By Barry Coughlan
Ferrycarrig Hotel outside Wexford Town is one of hundreds of Irish hotels offering guests a cook-free Christmas and the chance to unwind in a relaxed stress-free zone not available to everyone this holiday season.
The hotel, just three miles outside the town, weighs in with a choice of two to three day packages including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day on offer.
Guests waking up on Christmas morning can enjoy glorious views across the River Slaney before the festivities begin with a traditional lunch, followed by a light dinner buffet later in the evening.
An all-inclusive 3-night Christmas stay package is available from €595 per person sharing and from €435 for a 2-night stay per person.
The 4-Star Ferrycarrig has 102 rooms, each of them offering a nice view. Reeds Restaurant is one of the top hotel restaurants in Co. Wexford.
For details and booking see www.ferrycarrighotel.ie.
Hotel Kilkenny is focusing on a New Year’s package with special New Year’s Eve dinner followed by live entertainment and a complimentary bubbly toast at midnight. Guests can enjoy a sleep-in, a late breakfast service and unwind even in the award winning leisure club.
Kilkenny is ripe for an exploration tour at this time of the year. The hotel is a short walk from the medieval city and it’s ripe for a decent browse through the winding narrow lanes, Medieval Mile and a visit to the historic Kilkenny Castle.
Prices start at €295 per person sharing. For further details and booking see www.hotelkilkenny.ie.
Moving west, deals are also available at the stylish g Hotel in Galway, in advance of the big holiday period, while the hotel’s Festive Afternoon Tea Experience is turning out to be hugely popular with locals and visitors alike.
Guests will be indulged in a selection of delicate sandwiches including Fresh & Smoked Salmon Rillette on Brown Bread with Dill & Cucumber; Sausage Stuffing, Walnut & Sage Croquette with a Cranberry Gel; Honey Ham, Kylemore Cheese & Prune Cake with a Herb Cream Cheese and Turkey Coronation & Cranberry on Brown Bread plus a huge range of pastry treats.
Festive Afternoon Tea is served with a selection of Ronnefeldt Specialty Teas and freshly roasted coffee. It’s priced at €38 per person, and one can add a glass of Champagne Taittinger for €22. The menu is available daily right up to January 6. www.theghotel.ie
The historic Hardiman on Eyre Square is offering a 20 per cent discount on two stays, one or two night packages, for Black Friday. The offer goes live early on November 21 and lasts for a week. It’s valid for stays Monday to Thursday and selected weekend dates while staying between January 10 and March 31, 2023. The hotel is also offering 10 per cent added value on their monetary gift vouchers for Black Friday. Log on to www.thehardiman.ie.
Artisan sourdough bakery, Seagull Bakery, located in Tramore, County Waterford, has earned itself quite the reputation for initiatives over the last six years, and the privately owned concern has just unveiled details of Festive hamper deals, all of which are packaged in cardboard and paper only and details of which are on www.seagullbakeryshop.com.
One might ask what interest that should be to overseas readers? Well, lots of same readers have family and friends at home and Christmas is, after all, a time for gift-giving.
Seagull has different hampers on offer, one with special coffee products for $55 (subject to exchange rates), a Sweets package featuring a variety of treats including Irish Einkom Gingerbread for $58 and a bumper gift hamper special at mid price range with so many products one would need to divvy them up in bags. Fear not – Seagull has thrown in a tote bag made from Carbon neutral organic cotton for a total price of $85.
Ulta luxurious hampers are also available for $125 and $165 featuring products too numerous to mention.
This is the first time Seagull’s products are to go nationwide although the company has proved hugely popular with national and international visitors to Tramore. Once again, check it all out on seagullbakeryshop.com.