It's not all rip-offs in the Republic, writes Conor Popein his last summer prices survey.
The kids of today really don't know how good they have it. In the summers of the 1970s and 1980s, children were all too often sent gingerly tiptoeing into our arctic-like seas, wearing nothing more than a pair of shiny speedos and a lot of goose bumps. Today, however, with wetsuits selling for less than €20, kids get to spend their days frolicking in the water, totally immune to the savage cold and looking like cool surfer types to boot.
It's bargain-basement wetsuits such as these that have made the water-adventure park at Clara Lara in Co Wicklow such a good family day out, whatever the weather, writes Heather Keys from Galway. Earlier this summer she took her three children there and was pleasantly surprised both by the gorgeous setting and the value she found. Just €18 per person gave her children complete access to all the rides in the adventure park for the day. "We had a lovely day. From the moment we got there until the moment we left, the kids had a ball," she writes. It is, she says, "one of the few places in Ireland where you pay at the door and no more. There were no hidden add-ons and plenty of places to have a picnic, so you weren't even forced to eat in the restaurants." There are other good-value deals out there and, while we moan about high prices a lot, some readers feel we are exaggerating the situation. John Williams says that in the west of Ireland where he lives, two adults sharing a bottle of wine can have a good meal (usually fresh fish) for about €70. He says he also visits France quite often and points out that good food there "is now as dear or dearer than Ireland. Wine at the table is also quite expensive, although in the wine shops it is quite cheap. I have found that the price of good food doesn't vary much in Europe." Another reader contacted us to point out that while a pint might be a bit pricey in some pubs in Ireland, there is still some good fun to be had in many pubs and "unless you are a bit of an alco, it doesn't have to be too expensive. Two pints cost about €7.50," he writes. We're not sure where he's buying his pints, but it is a long time since we saw one selling for €3.75.
Niall Larkin went further with his optimism and sent us a list of places which, he says, represent excellent value for money. He doesn't have a cooker and eats out a lot, so is something of an expert. He says he forgot what good value was until he returned to the Independent Pizza Company in Drumcondra recently, where two lunchtime main courses and two glasses of the house red can be had for little more than €20. He also has good things to say about Sin É on Dublin's Ormond Quay - "exceptionally low prices, exceptionally tasty fare" - the Kitchen Cafe at Brown Thomas - "excellent value" - and Fitzers in the National Gallery.
Another reader contacted us to give a shout out to the Shamrock Cafe in Dungarvan. "If you're visiting the Waterford coast, especially with kids in tow, make sure you visit the Shamrock. Good value, good service, good 'family' food. Every town (especially every resort town) should have such a cafe," he said. And yet another suggested readers try the newly opened Market Lane restaurant and bar at 5/6 Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork.
Although we have given Dublin airport a hard time in recent weeks, we were pleased to note that the excellent Pie Kitchen is now selling its hearty fare in the Thomas Read pubs in the airport for less than €7. We have reviewed them on these pages before and can confirm they are excellent - when we last mentioned them, a number of readers contacted us wanting to know where they could be found. See www.piekitchen.ie for more information.
• Series concluded. Ripped off? Stunned by good value? E-mail pricewatch@irish-times.ie. PriceWatch runs inThe Irish Times every Monday.
