-cycle treatment system, and high-speed fibre broadband. Despite being in a rural setting, the property is also within reach of local schools, shops, and transport routes. The home is for sale on for €550,000. For more information, click here.
BreakingNews.ie
26-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
2024 Kate Winslet appearance at Cork's Ballymaloe Cookery School boosts profits
Boosted by Hollywood star Kate Winslet enrolling for a cookery course at the famed Ballymaloe Cookery School last year, post-tax profits at the school increased by 53 per cent to €135,952 in 2024. New accounts for Ballymaloe Cookery School Ltd show that the post-tax profits of €135,952 in 2024 follow post-tax profits of €88,864 in 2023. Advertisement The post-tax profits at the cookery school last year resulted in accumulated profits rising to €3.05 million. The east county Cork cookery school business sits on a 100 acre organic firm where Darina Allen is the majority shareholder in the cookery school business. In April of last year, the cookery school came into the spotlight after Oscar winning actor, Kate Winslet enrolled in a two and a half day course there with TV chef and bestselling cookbook author Rachel Allen. The cookery school usually has on offer over 60 courses each year and the flagship course remains the 12 week long certificate course which runs three times every year. Advertisement Already, the course for this September and January of next year is booked out with participants paying out €16,295 for September's course with the cost rising to €16,795 for the January course. A waiting list is in place for each of the two upcoming 12 week certificate courses. The school is a significant employer in east rural Cork and last year numbers employed increased from 68 to 73 as staff costs rose from €2.52 million to €2.6 million. Staff numbers are made up of three directors and 70 teachers and administration staff. Advertisement The profits last year take account of non-cash depreciation costs of €183,123 while directors' pay dipped slightly from €336,478 to €329,847. The firm's cash funds increased from €944,642 to €988,639. The book value of the firm's fixed assets increased marginally from €4.7 million to €4.78 million. Under the heading of 'post balance sheet event', the accounts state that 'There is a significant risk to the global economy arising from the current geopolitical situation and the impact on energy costs and inflation. The note adds that 'this development will have implications for the activities of the company in future months. The directors are unable to quantify or determine what the extent of the implications of these matters are for the company as at the date of approval of the financial statements'. The cookery school is one of a number of businesses operated by members of the Allen family at Ballymaloe.
Irish Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Post-tax profits rise 53% at Ballymaloe Cookery School
Boosted by Hollywood star Kate Winslet enrolling for a course at the Ballymaloe Cookery School last year, post tax profits at the school increased by 53 per cent to €135,952 in 2024, according to its accounts. It posted post tax profits of €88,864 in 2023. The post-tax profits at the cookery school last year resulted in accumulated profits rising to €3.05 million. The east Cork cookery school business sits on a 100 acre organic firm where Darina Allen is the majority shareholder in the cookery school business. READ MORE In April of last year, the cookery school came under the spotlight after Oscar winning actor Kate Winslet enrolled in a two-and-a-half-day course there with TV chef and bestselling cookbook author Rachel Allen. The cookery school usually has on offer over 60 courses each year and the flagship course remains the 12-week long certificate course which runs three times every year. Already, the course for this September and January of next year is booked out with participants paying out €16,295 for September's course with the cost rising to €16,795 for the January course. A waiting list is in place for each of the two upcoming 12-week certificate courses. The school is a significant employer in east Cork and last year numbers employed increased from 68 to 73 as staff costs rose from €2.52 million to €2.6 million. Staff numbers are made up of three directors and 70 teachers and administration staff. The profits last year take account of non-cash depreciation costs of €183,123 while directors' pay dipped slightly from €336,478 to €329,847. The firm's cash funds increased from €944,642 to €988,639. The book value of the firm's fixed assets increased marginally from €4.7 million to €4.78 million. Under the heading of 'post balance sheet event', the accounts said that 'there is a significant risk to the global economy arising from the current geopolitical situation and the impact on energy costs and inflation'. The note added that 'this development will have implications for the activities of the company in future months. The directors are unable to quantify or determine what the extent of the implications of these matters are for the company as at the date of approval of the financial statements'. The cookery school is one of a number of businesses operated by members of the Allen family at Ballymaloe.
Irish Examiner
08-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
East Cork, where the story of modern Irish hospitality first began
I often think of East Cork and West Cork as siblings; loyal to each other as good family members always are, never warring, but with certain marked differences in appearance and attitude and sometimes even the occasional frisson of rivalry. Cork is unquestionably the food county of Ireland, but once you have imbibed the food culture of the city and had your fill, attentions naturally turn to the countryside. So, which way do you turn, East or West? West Cork as a food destination is that sibling whose attractions are immediate and obvious and it is never shy in touting them, justly proud of its superb producers and great restaurants. East Cork is the more reserved sibling, also handsome though less inclined to shout about its charms but, more importantly, it is possessed of that special confidence of the older sibling who knows, when it comes to food, East Cork was the original national pathfinder, the place where the story of modern Irish hospitality first began. What's more, West Cork's own food producer movement, now internationally renowned, got its first big break thanks to the support of its Eastern sibling, when Myrtle Allen dining in a Kenmare restaurant encountered Veronica Steele's Milleens cheese for the first time. Milleens is rightly regarded as the food product that kickstarted the modern Irish specialty food producer movement but it needed the exposure of Myrtle Allen's Ballymaloe House dining room to attract the class of attention that would eventually lead to international awards and the beginnings of the modern Irish Farmhouse Cheese movement. By the time, those first awards began to head Westwards to Veronica Steele, in Beara, Myrtle Allen and her Ballymaloe House had been an internationally renowned restaurant for over 15 years, and is now unquestionably acknowledged as the place where modern Irish hospitality first began, when Myrtle first opened her East Cork home to the dining public in 1964. Ivan and Myrtle Allen, pictured at Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co Cork, in 1964, with their original Desert Trolley, at Ballymaloe House, which would go on to win World's Best Trolley of the Year 2019 at the World Restaurant Awards. And, though much has changed in the intervening 50+ years, it remains the first on any list of food and hospitality, not just in East Cork but also in Ireland. The death of Myrtle Allen in 2018 signalled the end of an era, though she had stepped back from the business some years prior, but it was the retirement several years ago of her daughter-in-law, Hazel Allen (who sadly died last year), that triggered a period of uncertainty for the esteemed country house hotel and restaurant, but it has come roaring back to life under the managership of Laura Behan with head chef Dervilla O'Flynn and head pastry chef JR Ryall breathing a whole new life into the kitchen, delivering menus to rival the very best in the country. Dervilla O'Flynn, head chef at Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, East Cork. Picture: Joleen Cronin Myrtle's daughter-in-law, Darina Allen, who began as a chef in Myrtle's kitchen, has in turn added to the international renown of East Cork as a food destination, when she and her brother, TV chef Rory O'Connell, first opened the Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983. Celebrating its 40th anniversary just two years ago, it has become one of the most famous cookery schools in the world, drawing students from all corners, over 40 different nationalities at last count, and the cookery school and farm shop are always worth a visit. Myrtle and Ballymaloe's influence naturally seeped into its hinterland, first creating its own network of food producers to supply the restaurant and that was then followed by the creation of a local restaurant culture that has since yielded top notch cooking in more recent decades. A sample from chef Ciaran Scully's mouthwatering menu at the Bayview Hotel. The beautiful little clifftop village of Ballycotton is just down the road and is a very popular destination for walkers from the city and, for such a tiny place, punches mightily when it comes to food and hospitality. Unsung hero Ciaran Scully rarely touts his own charms but he turns out consistently fine fare in the Bayview Hotel while the Blackbird Bar & Field Kitchen is just one of several great pubs in the village, though the Blackbird comes with the added bonus of its own onsite catering truck turning out very lovely casual dining. The gorgeously restored Sea Church, first encountered on driving into the village, has been a massive success, both as a live music and entertainment venue and for its own considered casual dining menus. Enjoy a delicious dinner and a quality show at the creatively restored Sea Church in Ballycotton. While the village may have mourned the closure of Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, Cush, at least it could comfort itself that it wasn't gone entirely, but instead had relocated to nearby Midleton, opening its doors mere weeks ago. Dan Guerin, Head Chef at Cush, Midelton. Midleton diners, having endured their own 'mourning' for the passing of the hugely popular Sage Midleton, have been more than consoled by the arrival of Cush into the former Sage venue and following a very smart makeover, chef Dan Guerin is already welcoming diners in their droves and is certain to turn this new venture into a restaurant of national renown. Midleton is also the birthplace of the Midleton Farmers' Market, the first in the country and still going strong to this day, and its produce can be found on the tables of some of the East Cork market town's other restaurants including the charming Ferritt & Lee where the cooking is rock-solid. The original Farmgate restaurant in Midleton was sadly lost forever to the catastrophic flooding but Bite Size café has gone some way to plugging the gap, not least for those with a sweet tooth and a hankering for their fine baked treats. Ballymaloe and Myrtle's dynasty has long been the big story of East Cork hospitality but there is now another 'big beast' buttressing the region's hospitality credentials. The crash of the Celtic Tiger greatly crimped the original aspirations for Castlemartyr Resort as a luxury destination hotel but the 2021 purchase of property and business by Singapore-based Stanley Quek and Peng Loh, adding to an Irish portfolio including Sheen Falls and Dublin's Trinity Townhouse Hotel, means there is finally the budget required for it to function as originally envisaged and GM Brendan Comerford and his team now have the entire operation purring like a Rolls Royce. Chef Vincent Crepel, whose restaurant Terre at Castlemartyr resort has just been awarded a second Michelin star. The jewel in Castlemartyr Resort's crown, though, must be Terre, its Michelin two-starred restaurant operated by the highly talented chef-patron Vincent Crepel who is delivering up superb menus combining French classical technique, Asian influences and excellent Irish produce. East Cork, flush with miles and miles of rich, rolling farmland has historically been less reliant than West Cork on the tourist dollar but this new invigorated Castlemartyr Resort and Terre restaurant have added enormously to the East Cork hospitality and tourism offering. Terre Restaurant in Castlemartyr Resort Cork, awarded two Michelin stars. 'I'll tell you a story that happened to me, as I went down to Youghal one day by the sea' — the immortal words of Tadgh Jordan's drinking song, popularised by Jimmy Crowley, bring to mind a time when daytrippers taking the train from Cork city turned the East Cork seaside town into one of the country's busiest tourism hotspots but passenger services were withdrawn in 1963 and the advent of package holidays in the 1970s and 1980s largely put paid to Youghal as that tourist destination of old. It is a terrible shame; with family connections in the town, I have been visiting since childhood and have always held a special grá for what I firmly believe is a still sleeping giant of Irish tourism waiting for the next revival. It has a sublime coastal location, where the River Blackwater's estuary meets the Celtic Sea, some lovely beaches and a charming town, even if it could use a little love in places. Re-opening a Cork-Youghal train connection is a must but in the meantime, I'll have to make do with a bracing beach walk followed by a delicious bowl of chowder in the legendary Aherne's Townhouse & Restaurant, Blue Book stalwart and another icon of East Cork hospitality.
