This place is a GEM. An authentic Irish Pub all to ourselves with comfortable accommodation, 7 bedrooms, 3 toilets (1 outdoor), 2 sitting rooms and a cosy, traditional kitchen and dining area. The place is sparkling clean and yet the decor and furnishings are original and unchanged for decades. Some of the carpets and furnishings are like a trip back in time. Definitely authentic and very charming and oozing with character.
Full access to the traditional bar and shop was a real treat. Whether for the kids to enjoy the games - air hockey, rings and a host of board games or for all ages to settle in for an evening of ceol and craic, music and merriment into the small hours, this was a real treasure and in the summer of the lockdown this was place was as good as you get.
Caherciveen has plenty of charms too. For food The Rectory pizza restaurant is top quality. The Fertha and the Anchor both are good places for pub grub. The Shebeen is a good spot for a couple of pints and chat with locals and visitors. And the chipper a few doors down does a very decent fish and chip.
Caherciveen is an excellent base for exploring the delights of South Kerry and the Iveragh Peninsula. Day trips to some amazing beaches, White Strand just a few Kilometres away, Kells Beach about 10km away but worth the trip. Lovely swimming sightseeing and watersports too on Valentia Island, only a few minutes from Caherciveen by car ferry. A little further down the coast is Ballinskelligs beach, beyond again is Waterville and our contender for best beach in Ireland is at Derrynane, accessed after a spectacular drive overlooking Caherdaniel harbour. At Derrynane we chilled on pristine white sands and enjoyed invigorating atlantic swims in the company of dolphins. Magic.
Continuing the drive west along the Ring of Kerry we found Sneem a charming town and the drive from Sneem back to Caherciveen across the mountain pass was breathtaking.
We tried to pack a lot into our week in South Kerry. We enjoyed an excellent boat trip around the Skellig Islands from Portmagee. We hiked up and around Bray Head on Valentia Island taking in epic views of the Skelligs and Dingle Bay. We enjoyed spectacular sea swims in Kells, Knightstown, Whitestrand, Derrynane, Ballinskelligs, Waterville and numerous enjoyable rambles in a host of beautiful locations.
The Irish weather will always be unpredictable. The Kerry landscape changes hourly and there is always something to do. Having a cosy base and a welcoming Irish bar to retire to was just perfect. A fantastic holiday enjoyed by all.