|
 Topic: Touring Southern Ireland
|
  |
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
09/2/2013 at 1:57pm
Location: Co Clare Ireland
Outfit: Hobby Sphinx 726
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 23/9/2011 Silver Member 
Forum Posts: 181
Tent Reviews: 1
| Site Reviews Total: | 5 |
|
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0  |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2018: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2018: | 0 |
|
Hi there.
Do you have any particular area you want to cover or are you open to any suggestions?
I can really only offer suggestions of a few campsites I've stayed in which are all on the western seaboard.
Westport House, Westport, Co Mayo - LOVE this campsite. It's a must visit each summer for us. Gorgeous setting, spotless facilities, good activities for kids (but some have to be paid for and expensive), bar and restaurant on site. Westport has to be one of our favorite towns to visit in Ireland - great pubs and restaurants, etc, and I'm pretty sure there is a walkway from Westport house into the town, but we've never used it. Only a short distance from the sea (don't know exactly) and a gorgeous part of Ireland to explore.
Westport house
Actions, Clifden, Co Galway - a little further south along the west coast from Westport, this is a very different campsite. We've camped here once as a family, but my hubby camps here every year with his sea-kayaking buddies. I've mixed feelings about this campsite! The location is stunning - right on the coast, access to its own gorgeous beach, feels very safe for the kids, beautiful scenery, fab natural layout of pitches. BUT only 1 shower (with erratic temperature controls), 2 toilets and 2 washbasins in total!! No hot water in washbasins the weekend we were there and no washing up facilities or campers kitchen. Also, owner wouldn't allow EHU for us in tent. This is back to basics camping, which is not my style, but I'm still considering going back this year on the annual kayaking weekend with hubby, et al!? There are no specific kids facilities, but none are needed because the beach provided all the facilities they needed. It was very cold the weekend we were there, but the kids didn't care and disappeared after each meal and only returned for the next one! We hadn't driven out of the site on the day we were leaving before they were asking if we could go back 'next year'. Clifden, the nearest town is a drive away and is quite a nice little town.
Actons
Nagles Campsite, Doolin, Co Clare - Again, further south along the western seaboard. I haven't actually camped here as its only half an hour from where we live, so we usually go further afield, but hubby has done a few one-nighters here with the older kids when the youngest was too young to camp, and he rates it very highly. I've been in and walked around the site and the facilities are very good and the pitches are lovely and flat. Again this site is right on the edge of the coast looking out at the Aran Islands and only a few hundred meters from the pier where the boats to the islands leave from (as an aside, a visit to Inis Oirr, the smallest and nearest island is a must, if you are in this area). Doolin village is maybe 1 - 1 1/2 miles away and is famous as a hotbed of traditional Irish music. From here, you are only 10 miles from the Cliffs of Moher and are on the edge of the Burren - another spectacular area of Ireland to see (I'm not biased at all!!). Even though we live so close, we are thinking about spending a weekend here this summer.
Nagles
Ok, I have to run now and drop kids here and there. Hope this has provided some useful food for thought, and if helpful, I'll come back to this later. This is the Irish Camping website that I refer to a lot when choosing where to stay next:
Camping Ireland
-------------
2016: La Garangeoire
2015: La Garangeoire
2014: La Garangeoire & hopefully a couple of weekends in Ireland
2013: Des 4 Vents, Ile de France & Portland , Normandy, O'Connors Riverside, Doolin
2012: Actons, Clifden, Co Galway; Interlude, Ile de Re; Salthill, Co Galway; Westport, Co Mayo
|
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
12/2/2013 at 5:42pm
Location: Co Clare Ireland
Outfit: Hobby Sphinx 726
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 23/9/2011 Silver Member
Forum Posts: 181
Tent Reviews: 1
| Site Reviews Total: | 5 |
|
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2018: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2018: | 0 |
|
Only getting back to this now.......
Forgot to mention in my first post, re Westport House - no extra charge for EHU, showers or wifi and re Actons, no charge for shower.
So, for what it's worth, here's the rest of my tuppence worth........ 
Salthill Campsite, Salthill, Galway - overlooking Galway Bay and just on the edge of Galway city, we spent a weekend here last July. This is another campsite that I have mixed feelings about. Galway is a great city and we wanted to spend a weekend there, but camping options are very limited - just this campsite and one other. This is the better of the two, but is still just ok. The field for caravans, camper vans & statics looks out over Galway Bay and pitches are nice and flat. This area houses toilets/washbasins (no complaints over cleanliness) and the washing-up/campers kitchen/laundry room and the limited playground. The showers (3 in ladies) are in another building closer to the entrance and despite being dated (1970's avocado green!!) were clean. But €1 per shower and if you don't move fast you'll run out - I always brought a second €1 just in case. Also, €0.50 for hot water for dish washing - provides just enough to fill basin!! This I considered to be cheeky, especially as it's not a cheap place to stay! Owner could be a little friendlier too, in my opinion. I would go back here for the location mainly.
Salthill
Flemings Whitebridge, Killarney, Co Kerry - Moving further south west - we loved this site! Stayed here for August bank holiday weekend in 2011 and planned to go back in 2012, but just didn't get the weather. Received a lovely warm welcome from owner on arrival and the site is beautifully maintained and facilities were kept very clean, despite the site being full to capacity. €1 for shower, but I found it provided plenty of water. There is a very spacious campers kitchen and I believe a tv room, but we never even got to look in there. There is also a little shop on site with basics: milk, bread, eggs, etc. Owner and family live on site and there was a security patrol throughout the night, which I liked. We definitely hope to go back here in 2013.
Flemings
Our 'must get to' list:
Woodlands Park, Tralee, Co Kerry - we have heard very good reports of this site. Our only dilemma is that we prefer the town of Killarney over the town of Tralee, which is just down to personal preferences, but if you want to be close to a beach Tralee is the option; Killarney is a lakes and mountains location.
Woodlands
Mannix Point, Caherciveen, Co Kerry - as has been recommended already by other posters. We have friends who stay here for 2-3 weeks every summer and rate it very highly! Only problem is that it's a 4 hour drive for us, and as all of our Ireland camping has been weekends only so far, it's just too far to drive for a weekend. All we need is a prolonged good weather forecast and we're there!!
Manix Point
Dromquinna Manor, Kenmare, Co Kerry - Just opened last year with their own pre-erected luxury tents, motor homes are being admitted this year. Owned by the owners of the Park Hotel, Kenmare, these guys don't do things by halves and believe in providing top quality. Looking at their website, the charge for motorhomes is €30 per night including EHU & water, which I think is ok compared to other 4 star sites in Ireland, which usually charge extra for EHU. This is another beautiful part of Ireland and Kenmare is a gorgeous little town. Fingers crossed they will soon start admitting tents and we'll be first in line!
Dromquinna
Garrettstown House Holiday Park, Kinsale, Co Cork - all the way south, this is another of my favorite areas of Ireland. As far as I'm aware this is the closest campsite to gorgeous Kinsale, 10 km away, and is close to the beach. I don't have any first or second hand knowledge of this site, but it's just one that appeals to me.
Garrettstown House
Sorry if I've bored everyone with this essay - when I'm reading these posts I love the ones with lots of info. So I hope this might be of some help. 
Happy planning!
-------------
2016: La Garangeoire
2015: La Garangeoire
2014: La Garangeoire & hopefully a couple of weekends in Ireland
2013: Des 4 Vents, Ile de France & Portland , Normandy, O'Connors Riverside, Doolin
2012: Actons, Clifden, Co Galway; Interlude, Ile de Re; Salthill, Co Galway; Westport, Co Mayo
|
|
