Your questions answered by JOAN SCALES
Q As bridesmaid at my sister’s wedding this summer I have the task of organising a fantastic hen party. About 20 of us hope to go away on the weekend of May 28th-30th. We are all over 30 and are more into the craic and conversation to be had in old men’s bars than we are in nightclubbing. Over Christmas we came across the Frankie Kennedy music school, in Donegal, and loved it. A similar festival would be ideal. We would like to keep the travelling distance to less than two and a half hours from south Tyrone (but we have done Donegal to death at this stage). We would like a mix of daytime activities to cater for the adrenalin junkies – someone suggested Zorbing – with the majority interested in something more relaxing. I’m thinking outdoor Jacuzzi.
SM, Tyrone
The bad news is that there is nowhere to Zorb – or roll down a hill in a big plastic ball – in the Republic yet, although there may be by the summer. There is one site in Tyrone, but you want to get away from there.
The last weekend in May is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland; there are not a lot of festivals on in the Republic until the following weekend, which is the Whit bank holiday.
Close enough to home and worth considering is the Blues on the Bay Festival (blueson thebay.com), at Warrenpoint, in Co Down. It’s not a town that springs to mind for a hen party, but the music will be good.
Across the lough, Carlingford hosts a food festival that weekend – and has some old men’s pubs, like PJ O’Hare’s, for a bit of craic. There is live music most nights. It is also good for outdoor activities, at the adventure centre. See carlingford.ie for accommodation and events.
Heading southwest, the Radisson Blu Hotel in Galway (radissonhotelgalway.com) has an outdoor hot tub – and a spa for pampering. Galway is a great city for a girls’ weekend. You’ll find lots of good pubs with music and plenty of activities for the adventurous. You could take the girls to the Aran Islands for a day, and do some cycling.
In Co Mayo, Delphi Mountain Resort (delphi mountainresort.com), near Leenane, is great for both pampering and outdoor activities. It can organise a range of fun things to do – and when you are worn out you can relax in the spa, which uses seaweed-based treatments. You can spend the evening trying out Leenane’s three bars.
Just outside Leenane is Killary Adventure Centre, which has hen-weekend packages. You can choose from land- or water-based activities. There is also time for relaxing and taking it easy. Killary can arrange transport to pubs and clubs. See irishstagsandhens. com.
Q We would like to holiday in west Cork this summer, in self-catering accommodation close to a hotel and beach.
The Barley Cove area sounds fabulous, but Barley Cove Beach Hotel has some bad reviews on TripAdvisor.
We have been to Mulranny and loved it there, so something similar would be perfect.
AMD, Dublin
When using TripAdvisor,I always suggest that people read all the reviews and then make up their minds. I looked at Barley Cove Beach Hotel’s reviews, and some are certainly scathing. Others are positive. It would also appear that the hotel has changed hands in the past year, so by next summer you may be pleasantly surprised.
Otherwise, that area lacks many places similar to what you are looking for, which is to say a hotel with self-catering accommodation. The Maritime Hotel (themaritime.ie) in Bantry has spacious two-bedroom suites with kitchenettes that could be ideal for families. You also get to use the hotel’s leisure facilities.
There are many lovely self-catering houses in both Barley Cove and surrounding towns and villages. You can
see some on tridentholiday homes.ie, selfcatering-ireland. com and dreamireland.com.
Q My mother’s family, which consists of 11 siblings, partners and numerous grandchildren, would like to celebrate her 80th birthday under the same roof. My brothers and sisters have to travel for the event from all parts of the globe. Could you suggest an upmarket hotel or large residence that we could rent or book in the west of Ireland?
UT, Dublin
As there will be about 40 of you, a hotel is probably the best destination. I think Westport could be ideal. It has a good variety of hotels, plusrestaurants, outdoor activities and pubs with music.
The Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel (www.carlton.ie) and Hotel Westport (hotelwestport. ie) would be happy to quote for your group. Another one to consider is the four-star Lisloughrey Lodge (lisloughrey. ie), on the grounds of Ashford Castle, in Co Mayo, overlooking Lough Corrib. Its restaurant, Salt, is well regarded.
For a country-house feel, the 20-bedroom Rosleague Manor (rosleague.com), in Letterfrack, Co Galway, could be an ideal retreat. It is a Blue Book property; you can see similar destinations at irelands-blue-book.ie.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com
Where can 20 of us go for a civilised over-30s hen party?