Cahernane House Hotel. Renovated and Reinvigorated. And Ready for You.

Cahernane House Hotel. Renovated and Reinvigorated. And Ready for You.

Entrance and, right, evening view from dining-room

The high-ceilinged Herbert Room, the restaurant at the newly renovated Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, has some beautiful views over Lough Leane right out to the high mountains. In the nearby fields, black Kerry cattle, horses and sheep graze and deer pass through heading to the safety of the trees for the night. Peace and quiet and just a few minutes drive from the town centre; indeed, you'd walk it in about 15 minutes.

We, of course, were there to dine and what a meal we had in the historic room, thanks to new head chef Eric Kavanagh and a very friendly, informative and efficient front of house team.

Dessert!

Beautiful breads and an amuse bouche got us off to a great start along with a sip or two from a bottle of delicious Verdejo, part of an impressive wine list. Starters featuring Cordal, the mild and delicious local goats cheese, and a very flavoursome Hay Infused Enriched Ham Broth with barley, were top notch.

These were followed by the Middle Course, 50 degree Olive Oil Poached Hake for her and a Buttermilk and Honey Sorbet with ginger for me, both gorgeous and not exactly small portions either.

Chicken mains

Time now for the main event and the standard remained deliciously high. My Cornfed chicken with Jasmine Tea and shiitake mushroom and more, was superb, a pleasure to dispatch. And CL’s line caught Cod, with smoked bacon dashi and seaweed was also exquisite.

Presentation had been neat and tidy all through but CL got a spectacular surprise with her dessert. Poached Rhubarb was the main description but the dish came in the form of a bird’s nest with the ricotta shaped into the eggs. My orange and almond cake may not have had the same visual impact but, served with lemongrass, yogurt, pineapple and white chocolate, it was quite a treat.

Breakfast, with Kenmare smoked salmon

We had stayed in the hotel at the end of 2016 and enjoyed the Cellar Bar there. This, like the Herbert Room, had been renovated but the change down the steps was spectacular. The bar itself is now at the other end of the space; there are new seats and more of them (the old ones had been comfortable but were coming to the end). And more tables are available and here you may have smaller plates during the day as a guest or indeed as a visitor. 

One thing that has not changed though, I'm glad to say, is that they are still serving a range of beers from the local Killarney Brewery and I was delighted to finish the night with their Scarlett Pimpernel IPA.

Our bedroom - we were media guests - was one of dozens upgraded over the winter. No cutbacks on space here and the decor is calming, greys and rose used. The bathroom is well equipped with a tub and a spacious shower and all the bits and bobs you’d need. And we had terrific views too. Depending on where you are, you may get the chance to see the deer on their early morning and late evening “migrations”.

In all, Cahernane has 40 rooms, 12 in the manor house and 28 in the Garden wing and another 22 are at the planning stage. There are still some minor works going on but apart from the driveway, nothing else for the summer months. Next winter the plan is to do the drawing rooms and the conservatory. There are some lovely public rooms here. And there could well be more, including an Orangery.

Hotel General Manager Emer Corridan told me that work has been ongoing over the winter months (the hotel was closed from January to March) and throughout the spring on extensive renovations to the historical property, and they are extremely pleased with the results. 

“The final phase of the refurbishment saw the total revamp of the Cellar Bar, which has re-invigorated the plush room into a homely and eclectic environment that feels as though it is steeped in history but is also fashionably modern. New life has been breathed into what was a beautiful historical building (1877) that had been falling into disrepair. Everything from the work on the bedrooms to the redesign of the restaurant has been carried out to the highest standards, and the feedback that we’ve received from guests has been very positive.”

Wheel rim lighting in the Cellar Bar.

“The extensive renovation to the Garden Wing has now been completed, with all 26 rooms being entirely stripped, modernised, and refurbished. Each room offers something different however, with every bedroom having its own personality that is portrayed through the wallpaper, paintings, and ornaments.”

The effort and the investment has paid off already with Cahernane recently included on the Condé Nast Johannsen’s list. No doubt the inclusion was aided by the wonderful location of Cahernane - it overlooks the Killarney National Park and the beautiful Lough Leane - and the fact that there are so many amenities and attractions nearby, not least the Ring of Kerry.

Main course of Cod at dinner

The Herbert Room is also the venue for breakfast. An excellent menu here. At the buffet, you have an extensive choice of fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, charcuterie, cheeses, juices, yogurts. On the hot side, you may order anything from porridge to the Full Irish.

We picked these items in between: the Smoked Salmon (Kenmare) and Bagel for me and the Buttermilk pancakes with Maple syrup for CL, both delicious and more than enough to keep us going for the morning.

Also on this trip:
The Strawberry Field and Pancake Cottage
Killarney. A Quick Visit
Dining in the Garden Room at the Great Southern

Rosé and Low in the Garden. Summer Wine.

La Jara Rosato Frizzante Veneto (IGT) NV, 10% abv, €12.95 Karwig Wines GOOD VALUE

This frizzante is an organic wine, a special cuvée. No mention of Prosecco on this bottle though the grape is the Glera which is used in the region to produce the famous Italian drink, both spumante and frizzante. The cork is secured with string and this confuses some people, confused me up to a few years ago. There is a helpful diagram of a corkscrew on the top of the cork and you can easily open it with the regular one.

It is a very clean and bright pink in colour. There are very delicate aromas of strawberry and raspberry. Bubbles, except at pouring and for a short while afterwards, are scarce enough but do remember that this is a frizzante (semi-sparkling). There is a bubbly feel to it in the mouth and also a biscuity flavour along with some fresh and fruity berry flavours. This very pleasant wine is perfect as aperitif. Get in a few of these for summertime in the garden. Highly Recommended and good value too.

Domaine de Ménard Rosé 2016, Côtes de Gascogne (IGP), 12%, €12.25 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Tannat and the salmon pink colour has more depth than your normal rosé but with a bright sheen. Strawberry and floral notes in the aromas. No shortage of lively red berry flavours. It is fresh (harvest takes place at night) and full with excellent balance. One of the better rosés and Highly Recommended.

Serve it well chilled, they say, with Basque and Spanish cuisine. I’m sure we can come up with something Irish also. In any case, it is delicious on its own. 

La Stoppa Malvasia Dolce Frizzante, Emilia (IGT) 2016, 7%, €17.06 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny.

The Malvasia di Candia aromatica is the fruit for this moderately sweet bubbly wine. Single fermentation is via the Charmat method (also used in Prosecco). Note that the ABV is just 7%. Ripe melon and notes of honey come through on the nose.

Colour is a light straw, lots of micro-bubbles cling to the glass. Not that many bubbles and not for very long. It is frizzante, not spumante! Easy drinking (not a hint of cloying), moderately sweet (like a French moelleux), honey and fruity and a good finish. Gone up, in my estimation, since the previous year, so now Highly Recommended.

A Couple of Days in West Cork Syrian Food. Manning’s Emporium. An Eagle’s Nest. Burgundy on the Beach. Room with a View. Magic.

A Couple of Days in West Cork

Manning’s Emporium. Syrian Food.  An Eagle’s Nest.

Burgundy on the Beach. Room with a View. Magic.

On Garinish Island, with the Italian Garden in the centre

Mid April and we’re off to West Cork for a couple of days. We get to taste Syrian food in Bandon, lunch at the amazing and expanding Manning’s Emporium, see the eagle’s nest near Glengarriff where we stay and dine at the spectacular Eccles Hotel before a wander around the large and engaging Bantry Market.

Manning's Pizza oven

First stop is in Bandon where we had a little lunch at the Bayleaf (LINK), a restaurant serving a delicious mix of Irish and Syrian food. Then a stroll around the town and a call to Ruth at URRU for coffee and also to check out the shelves stocked well with good food and drink. URRU by the way is expanding, upwards, and Ruth is waiting patiently for the stairs to be installed! It will be an even better place to visit and relax over a cuppa.

Salad at Manning's

The first major halt is at the beachside hotel Inchydoney Lodge, a spectacular place. We are here for the Louis Jadot Burgundy Wine dinner and, before that, a walk on the beach of course.

The Ploughman

The following morning, after breakfast, we decide to take advantage of the emerging sun to walk the beach on the other side of the hotel before heading off west. First stop is at Manning's Food Emporium in Ballylickey. They too have well-stocked shelves, all kinds of food and drink.

Eagle's next, top right

But the major attraction is their expanding outside dining area (they have covered and indoor spaces too, in case of rain!). And we spot their newly installed pizza oven, going down a treat at the weekends.

A little lunch is called for on this occasion and one of us has a plate of crisp and beautiful salad while the other enjoys a delicious Ploughman’s on a baguette. Amazing freshness, colour, flavour and texture on each plate. And the tea was top class also!

On then to beautiful Glengarriff. With the sun in a strong position, it was an ideal day to visit Garinish Island. We got the boat at the lovely Blue Pool and our skipper took great care of us, making sure we had lots of time to enjoy the seals lazing on the rocks and then he pointed out the lofty tree top nest of the sea eagles. Enjoyed the walk around the island - we’ve been there a few times before - especially the climb to the Martello tower and the Italian Garden. 

There is a new attraction here now, a guided tour of Bryce House. You need to plan this into your schedule. It starts at quarter past the hour and takes about 45 minutes. We didn’t have quite enough time but will visit on the next occasion. The ferry charge is 12 euro and there is a 5 euro fee to visit the island.

On Garinish, Italian Garden

 More seals and another look up at the nest (there was an eagle standing there) as we made our leisurely way back to the Blue Pool. Time then to check in at the Eccles. We had specified a room with a view and it was rather special. After a little drink in the hotel's Harbour Bar, we strolled up to the village.

Dinner in the bar (the main restaurant opens for the main tourist season) was excellent. Breakfast was actually served in that lovely main restaurant, the Garinish, and that set us nicely. It was another sunny morning and ideal for a visit to the huge Bantry Market where everything from the best of local food to bric-a-brac is for sale. Well worth a visit.

Links for this visit:

Inchydoney Hotel Wine Dinner. 

The Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff.

Bantry Market.

Syrian Food at Bandon's Bayleaf.

Bantry Market

Cronin Sisters Walk The Walk as Old Blarney Butter Roads Festival Steps Up A Gear

Cronin Sisters Walk The Walk

 As Old Butter Roads Festival Steps Up A Gear

Quite a few tributes were paid to the women behind the Old Butter Roads Summer Féile at the 2018 launch in Blarney on Saturday. Two of those women are the Cronin sisters who spoke honestly and eloquently about the importance of local produce. 

Having talked the talk, the sisters, Tricia and chef Martina, showed they could walk the walk at a multi-course meal in their Square Table restaurant on Sunday night. Local produce was right, left and centre as the courses came to the table. 

The festival lasts all through May. The spotlight was on Blarney last weekend but will shift to Macroom, Kanturk and Mallow, Mitchelstown and Fermoy, to villages Aubane, Watergrasshill, and Whitechurch and to other parts of the general North Cork area. Check the website link below and also their Facebook page.

Toonsbridge Mozzarella with Follain red pepper chutney;
Bluebell Falls goats cheese and beetroot crumble;
Michael Twomey's crispy black pudding with red cabbage chutney;
McCarthy's black pudding wrapped with puff pastry, piccalilli and apple purée.
Annabella Farm micro-herbs.

Ballinwillin Farm wild boar and mushroom tortellini, onion purée

K. O'Connell's pan-fried hake, Bertha's Revenge Gin,
Jerusalem artichoke and mussel

Michael Twomey Butcher Angus aged rib eye, Tom O'Brien's free range egg
béarnaise (not shown but exquisite!), McCarthy's beef dripping chips,
and onion confit.

Longueville House apple brandy chocolate mousse,
buttermilk foam, expresso ice cream

Hegarty's cheddar and new Templegall (comté) cheese and Toonsbridge
scamorza , served with Follain relish and Longueville house apple brandy
and fig chutney and house crackers.

Old Butter Roads Launch 2018

The Old Butter Roads Féile 2018 Website

A Bit of Banter. At Old Butter Roads Launch in Blarney

A Bit of Banter

At Old Butter Roads Launch in Blarney

Joe McNamee with, from left, Martina and Tricia Cronin and Lenka Forrest

“Sometimes you need to be broken to get stronger”, said Martina Cronin, Chef at the Square Table where her twin sister Tricia is front of house and manager, at the launch of the 2018 Old Butter Roads Food Trail in The Church Of The Resurrection Blarney on Saturday.

Martina was responding to journalist Joe McNamee whose gentle prompting drew some terrific answers from the chefs and producers on stage. Martina paid tribute to her mother: “The house was very food oriented.” But she was in transition year before she made her mind up to be a chef.

Ciaran Scully, teacher and chef, “had me ready for Dublin” where her education continued under top chefs Ross Lewis and Graham Neville. One of the things she learned along the way and which she and Tricia implemented at the Square Table was to use local as much a possible. “This way we met and got to know the local producers and that in some ways led to this festival.”

Hegarty's cheese

Joe asked Tricia how customers reacted to local produce. Her years in Jacques gave her a good grounding and introduced her to local produce. “I enjoy engaging with the customers on local produce and local producers. But you do need to know your stuff. There’s a lot of homework to be done, especially with new dishes. I find too that now locals and international customers are talking about the Old Butter Roads.”

Lenka Forrest who runs the Old Blarney Post Office Café in the village started here about two years ago and immediately “clicked” with the Cronin twins and Maire, the chair of the Old Butter Roads. “It is important to promote the great food that's within this area to locals and tourists. I was happy to get the call to join the OBR. And happy too to see how Irish food has changed over the past twenty years.”

Victor of Bluebell Falls

Pat Mulcahy

Lenka, originally from Czechoslovakia (“the Czech side!”), didn’t really have a food background. But spotted the closed-up Post Office and rented it. “I didn’t know anything about the business, about the margins. It is a tiny place - you can see us make everything. We use the right ingredients and give good customer service. I like sharing food and love to see people enjoying our food.”

Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin is helping Dan Hegarty of Whitechurch make his great cheese for the past two years or so. He admitted he had no idea about Irish cheese but soon discovered “other amazing cheese makers, Gubbeen, Milleens, Coolea”. Hegarty’s are long renowned for their cheddar but Jean-Baptiste told us that the range is expanding, a Comte/Gruyere style, and had some delicious samples to share.

Zwena McCullough of the nearby Hydro Farm Allotments said she is passionate about growing. “We share everything in the allotments, including the fruit cage. It is organic, no chemicals, we have a great community from tiny tots to the quite elderly. A great variety of nationalities including a Moroccan lady who makes a great tagine! We help educate by running courses and so on.”

Victor from Bluebell Falls was also on the platform - they weren't all up together! And he told Joe his story. We visited his farm recently and you can see all the details here. 

Hydro Farm Allotments 

Pat Mulcahy from Ballinwillin Farm told us his business includes deer, wild boar, and goats, B&B, lunch, evening meals. He has about 40 meat products, all through organic farming. He found lots of obstacles at the start: “You need to be determined, lots of walls to jump.” Now he works with many chefs to get his food message across.

And while he meets some of the biggest names in the industry it is often at home that he feels the big pride. “The chest expands,” he admitted, “when I’m sitting around the breakfast table with guests from many countries enjoying the farm food as was the case this morning.” You’ll probably be hearing more from Ballinwillin about wellness and the link with food as they are seriously looking at the influence of quality and authenticity on good health.

All together now!

Pat also imports his own wine from Hungary. “Some of the best winemakers in the world are in Hungary but they don’t sell. We were lucky to get into partnership in a cellar and now bottle and import our own range of wine. Growing grapes is like farming - that's what attracted me."

The Aubane community seem to be ahead of the posse on the Old Butter Roads as they celebrated the 250th anniversary 20 years back and Celeste Buckley told us on Saturday about another celebration on May 18th next, the 270th, with a five course meal at the local community centre to be followed by music and dancing. “We have a very exciting menu for the event and are really looking forward to the night.” Details on here. 

Jean-Baptiste

Kanturk too will be involved and we heard from Timmy McCarthy, the 5th generation butcher from the town. “We can't move forward without taking inspiration from the past. We have a rich array of producers and it all needed direction. This is a platform to promote the area!”

Joe McNamee then officially declared the event open. “This is a tremendous initiative. Food and tourism are intertwined and contributed to the country's recovery. The quality of the food and the movement of small premium producers led to this. But don’t reserve your support for special occasions. Support these producers in your weekly shopping.”

Chairperson Maire Ní Mhurchu, a founder member, then invited us to sample the trays of tasty bites laid out for us and so we did. “We all have a passion about food,” she said earlier. “We are a  cooperative group and intend to show the area at its best. Our new website has been launched. As you know our logo is the Milk Churn.”

Joe McNamee launches the 2018 event.

“This is a great unspoiled area, yet very close to the city. There is a great heritage here and that shouldn't be forgotten either and the Aubane celebration is part of it as it the cart outside built by the local mens shed.”

Soon the celebrations began. Indeed, I suspect they had already begun in nearby Blairs Inn. Next stop after the church opening was Lenka’s cafe where Pat Mulcahy was roasting one of his wild boars. Lots of events coming up over the month so do stay in touch with the website and also their Face book page. 

Also of interest:

Ballinwillin House and Farm

Bluebell Falls Visit

My North Cork Collection

Visit to Hydro Farm Allotments 

Amuse Bouche

And now everything that wasn't tied seemed to float for an endless moment as time slowed. A wine bottle, a woman’s purse, a little girl’s iPhone. Plates of food hovering in midair, spinning gently, entrées still in place, and then the screech of metal on metal and the barrel roll of Scott’s world ripping itself to pieces.

A wave smacks him in the face, and he kicks his feet to try to get higher in the water. His shoes are dragging him down, so he loses them… 

from Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (2016). Recommended.

Thali - Plates of Nepal

Thali - Plates of Nepal

Jimbu Timur Chicken

After a visit to Franciscan Well for a beer (and a call to Pat McDonnell for a few shade cards!), we took the opportunity to stop for an early dinner at Thali, the friendly Nepalese restaurant on Pope’s Quay.

We had been there just over a year ago and the dish we enjoyed then was the Thali Set. Thali means plate in Nepal and this dish, a collection of lentil soup (daal), chicken or lamb curry, vegetable curry, tomato chutney and rice, is delicious and, if you are a newbie to the cuisine, is a good way of starting into it.

Mix and Match

There is an early bird (€16.95). Other Asian dishes (Indian, Chinese and so on) are on offer here the A la Carte but we were sticking to the Nepalese section.  One of our choices was the Jimbu Timur Chicken (lamb option also available). This is cooked in a typical Nepalese style with herbs and spices, featuring a local herb from the Mustang region of the Himalayas called Jimbu. Good bit of spice in this one but very tasty and the chicken was perfect (15.90).

The other main dish - we shared both -,was simply called Mix and Match (18.90). “Very traditional,” we were told. It is a style and a dish that originated in the Nepalese army, combining a delicious mix of char-grilled lamb, chicken and jumbo prawns. Another excellent plateful. These dishes come with either rice or naan so we had one of each. By the way, the naan is superb here as is the poppadoms that we had with the amuse bouche.

They have quite a list of starters, mostly from Nepal, ranging in price from 5.50 to 9.90. My pick was the Aloo Chop (6.50), a type of spicy potato fritter, a really popular veggie snack in the country. It is hot and spicy and very very delicious indeed and is served with their traditional coriander and mint chutney.

CL’s pick was the Chana Chatpat (5.50). This classic street food favourite in Nepal features chickpeas combined with a  special peanut and herb chutney and garnished with fresh coriander. We went fifty fifty with the starters also and this is a beauty. Other starters that we can recommend from a previous visit are the Newari Sadeko (a chicken & salad dish from Katmandu) and the Mo Mo (steam dumplings filled with chicken).

Oh, I almost forgot. They also serve you an amuse bouche, well made poppadoms with a trio of dips, one cooling, the other two quite hot! There is a short wine list here, beers too (including a Nepalese one called Khukuri; poured from the bottle, it is nice and smooth). But we didn’t go for the alcohol this time and instead drank water, plenty of it!

Read about our previous visit here.

Thali Restaurant

30 Pope's Quay

Cork

021 4553389

Facebook: @thalinepal

Web: https://thalinepal.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thalinepal/ 

Bantry Market. Every Friday

Bantry's Massive Market Every Friday

The Toy Show

The regular Bantry Market is one of the biggest around. The Market occupies the central town square and spills out into the adjoining roads and car parks. Organic fruit & veg, hot food, baking, cheese, fish, meats, olives, eggs, honey, preserves, plants, local crafts, pet supplies, bric-a-brac & collectables are among the items you'll find here. 

Take a seat

And it gets even bigger on the first Friday of each month (the traditional Fair Day) when it's not unusual to see donkeys tethered to lampposts and cages full of ducks and hens for sale. 

Shane serving up his Red Strand coffee.

Here'll you find Henry Hegarty working his magic at Wokabout, Shane and his locally roasted Red Strand coffee, and delicious freshly baked bread and pastries from the Dunmanway Baking Emporium. Want a pair of gloves for the garden - here there's a huge selection, not just for the garden, for the farm too, for the factory and so on. Tools of all shapes and sizes, new and secondhand. Looking for something for your home wine-making? Thirty corks for three euro. Books, vinyl records, old toys, carpets and mats, clothes and more. All here in this colourful gathering. Well worth a visit!

Links for this visit:

Inchydoney Hotel Wine Dinner. 

The Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff.

Syrian Food at Bandon's Bayleaf.
A Couple of Days in West Cork

Chilling out

Books galore

Jewellery Box

How about a cuppa?

Taste of the Week. Davidson’s Pork Steak Wellington

Taste of the Week

Davidson’s Pork Steak Wellington

Montenotte based butchers Davidson’s have been serving up some great meat in the area for the past four years or so. And it’s not just the locals saying that. Chris Davidson has led the team here to more than their fair share of awards in national competitions. And our Taste of the Week is one of them.

This delicious Pork Steak Wellington has been a national runner-up and they have a national champion in the equally delicious Crusted Rack of Lamb.

The Pork Steak is our Taste of the Week. Absolutely top notch meat and the stuffing, walnut and apple, is superb as well. Well worth checking this one out. By the way, it comes with full cooking instructions!

Davidson's Craft Butchers

7 St Christopher's Dr, Montenotte, Cork, T23 KV96

Open Monday-Friday· 8a.m.–6:30p.m.

Saturday: 8a.m. - 6.00p.m.

Phone: (021) 451 8184