Go Ireland: From riding horses on the beach to sailing across Clew Bay under the guidance of an Olympic coach, Kate Holmquistand her family had the time of their lives on an adventure holiday in Westport
TO QUOTE Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, "My, she was yar." The 100ft yacht Explorerswept us through the drumlin islands of Clew Bay, past the remains of the pirate queen Granuaile's castle, around Clare Island and out to sea, where we marvelled at the beauty of the Co Mayo coast. Wearing sailing gear provided by our captain, the Olympic coach Aaron O'Grady, we were insulated against the chill as the winter sun warmed our faces.
We had a lunch of sandwiches, tea and scones on deck, served from the high-tech boat's kitchen, and then it was the kids' turn to take the helm. O'Grady seemed to have no worries as we took turns at the wheel and kept an eye out for the dolphins that had accompanied Exploreron her voyage from Stockholm to Co Mayo a few days before. We didn't find the dolphins, but sailing was such fun that we soon got over our disappointment.
Just as we were relaxing into the way of the sea, where a few hours seems like a few minutes, my mobile phone rang. Would I make my 2.15pm massage and facial at the spa at the Westport Plaza Hotel, the voice asked. O’Grady gave me a playful Johnny Depp look, as if to say: “You’d leave all this for a massage?”
It’s to my discredit that I took two seconds to think about it. There we were, flying across Clew Bay, with the children steering the yacht. No thanks, I said, I’m having a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When again would we be together as a family in the beauty of Clew Bay with the wind in our sails? When in our lives would we all be together, the five of us, on a day like this? So, no disrespect to Spa Sula, but I cancelled the pampering. Being kidnapped by pirates was far nicer and sailing far more relaxing.
I should explain that we were on one of those press trips organised by Discover Ireland where every minute of our time was scheduled from morning until night. We started at dawn on Saturday, going with Aer Arann from Dublin to Knock – a really enjoyable flight, because we could see the landscape of Ireland passing below us, with its crannógs and hill forts, and the kids had never been on a small plane before.
We arrived at Knock, ostensibly to collect a rental car, only to be greeted by Willy Fahy, who spotted us immediately and commandeered us into his taxi van to bring us to the Westport Plaza. He was so convincing in his belief that we were to be his charges for the weekend that we thought it churlish to answer back, and soon found ourselves being entertained by Fahy’s incredible knowledge of local folk and history – some of it unrepeatable to a belly-laughing extent.
When he passed an eye over our schedule he was determined to get us to everything on the list, but he did remark that visiting journalists usually leave Westport so exhausted that they need a week’s holiday afterwards. You could say that he was just another of the Westport pirates determined that we get the best of the town by discreetly playing with the dreaded itinerary.
So instead of doing everything we spent more time doing the three activities we wanted most: sailing, surfing and horse riding, which is a lot to pack into 48 hours.
The surfing was fabulous. My eldest had surfed before, but my youngest two hadn’t. Within an hour our instructor from Delphi Adventure Centre had Finn, my 12-year-old son, skating the waves like a pro. I will never forget the freedom and confidence of his lank body on that board as the water carried him. And who cared about the cold? After being given a lecture on the dangers and signs of hypothermia, we were given thick wetsuits to wear, provided by the centre, and flasks of hot Ribena to warm us up.
That afternoon we rode horses on the beach at Clew Bay as the surfing muscles tried to recover and the horse-riding muscles started to complain. To ride a horse on the beach at low tide in the shadow of Croagh Patrick under a perfectly blue sky is one of life’s memorable experiences.
Travelling with teenagers is always going to be a challenge, because everybody has their own idea of what makes a perfect weekend. The fabulous thing about having an itinerary is that the entire family has to stick to it, no arguments, and it gets everyone active and doing things they might not normally do.
But the real reason we had the time of our lives in Westport was that everything began to conspire against the itinerary. It’s that true Irish trait: make a plan, then blow it up. Well-planned Westport, the most beautiful town in Ireland, where I would live if I could, also wanted to show us the luxury and good food it’s known for. Usually, a weekend in the country for us would involve self-catering, but never again. I’ve been softened up for good. I didn’t feel like a drudge: somebody else made the beds and the breakfast, and eating out on two evenings gave us all the chance as a family to engage in conversation. At home there’s usually a TV blaring, dogs barking and several conversations going on at once. I realised that I’d rather have two or three nights of being pampered in the evenings than seven nights in self-catering. Every family with teenagers should have a tour organiser, an itinerary and a driver. No complaining, just shut up and go on to the next activity.
The other highlight of our perfect weekend was climbing on to the roof of Westport House – a doll’s house big enough to walk around in. Yes, the roof. And it was not a flat roof, either, but one that required the use of a wooden ladder to scale a gable. Looking down on the swan boats in the lake and the people milling around Pirate Adventure Park, and the view from inland to sea that had made Grace O’Malley settle there, was like looking at a naive painting that lacked all perspective.
That’s what I love about Ireland. There still exist people who will make you do things you would never ordinarily do. They make you lose your own boring perspective. If you’re lucky enough to meet the right people, they completely blow the itinerary.
The final proof that this was the best family trip ever came when I asked the kids which holiday was the most memorable, Disneyland or Westport? Westport, all three of them agreed. And it was the people who taught us to surf, sail and ride horses that made it so special.
Kate Holmquist and her family were guests of Discover Ireland, discoverireland.ie
Where to stay, where to go and where to eat if you're in Westport
Where to stay
Westport Plaza Hotel. Castlebar Street, 098-51166, westportplazahotel.ie. Combines luxury with family-friendliness, with large rooms, flat-screen TVs, huge marble bathrooms with whirlpool baths and exceptionally comfortable beds. Connecting rooms available with patios overlooking a roof garden.
Knockranny House Hotel Spa. Knockranny, 098-28600, khh.ie. Sit by a log fire in the drawing room or library of this elegant Victorian-style hotel. The most indulgent rooms have jacuzzis and sunken seating areas with views.
Westport Woods Hotel Spa. Quay Road, 098-25811, westportwoods hotel.ie. A big draw in high season and school holidays is the kids' club, which offers children from toddlers to teens a variety of activities, including horse riding.
Where to eat
Restaurant Merlot. Westport Plaza Hotel, Castlebar Street, 098-51166, westportplazahotel.ie. Specialises in steaks and the freshest of seafood. Don't miss the seared Clew Bay scallops.
Tavern Bar Restaurant. Murrisk, Westport, 098-64060, tavernmurrisk.com. Superb local seafood and lamb and a welcoming atmosphere in a simple room above a pub near the Famine monument.
Cronin's Shebeen. Rosbeg, Westport, 098-26528, croninsshebeen.com. The chowder alone makes this worth a visit. Good fish and chips, and a children's menu.
Sol Rio. Bridge Street, 098-28944. Family-friendly, with a gamut of crowd-pleasing choices.
Where to go
Leaders Charter. Upper Quay, 086-8090476, leaderscharter.com. Half-day "pirate" charters for families from €25 per person on a 100ft yacht that the children will be invited to sail. The yacht Explorer, which sleeps eight, can be hired for €310 per person for a weekend.
Westport Woods Riding Centre. Bohea, 098-25811. It's best to have some horse-riding experience before undertaking an unforgettable two-hour trek on Clew Bay at low tide.
Delphi Mountain Resort. Leenane, Co Galway, 095-42208, delphimountain resort.com. Two-, full- and half-day family adventure programmes. Surfing, kayaking, abseiling, high ropes, zip wiring and archery are some of the choices for your tailor-made programme.
Westport House. Westport, 098-27766, westporthouse.ie. Something about Westport House, on the site of the castle of the 16th-century pirate queen Grace O'Malley, captures young imaginations. There is art and architecture to admire, but there is also a room filled with dozens of chamber pots, which had to be emptied and cleaned daily. The Pirate Adventure Park is popular with younger children. A family day pass for house, gardens and adventure park costs €75. Reopens on April 4th.