Pet Holidays.

A dog is a man's best friend. So who better to go on holiday with than your best friend?
If you can bring them along knowing it will be hassle free, why leave you beloved pooch with the 'not so dog loving' relatives?

All pets are welcome at pet friendly Blue Book houses and hotels!

If it is your first time bringing your dog with you on holiday then follow these simple tips and you, your family and your dog will have a great time.

Sammy from Cashel House Hotel

The Top 10 Tips to ensure a fun holiday for you and your dog.

1. Preparation is key.
Contact the hotel in advance and let them know the size of the dog you will be bringing so that they can offer you the most suitable room. Ireland's Blue Book has a range of pet friendly houses and hotels.

Dexter from Tankardstown House

2. The Journey.
Feed your dog no shorter than two hours before the car journey. Allow extra time to reach your destination. You should stop every hour to allow your dog to stretch their legs and have a drink.


3. Bring your dog's own bed/blanket.
They may find it difficult at first to sleep in a new room. As they are familiar with the scent of their own bed/blanket it will help them to settle in.

Lord & Lady of the manor at Hayfield Manor

4. Grooming.
After a day on the beach or hiking in the mountains your four legged friend may be a little scruffy. Bring along a change of blanket for their bed, their brush and their towel to ensure they feel fresh and relaxed. Some Blue Book houses and hotels, including Cromleach Lodge, have grooming facilities on site.


5. Medication & Vaccinations.
Before bringing your dog on holidays check with your vet to ensure that your dog is up to date with all their annual vaccinations. Ensure that if your dog takes medication that you have enough for the duration of the holiday.

Milly having fun at Currarevagh House

6. Food/bowl.
It is a good idea to bring the dog's own food bowl and their own food. Keep to their regular routine and aim to feed them at the same time you would at home. It is a good idea to avoid giving your dog luxurious treat foods when away, again it's all about routine so stick to the foods they know.

A warm welcome awaits  at Coopershill House

7. Lead.
Make sure you bring their lead and ensure you keep your dog on the lead in public places. Not everyone loves dogs! If you are in an open area a great way to allow your dog to have a good run is to bring an extendable lead rather than letting them off altogether.

8. Toys.
Bring just a few toys with you. A chew toy for the evening and a ball for when you are out and about.

A little bit of luxury at Marlfield House

9. Behaviour.
Remember you are going to a hotel and there will be other guests staying perhaps with their own pets. Basic behaviour training is a must before you bring them away. Your dog should always come when called, stay when told and have a gentle temperament with other dogs and strangers.

10. Enjoy and Relax.
Dogs have a calming influence. Being prepared will ensure both you and your family pet have a wonderful time. Take lots of pictures to capture these fond memories.

Relaxing in Rathmullan House

A number of Blue Book houses and hotels are pet friendly. Visit our 'pet friendly' page for all the information you will need. If you have any photos of your pets at Blue Book houses we would love to see them! Email them to us!

Friendly neighbours at Gregans Castle

Gorgeous Dilly from Coopershill House

                                   
                                           Murphy enjoying the snow at Belle Isle Castle.

A four legged welcoming party at Enniscoe House

Guest Blog - Colm McCan, Ballymaloe House.

Outstanding in the field is a concept whereby a meal is served outdoors, as near to the source of the food as possible. It was first started in California by Jim Denevan. Over 90 outside dinners are now run in the USA and over 35,000 people have experienced an outstanding meal in a field!

A few weeks ago Ballymaloe house, Shanagarry, Co Cork hosted the first in a series of European Outstanding in the Field events. This is the first time the event has been taken outside of the U.S.
Colm McCan is the sommelier at Ballymaloe House and wine tutor at Ballymaloe Cookery School. In this week's guest blog Colm, who was the sommelier for the event, talks us through the wines he chose to go with each course of this unique dining experience.


Outstanding Wines for an amazing dinner - outdoors!! (Well almost...)
Ballymaloe House recently hosted an event called 'Outstanding in the Field'. One long table, set for 100 people, was set up in the middle of the busy, working, bustling, organic greenhouse in the gardens at Ballymaloe Cookery School. Rory O'Connell, Darina Allen and their team prepared a meal using home-produced produce. 

We couldn't get much closer to the source of the food!

The produce was gathered by host gardener Eileen O'Donovan, head gardener at the school and host farmer, Hawlie, farm manager at the school. All the food served was locally sourced in line with the ethos of the event - one eats as close to the source of the food as possible.

Table set for 100 in the greenhouse.

Wine plays an important role in these events. Along with the host chef, gardener and farmer there is always a host winemaker - something we do not have in Shanagarry (at the moment...). I was delighted to be asked to fill that role, choosing and matching wines to go with each course and ensuring that the wines have a local connection, of sorts!!!

Looking after the wine for the evening were Colm & John.

Reception: Grilled Arbutus sourdough bread with various toppings.


Sparkling wine: Coates & Seely Sparkling Rosé NV, Hampshire Downs, England.

Sparkling wine on ice.

This sparkling wine is new this year. Wine writer Hugh Johnson noted to "look out for this sparkler in 2011". The owners have been involved in wine all their lives and have a high profile in the wine world. I used this wine at a blind tasting in a line-up of sparkling wines for guests at Ballymaloe over the summer and all enjoyed it. They were all surprised to find it was from Hampshire Downs.
For a quality sparkling wine made 'closest' to Ballymaloe this fits the bill!


Fish course: Platters of seafood which included: Frank Hederman's smoked mackerel and eel; Bill Casey's smoked salmon; Ballycotton prawns, shrimp and crab; soused Ballycotton Mackerel; mayonnaise and pickled cucumber.

Platters of seafood.

White wine: Bodegas del Palacio de Fefinanes, Albarino, Rías Baixas Galicia, Spain 2010.
From the far northwest corner of Spain, the area of Rías Baixas, is located in Calicia where the vineyards, due to their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, provide acidity and freshness to the wine.

White Wine.

Showing the refreshing Albarino grape variety in all its splendour -with aromas and flavours of pear, peach, apricot, white flowers, apple, honey, citrus and even a hint of sea spray! A subtle flinty minerality seeps through finishing with a complex, balanced wine. Great aperitif and enjoy also with shellfish and fish. The Albarino from Galicia was with the shellfish. This is what the Spanish drink with it in Galicia - they celebrate an annual Shellfish & Albarino festival! Sailing south/south-west from the local fishing harbour of Ballycotton to the wet north-west corner of Spain you will arrive at Galicia - home to the Albarino! (Local wine importer- Sacha)


Main course: Roast organic pork from Kinoith Farm with garden herbs & garlic, brambly apple sauce, spiced aubergines in the pickling style, beans and farm potatoes.

Rory O'Connell & team preparing the meal.

Wine: Domaine des Anges, Côtes de Ventoux, southern Rhône, France 2007.
Domaine des Anges is situated on a hillside facing Mont Ventoux, 'The Giant of Provence', which rises to 1912m. The mountain has a profound influence on the climate of the vineyards with cool evening breezes refreshing the vines in the summer after the days intense heat. This enables the vines to maintain high natural acids and elegant tannin.
Irishman Ciaran Rooney is winemaker at Domaine Des Anges - The 'Irish vineyard in France'! Ciaran is a very experienced winemaker having previously worked in Stellenbosch, Bordeaux, Oregon and Australia. He creates exotic and award winning wines from vineyards high up the slopes of Mount Ventoux. Ciaran visited Ballymaloe last year and gave a great presentation on wine making.

John Quinlan serving the wine at the event.

Oz Clarke, author of '250 Great Wines' says of Domaine des Anges "I've known about it for ages. Hidden up in the hills to the east of the Rhône Valley and this (wine) is as good as anything they have ever produced. It has a ripe, rich smell of chocolate and plum and a fascinating array of flavours - Blackberry, damson, pepper and the rasp of herbs truly evokes the warm wild hills of the Ventoux". The grape varieties are grenache and syrah.


Dessert: Carrageen moss pudding, with blackberry, apple and sweet geranium compote with jersey cream.

Blackberry, apple & sweet geranium compote.

Wine: Elysium Black Muscat, Quady, California, U.S.A 2009.
Black Muscat is one of the very few black skinned Muscats. The rose aroma led the winemaker to name the wine Elysium, Greek for heaven. Drinking this you can almost feel that you have fallen into a rose garden and been transported to heaven. Floral, raspberry, black cherry, spice, honey and raisin aromas and flavours.


Cheese Course: Irish farmhouse cheese & cheese biscuits - Gubbeen, Cashel Blue, Fermoy and Ardsallagh goat cheese.

Cheese board for the evening.

Wine: Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, Veneto, Italy 2008
Located on the southern shore of Lake Garda, near Verona in Northern Italy, this is a family business which has built up a reputation for fine quality wines. Produced from vineyards in the historic zone of Valpolicella. Approximately 30% of the fruit is air-dried, amarone-style. The fermenting juice from those grapes is added to their Valpolicella, produced earlier in the season in usual red wine fashion and is passed "back over" using some of these delicious semi-dried grapes. All of this leads to a second fermentation 'ripasso' and the creation of a Rispasso style - a baby Amarone, whose colour, depth and flavours are greater than those of even the original Valpolicella. The flavours of dried fruit, dried cherry, black fruit and earth is admirably supported by the wine's full body, fine balance along with intriguing hints of chocolate, mocha, liquorice with a lovely , velvety texture.

The wines for the evening.

It is very challenging to match a wine to a variety of cheese (fresh goats cheese needs a Sancerre; blue needs a sweet and so on) so we went for an interesting red that would stand up alongside all these full flavoured cheeses.


This completes the wine line-up. It gave us a good selection of different styles and regions taking us to some of our closest quality vineyards in different European wine regions and finishing up where Outstanding in the Field originated - California.

Ballymaloe cookery school hold lots of really great wine events from tasting and matching to special guest speakers from the world of wine making. Click the link for more information:
Ballymaloe cookery school. Colm also writes a regular wine blog on the website.

For the Beginner in the Kitchen....

In recent months there has been a wave of cooking related programmes gracing our screens. This has inspired many of us to don the apron, locate the cupboard in the kitchen where the cooking utensils are hidden away and give cooking a go.

Food with a view...

For the beginner this can be quite daunting so we decided to go straight to the experts to get some tips.

We asked the Blue Book cookery schools for advice:

Ballymaloe cookery school, near Ballymaloe House,  Co Cork.

Dunbrody cookery school, home to chef Kevin Dundon, at Dunbrody House, Co Wexford.

Belle Isle cookery school chef and manager, Liz Moore, at Belle Isle Castle,  Co Fermanagh.

The top ten tips for beginners in the kitchen!

1. Preparation is key.

A lot of preparation can be started the day before and a list of when to do things can be useful. Before you start to cook, take out the utensils and weigh out all of your ingredients then place them all together in a convenient place.

2. Start off simple.

Make sure you start with a recipe that sounds appealing and is not too complicated. If it goes badly wrong, it may put you off for a while.

Liz Moore with students in Belle Isle cookery school

3. Think your timing through.

When are you planning on serving the dish, how long will it take to cook and if baking, how long to cool before serving? Sometimes an unfamiliar recipe can take longer than planned.

4. Prepare your cooking area.

Wash your hands thoroughly as well as the counter top and utensils you intend using.

Freshly baked Ballymaloe bread.

5. Use good quality, fresh ingredients.

Your food will already taste good before you start! You can be sure that there are many great local food suppliers in your area. A good place to start is the local farmers market.

6. Baking.

If you intend to bake, make sure you start in the morning when concentration tends to be at its best. Cakes and bread will need time to cool before serving so make any icing, or toppings you need during this time, or even set the table for dinner. 

A great tip for removing egg shells from batter is to use the remaining shell to attract the piece!

Class in progress with Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody cookery school.

7. Only use sharp knives.

Blunt knives can ruin food and are far more harmful if you get cut. Learn how to sharpen you knives and preferably use something bigger then a paring knife. They can be useful but not for chopping. Your butcher or friendly cookery school will show you how to go about it!

8. Let roast (beef, pork, lamb or poultry) sit before carving.

This is very important as this allows the juices to retreat back into the meat. If you carve too soon much of its goodness will spill out onto the chopping board.

Enjoy a stay at Ballymaloe house while attending Ballymaloe cookery school.

9. Remove the odour of garlic, onions and fish from your fingers by rubbing them under cold water and against stainless steel, e.g. the sink, at the same time.

10. Clean up!

To clean copper bottoms on pots and pans, open a can of tomato paste, rub it on and scrub, then rinse. If you do this weekly, your pots and pans will stay clean and shiny. This is a very inexpensive way to clean copper and brass items.

Liz gathering fresh herbs from the kitchen garden at Belle Isle cookery school.

So that's it! Keep it simple and you won't go wrong. If you think you could do with a little more help then why not try a cookery course? Enjoy the surroundings of a beautiful Blue Book house or hotel and avail of one of the many cookery courses available. The schools have a wide range of courses and cater for all levels. Click the links below for more information:

Belle Isle cookery school

Ballymaloe cookery school

Dunbrody cookery school

Dunbrody House.

The girls in the Blue Book office had a look at some recipes we think we could manage. Here is a lovely one from Belle Isle. Have a go and leave a comment below to let us know how you get on. Bon Appétit!!!

Spaghetti with mussels and chilli (serves 4)

Ingredients

350g/12oz spaghetti

900g/2lbs. fresh mussels

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced or grated

6tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 large handfuls flat leafed parsley, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Sea salt

Method

- Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.

- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until al dente, usually about 8-10 minutes.

- Put the olive oil in a large pan, add the garlic and cook over a very gentle heat with the chilli. Do not colour the garlic or it will become bitter. 

-Add the mussels to the pan and place a lid on it. Shake slightly and then cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the mussels have opened. (Discard any that do not open)

- Add the cooked pasta and parsley. Season and toss well. Serve hot with some fresh crusty bread and a drizzle of extra olive oil.

Electric Picnic

Tickets are bought, wellies are packed, the boot of the car bursting with camping gear... There is something missing though, something that has been a festival staple for years.  Gourmet food??!!!

This year Electric Picnic is taking ‘festival food’ to a new level. Not only is this year’s music line up impressive but the food line up is pretty tasty too! The Theatre of Food at this year’s Picnic will ensure that no matter your preference, your tastes are catered for.

Electric Picnic 2011

The Blue Book will be well represented. Rathmullan House are taking their ‘Good Food, Road Food’ van on a road trip from Donegal to Stradbally armed with three mouth watering menus. Personally I am looking forward to a breakfast of Rathmullan muesli, stewed rhubarb with organic yoghurt. They have an amazing dinner menu and house menu for later in the day. They will be located in the Mindfield. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates and full menu details.

Rathmullan House on wheels!

Blue Book chef Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain has come over all romantic. He is running a competition  in the Theatre of Food to treat two people to a romantic candlelit dinner, followed by a camping upgrade to Boutique Camping and a delicious breakfast the following morning to set you up for Sunday! The winner will be announced at 6p.m in the Theatre of Food – so make sure you are in it to win it!

Derry Clarke of L'Ecrivain

Enjoy the festival, make sure you stop by and try some Blue Book style food and happy camping!!

Golfing in the West of Ireland.

In recent months the eyes of the golfing world have been firmly fixed on Ireland. The reasons for this are numerous.

Firstly the success of Northern Irish born Rory McIlroy at the U.S open “confirmed the arrival of a new sporting hero”, high praise indeed coming from a former champion and another Northern Irish golfing hero, Graeme McDowell.

Next Irish golfing legend Darren Clarke lifted the Claret Jug, having won the British Open Title, at Royal St George’s ending a 20 year wait for the honour.

Next month, Co. Meath will play host to the top ladies of the golfing world as the Solheim Cup gets underway.

Irish landscape lends itself quite naturally to someone of the world’s top courses. We asked Terence McSweeney, former communications director for the PGA of America, and owner, along with wife Frances, of Stella Maris Hotel in County Mayo to give us a few tips as to what he thinks are the best courses in the west of Ireland.

Terence McSweeney& Frances Kelly
 of Stella Maris Country House Hotel.

Eddie Hackett, the legendary Irish golf course designer, was reputed to have stated of his final work: “If God ever intended a piece of property to be a golf course, this is it”. Hackett was referring to his magnum opus: Carne Golf Links in Belmullet, Co Mayo.

Carne golf course, located near the town of Belmullet, is the finale of Eddie Hacketts natural links work. Massive sand dunes tower above grassy fairways that have been shaped by nature over thousands of years. Working with such magnificent landscape, Hackett created eighteen totally different holes that were noteworthy for their elevation changes and hidden greens. The finishing work was done by hand, virtually unheard of today. Local volunteers in Belmullet worked diligently with scythes, shovels and other manual instruments to make the magnificent course come alive.

Carne golf course.

Enniscrone golf course raised the status of its game in 2001 after club leaders received planning permission to move farther into its seaside dunes. Hackett had re-designed the original course in the 1970s, but was not able to utilize most of the dunes that surrounded the course. As a result, most golf was contested over the flat plains that dominated the land leased to the club.

Hackett, who died in 1996, never saw the work of Donald Steel , the British golf course architect  enlisted to add six new challenging holes to the layout. The resulting holes drastically altered Hackett’s original layout, but certainly he would have approved of the even more demanding test of the game with additional elevation changes and seaside holes.

Enniscrone golf course.

Rosses Point has the oldest pedigree of most golf courses in the West, and has hosted many national championships down through the years, as well as the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship since 1923. Rory McIlroy won this prestigious championship in 2005 and 2006 before he cast his lot with the professionals. “The Point” was re-designed by the famed Harry S. Colt in the 1920s, providing the foundation for a course that has delighted generations of golfers in the West and Northwest.

Situated on the shore of Sligo Bay, Rosses Point offers panoramic views of some of the most picturesque landscape in Ireland, including the Oyster Island lighthouse.  Like many other links courses of its caliber, Rosses Point offers distinct and severe elevation changes that provide the course with its own inimitable character.

Enniscrone and Rosses Point in Co. Sligo, and Carne in Belmullet, Co. Mayo, form a wonderful trail of links courses for the avid golfer seeking to experience the game as nature intended it to be played.  They are among the great “hidden links” of Ireland.

Spectacular view of Ben Bulben, Co. Sligo.

Stella Maris  Country House Hotel, located in Ballycastle, Co Mayo is the perfect base to enjoy the courses of the West.

Stella Maris Hotel.

For something inland, Glenlo Abbey in Bushypark, Co Galway has a lakeside, 9 hole double green golf course on the property. Before your game, the 10 bay driving range is the best place to warm up. Bill Daly, on-site PGA professional, offers individual and group tuition. Contact Glenlo Abbey for more details.

Glenlo Abbey golf course, Co. Galway.

In the east of the country Rathsallagh House in Dunlavin, Co Wicklow is home to a beautiful 18 hole golf course designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr and Peter McEvoy. Contact Rathsallagh House for more details.

Rathsallagh House golf course, Co. Wicklow.

Planning a golfing tour of Ireland? Have a look at Ireland’s Blue Book golf tours and itineraries page.

For the Maid of Honour...

For the bride and groom their big day is finally here. Everyone is excited; all the planning is done and everything is arranged.

For you, the maid of honour, the night before is time to do the final check to ensure that, no matter what the wedding throws at you, you have your super hero head on and are ready to swoop in and avoid any impending disasters.

We asked Blue Book houses & hotels wedding co-ordinators:

Gretchen Ridgeway of Barberstown Castle, Co. Kildare, Marie Laffan of Castle Durrow, Co. Laois, Mary Powell  of Cromleach Lodge, Co Sligo and Catherine Lawlor of Rathsallagh House, Co Wicklow for advice on what the maid of honour should keep in her bag on the big day.

The Bride and her Bridesmaids at Rathsallagh House

So for the maids of honor to be here it is:

 The Top 10 List of Maid of Honour tools to avoid wedding calamity!

1. Phone Numbers of groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and the parents on both sides.  

If there is a delay, longer than what is traditional, in getting the bride to the ceremony call ahead to the one of the wedding party.  The groom is going to be nervous enough as it is!!

2. Tissues.

It is going to be a very emotional day and to avoid "mascara mishaps" ensure you have at least one packet of tissues at the ready. 

Longeuville House Reception

3. Hairpins. 

They don’t take up much room and are essential. If the photos are outdoors a few extra clips might be required to avoid the "windswept look" and keep the brides veil in place.

4. Plasters.

A wedding day is a "new shoe day".  The bridal party will all want to dance the night away at the reception so keep those plasters handy.

5. Mints.

There will be lots of hugs and kisses on the big day. The bride and groom will want to be fresh all day long!

6. Rescue remedy.

That moment when the bride pulls up to the wedding venue can be a daunting one. A few drops or a pastille can help calm and soothe her nerves.

Cromleach Lodge 

 7. Sewing kit.

Just in case! If the dress has a train it is more prone to getting pulled or snagged. A little kit with thread the same colour as the brides dress and also the bridesmaids dresses can save the day! Also, having a few pins at the ready for the groomsmen's flowers is always a good idea.

8. Make up.

Keep just the basics in your bag,  blotting papers to avoid shine and the lippy are enough to have on you.

9. Deodorant/perfume.

A little spritz through the day will keep the bride happy!

10. Your speech.

If you are feeling a little nervous about it, write it down and have it in your bag.

That’s it ladies! A little bit of preparation goes a long way. It’s such a wonderful honour to stand as a bridesmaid with a wonderful friend on her big day. Relax, enjoy it and you will have memories to last a lifetime.

Beautiful Barberstown Castle Bride

Looking for the ideal venue for your forthcoming party or wedding? A number of the Blue Book Country Houses and Castles and Hotels are available for exclusive use for private house parties and stylish weddings. Romantic views in idyllic places of profound beauty will provide a wonderful location for your special day.

Blue Book gift vouchers, which can be used at any Blue Book property, make the perfect wedding gift.