I had such a wonderful time back home this summer. It was almost three weeks and it flew. So much laughter, food, family dramas. You know, the usual!
I was born in Cork, but my family is mainly in Kerry now. Which is why I tend to go there more. I love it. It’s so full of wild nature, incredible scenery, the best food, and most hospitable people, I flew with the 3 for the first time and it was actually fine! I collaborated with Ryanair and Kerry Airport for this trip and flew to Kerry from Luton. Ryanair also fly direct to Kerry from Stansted.
I spent a couple of weeks in Castlegregory and oh my god, how it has changed! There is Gregorys Garden, The Milesian, Bean in Dingle Coffee in Bolands and a great Summer Camp run by my friend Katie for the kids. I did yoga on the beach one morning and took Saoirse and Harper horse riding on the beach on another! Such a dream.
I booked a car for the last week through Budget Car Rental at Kerry Airport. A small discount was given to me in exchange for social media coverage. Damien was great to deal with and made sure I was sorted with car seats.
If you would like to rent a car with Budget and get 10% off, you can use the code EVB10 when you’re booking online! Having a car made a huge difference to my trip. I would never have been able to experience the Dingle Peninsula properly without being able to hit the road. One thing I would like to add which I particularly liked about Budget is that I pre-booked the zero liability cover online (give me all the insurance going over that Conor Pass! Ha!) and that gave me peace of mind whilst driving for the week.
I popped into all my favourites when I was in Dingle. It has the best pubs and restaurants! Dick Mack’s, My Boy Blue, Crinkle, The Pantry and of course, The Skellig Hotel. The last time I was home I went on a boat trip to the Blasket Islands (and did the tour on the island) and this is something I would highly recommend.
The Skellig Hotel has recently been refurbished and the new rooms are stunning. My stay was complimentary but I have stayed there many times over the years and it is always so nice to come into the fire after a day exploring the area! The kids loved the kids club too and the pool was so good to be able to head into on the rainy days.
Kerry is so special to me and I wish I could head over more. I know I’ll be signing the smallies up to a Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht when they are older! Every time I go home I find out more and more about my grandmother, grandfather and the history of the area. I am obsessed! I can’t wait to go back again soon.