A Grown-Up Irish ‘Spring Break’ Getaway
Get active outdoors, visit gardens, explore walking routes, see the sights, and soak up all the food and culture that County Clare has to offer on a grown-up spring break with The Old Ground Hotel in Ennis.
Top 5 Activities to put a Spring in your Step in Clare
With the recent easing of restrictions, milder weather, and New Year (or Spring?) motivation to get more active, it’s the perfect time to organise a springtime staycation. Revitalise your mind, body and spirit, get touch with nature, and clear out any remaining cobwebs left over from winter or anxiety built up during lockdown. Plus this ‘off peak’ season means less crowds, great value deals on hotel and attraction rates!
The staycation experts at the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis Co. Clare have launched their own take on an Irish ‘Spring Break’ for grown-ups, which blends outdoor activities with relaxation, culture, sightseeing and good food, all from the comfort of the luxury boutique hotel. And they have a fantastic stay for 4 nights pay for 3 deal on at the moment.
If you need any further enticement, the team has shared their local insights to ensure guests make the most of their trip and have put together some suggestions of activities ideal for Spring. What’s more the hotel is inviting guests to bring their walking boots or wellies and if they get a bit muddy exploring outdoors, they will give them a Spring clean!
The Old Ground’s top 5 Activities to put a Spring in your Step are as follows:
- Walk this way: Clare has many fantastic walkways and hiking trails with something to suit every fitness level. Ease yourself in gently with a trek around stunning headlands around Loop head, or the Kilkee Cliff walk, soak up local history along the Dysert O’Dea Heritage Walking Route or for experienced hikers the challenging 26km Black Head Loop from Ballyvaughan offers stunning views.
- Garden Delights: Check out the signs of spring as bulbs and buds emerge in the magical ‘secret garden’ of the Vandeleur Walled Gardens with its own tea rooms near Kilrush. Or for a less formal style check out the award winning Caher Bridge Garden near Fanore which features large collections of snowdrops and daffodils, hostas, daylilies, crocosmia, and woodland plants and ferns in a restored riverside cottage setting (open by appointment only).
- Stimulate your senses with a trip to the Burren Perfumery, take in the audio-visual tour on the flora and fauna of the Burren, enjoy a talk on perfume, cream, soap-making, and skincare or tantalise your taste buds in the tea-rooms.
- Spring into heritage: There is so much history and heritage to soak up in Ennis town and environs. Visiting these unique sites is a great talking point for your trip. Make sure to check out the 13th Century Ennis Friary and the Clare Museum which tells the story of the people of Clare down through time.
- Sensational dining is at the heart of any great break and the Old Ground Hotel is the universal local recommendation if you ask where is good for food in Ennis. Head Chef at The Old Ground Hotel Freddy Ryan sources many ingredients locally for their menus at both the Town Hall Bistro and Poet’s Corner Bar. Or enjoy a foodie experience at the Burren Smoke House, Wilde Irish Chocolates, St Tola Goat Farm or the Burren Food Trail.
Located in the heart of Ennis town The Old Ground Hotel is of course an ideal base from which to explore County Clare. The beautifully restored 18th Century Manor House hotel, which is owned by the Flynn Family, is steeped in history, full of character, and it has a real ‘home away from home’ feel. The hotel team receive consistently glowing reviews for their friendliness and care of guests. Points of interest include the extensive art collection hung on the walls, a private library to snuggle up with a book, the picturesque ‘Poet’s Garden’ where you can take a coffee or relish the chance to enjoy a drink on a high stool once more at Poet’s Corner Bar.
On the doorstep of the Old Ground hotel is the medieval town of Ennis which has plenty nearby to stimulate mind and body from walking tours to a sculpture trail, don’t miss ‘The Riches of Clare’ exhibition at the Clare Museum where you can see artifacts from the Spanish Armada and monastic sites or you can visit the resting place of kings at the historic Ennis Friary. The hotel is the perfect base to explore Clare’s many internationally renowned attractions from the famous Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Doolin or Ailwee Caves the majestic Shannon, sandy beaches like Lahinch, Kilkee, Fanore or Spanish Point not forgetting picturesque Aran islands just a boat trip away from Doolin. The Old Ground is in fact so centrally located so that most major attractions are no more than a 20-to-30-minute trip away.
A 2 night Spring Getaway Break at the Old Ground costs from €150pps and includes bed and breakfast, with dinner on an evening of choice or book a 4 night stay and only pay for 3 with the stay and save deal from €228 pps. What’s more the hotel is inviting guests to bring their walking boots or wellies and if they get a bit muddy exploring outdoors they will clean them for you.
For more information from www.oldgroundhotelennis.com + 353 65 682 8127
