From family breaks in Cornwall to packages for 'Top Gear Live', has the best of the week's offers
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Spanish mushroom hunt: €445pps
Mushroom fans might love this trip to Asturias (above), in northern Spain, from October 15th to 18th. They’ll explore local forests with a mycologist, then eat what they find, cooked traditionally. The break, which costs €445pps (singles €495), includes three nights’ BB, three gourmet dinners and two lunches. It excludes flights but includes coach transfers – buy your own Ryanair ticket from Dublin to Santander. 087-2632750, spanishfoodies.com.
HOME DEALS
Foodie Donegal: from €395pps
Solís Lough Eske Castle Hotel, in Co Donegal, has its first food and wine festival from October 2nd to 4th. The weekend will be a series of gourmet dinners, wine and beer tastings, cocktail receptions and cigar rolling, plus a marketplace of food and drink suppliers. The five-star hotel will also be putting on music and other entertainment each evening. The package, including two dinners, costs from €395pps, plus €30pp for an Oktoberfest lunch on the Friday. 074-9725100, solislougheskecastle.ie.
Foraging in Cork: €90 for adults
Longueville House, in Mallow, is holding its annual mushroom hunts on the weekends of October 4th and 18th. Each day, which should appeal to beginners and families as well as to experienced foragers – you can even bring the dog on a lead – costs €90 for adults and €25 for children, including lunch. Stay overnight and have a gourmet dinner with wines from €235pps. 022-47156, longuevillehouse.ie.
Top Gear night: €229 for 2
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will be back in Dublin before Christmas for Top Gear Live, which is returning to the RDS from December 3rd to 6th. Pembroke Townhouse, nearby on Pembroke Road, has a package of bed and breakfast for two, plus a pair of pre-release Bronze tickets, for €229. The offer stands until Friday – or sooner if they run out. 01-6600277, pembroketownhouse.ie. (If that doesn’t suit, Brown Thomas in Dublin is offering Diamond tickets, with a paddock tour and access to the VIP suite, for €115 each today and tomorrow; it’s also throwing in a €50 BT voucher with each ticket.)
Wineport deal: from €125pps
You can gaze at the sunsets from your balcony – assuming it’s not too cloudy – at Wineport Lodge, in Co Westmeath, and stay overnight with dinner from €125pps from Sunday to Thursday. 090-6439010, wineport.ie.
OVERSEAS DEALS
Wine tastings at sea: from €69
Growers from the wine companies Michel Lynch, Charmarré, Laroche, Maison Louis Jadot and Boutinot will be at a wine fair aboard the Oscar Wilde ferry during its final sailing of the year, from Rosslare to Roscoff, in France, next Thursday. You can join them for advice and tastings and stock up for winter. From €69 one way for a car plus driver or from €267 return for a car plus driver and passenger. 0818-300400, irishferries.com.
Football special: from €179
If you’re a Manchester United fan, Aer Arann has day-return football specials from Dublin for a dozen fixtures, starting with the matches against Wolfsburg, on September 30th, and Sunderland, on October 3rd. From €179. aerarann.com.
Family Cornwall: €170 for 2 nights
Fancy two family nights in Cornwall? The Great Western Hotel in Newquay is charging £150 (about €170) for two adults and two under-15s sharing a room until October 24th. 00-44-1637-872010, greatwesternnewquay. co.uk. Air Southwest flies to Newquay from Cork and Dublin. airsouthwest.com.
€100 off ski holidays
Directski has €100 off every holiday featured on directski.com until September 24th. From €279 each for a week in January self-catering in Le Grand Chalet, Méribel Valley, based on four sharing.
Down under deals: from €799
Qantas will fly you to Sydney from €799 or Auckland from €835 between April 16th and June 20th next year. 01-6777888, 021-4648800, trailfinders.ie.
Please bear in mind that all deals are subject to availability