Village of Adare, Co. Limerick: Travel Reminiscences

10 day self-drive tour of Ireland : October 2009

note:  most of my photographs are taken with my little point and shoot Panasonic or with hubby’s SLR.  In the rain and grim weather it was easier to carry to my little camera

When hubby went on a business trip a year or so before our holiday in Ireland, he stayed in Limerick, a large city founded by the Vikings, on the River Shannon.  He and his business companions had an evening meal at The Wild Geese Restaurant in Adare, and having seen how pretty the village is, he decided that our two-night stay in County Limerick must be in Adare 🙂  he knew I would love it .. and I did!

Hubby and I travelled from Cork to Adare, exploring the Dingle Peninsula on the way : recent blogs in May –  Dingle Peninsula: Travel Reminiscences
and Dingle Peninsula 2: Travel Reminiscences

Adare was originally on the estate of the Fitzgeralds, the Earls of Kildare, and owes its present appearance more to the Earls of Dunraven, who restored the village in the 1820’s and 1830’s.

We stayed at the Dunraven Arms Hotel .. a fabulous hotel ..  more like a country manor than a hotel ..

It’s quite a sprawling hotel with cosy lounge rooms leading off passages ..

This was our lovely room.  The beds were huge!!!!!     The duvets were light and fluffy .. like sleeping under a puffy white cloud !!  We now have a similar duvet on our bed at home!  Not as puffy, as our short winter’s don’t justify such luxury, but every night I slip into bed, it takes me back to the prettiest of villages in Ireland !!!!

The Hunters Bar .. where we had a delicious meal on our first night there.  I had the most delicious fish and hubby had yummy Irish stew

 Breakfasts are served in The Maigue Restaurant .. (fine dining experience in the evening)

We had a nice table at the window.. .. on this day it was drizzling outside, while we were cosy indoors.  This was the day we went to Bunratty Castle when it rained most of the day

Yummy fresh scones with Irish butter and marmalade .. yummmm !

A few metres away from the hotel is the Trinitarian Priory, founded by the Fitzgeralds in 1230 and over-restored by the first Earl of Dunraven.  It’s now a Catholic Church and convent ..

 

 

Washing Pool : this small pool, formed by a tributary of the River Maigue was the traditional place for women of Adare to wash the family clothes.  Before the days of washing powder and detergents, the women did their washing on spittle stones in the stream bed, or by pounding the clothes with wooden beetles.
The pool was also used as a watering place for animals

The stream flows under a two arched bridge called a Droichidin

Across the road from the Washing Pool is a fountain erected by Caroline, Countess of Dunraven in 1844

Nearby the Dunraven Arms Hotel are the prettiest of thatched cottages, originally built by the Earl of Dunraven in 1828 for his estate workers, and have been converted into private homes, gift shops, cafés and restaurants

The Wild Geese Restaurant is situated in one of these charming cottages ..

The Dunraven Arms is the last building on the main road.  Hubby and I walked the other way along the road, into the countryside,  for a shortish walk  .. .. .. next post 😉

…