Finally, a moment…. sitting here in bed with the laptop glaring, everyone sleeping and I’m excited to get back to it! Back to using my brain (which has totally turned to mush by the way), back to reality and more importantly back to my blog. With only a few weeks left before I return to work, we decided to take a little break away with the boys and my parents to East Cork. So, what better way to return to Sass than to share all the details on our little trip.
With two babies under two, we thought travelling far afield wasn’t really an option. Anything over two hours really can be risky, so Cork seemed like the best option considering where we live (Wexford) For those who are not familiar, the journey was within the timeframe needed before everything got a bit crazy.
We booked to stay in the self-catering lodges in the Castlemarthyr resort which was lovely, clean and had everything we needed. We had full use of the facilities which was great because I felt we had the relaxing hotel experience while having the space and accessibility of the self-catering accommodation.
Without rambling on too much, I have given you a little highlight below on the best parts and the “must see’s/do’s” if you decide to visit…
Leahy’s Farm – By far the best place for kids Ollie’s age (almost 2) and grandparents (my dad loved it) this was brilliant, lots of vintage tractors, machinery etc… They actually have a museum for the older folks to enjoy. They have plenty of little farm animals, pigs, goats and of course the star of the show, Daisy the cow. Also, there are lots of different playground areas and for the older kids, real JCB’s for lots of digging fun, very appealing for any kid old enough to operate them. Ollie loved feeding the goats, that was the highlight for him. Also, there is a Chocolate factory, oh my… chocolate fountains, homemade ice cream and lots of yummy treats, great place for birthday parties. Honestly, I can’t recommend this place more. Family run, friendly staff and just the best day out.
Ballycotton Island and Ballymaloe Cookery school
We also went for a little drive around and came across Ballycotton Island, this was stunning! Lots of long walks with gorgeous scenery, it was so picturesque, what you would see in any travel magazine for tourism Ireland. They also had a cute little coffee van at the top of the hill, the owners were so friendly and chatty. It was raining so we didn’t walk around for long but I’m sure there are lots of other nooks and crannies there to discover if the weather was better.
Ballymaloe cookery school is not far from Ballycotton so we stopped off for some lunch, we didn’t actually go to Ballymaloe house which I would have loved to have seen but we had tired babies so had to head back to the lodge. The Cookery school was definitely worth the stop off though. They had a cute little Airstream trailer outside where you could grab some lunch. Would you believe with all the rushing I forgot to grab some Ballymaloe Relish, lucky its practically in every shop now! 😉
Fota Island wildlife park;
I just love this place, another great day out! Ollie is at the age now where he was more interested in climbing than the animals and of course, Will’s (6 months old) only agenda was to sleep and sleep some more but he did love been carried around in his Solly Baby warp, all snuggled up, so adorable. It was still totally worth the visit and we really enjoyed the animals and the walk ourselves. We will definitely come back when the boys are a little older.
East Cork has everything you need for a fun packed family break away especially if you just want to relax and enjoy exploring the area while also enjoying a day trip with the kids. If you are kid-free, then Castlemarthyr hotel itself is unbelievable, we were lucky to have my parents there to take the boys for a few hours, so we got to enjoy a cocktail in the bar and a pizza at Franchini’s on the grounds of the hotel. The ambience and interior decor is every bit of five-star elegance. We didn’t get the chance to go to the Spa but I’m sure it would be worth the visit. Also for any Gym goers, they have great facilities, lots of free weights, barbells, kettlebells and weights machines, everything you would need for a tough session.
I hope you enjoyed my overview of our trip, if you have any questions or would like any more information then please just drop me a message.
Sass x
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