From Malin Head to Moville – Edgy eats and Eire’s most northerly pub on the Inishowen Peninsula
Malin Head – essentially the most northern level of Eire. Picture: Deposit
Gillian Tsoi at Malin Head
An amuse bouche at The Edge
The view from Redcastle Lodge
Donegal’s Redcastle Lodge
Peter at The Curiosity Store
From Malin Head to Moville – Edgy eats and Eire’s most northerly pub on the Inishowen Peninsula
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Sitting on the desk beside us in Farran’s bar, essentially the most northerly pub in Eire, was a bunch of vacationers from Atlanta, Georgia. Like us, that they had come for consolation meals after exploring the breathtaking surroundings on a blustery day in Malin Head.
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Sitting on the desk beside us in Farran’s bar, essentially the most northerly pub in Eire, was a bunch of vacationers from Atlanta, Georgia. Like us, that they had come for consolation meals after exploring the breathtaking surroundings on a blustery day in Malin Head.
One tells the server: “I ordered a hen and ‘tomayto’ sandwich.”
“Tom-Ato, you imply,” quips the pleasant barman as he lays the dish in entrance of the American. “You will not discover any tomaytos ‘spherical right here…”
It is this inimitable Irish appeal that makes our good little island one in all a form…
After a bit of chuckle to ourselves, myself and my companion flip our consideration again to our personal meal: a mountain of recent prawns laid on high of melt-in-the-mouth buttery soda bread and surrounded by crisp iceberg lettuce, sweetcorn, beetroot, a smattering of brilliant crimson cherry tomAtoes and unmistakeably-Irish creamy potato salad.
We had come for his or her well-known crab open sandwich – all bought out after we arrived – however the prawn model was a more-than-satisfactory substitute: easy, hearty and healthful.
Peter at The Curiosity Store
The Guinness is “excellent” right here too (based on my pal) and the pool desk within the entrance room signifies that one might fortunately whereas away a whole afternoon on this cosy native – which boasts an enormous inexperienced mural of Yoda painted on its aspect wall.
As talked about, we got here to Farran’s for the crab: Peter, the proprietor of the lovable little Curiosity Store up the highway (above) had advisable it to us. Drop in to browse his assortment of classic knick knacks and trinkets (suppose your nanny’s mantelpiece, circa 1988) and he’ll inform you all about when Star Wars got here to city.
“They plugged the digital camera proper in there,” he says, pointing to a socket on the desk in entrance of him earlier than exhibiting us some laminated pictures of the movie crew on website.
Admittedly, I am not a fan of Luke Skywalker et al, however it’s straightforward to see why Malin Head was chosen because the backdrop for scenes from ‘The Final Jedi’. The view from the Banba’s Crown lookout level is superb. And the exhilarating stroll from there alongside the dramatic cliff-edge to ‘Hell’s Gap’, a subterranean cavern on the finish of the path, is one thing everybody ought to expertise.
Gillian Tsoi at Malin Head
Spanning roughly 650 metres, the stroll isn’t too strenuous and the sights alongside the best way of these jagged rocks jutting out from an electrical blue Atlantic Ocean are beautiful.
Again on the automobile park, distributors promote ins and outs of touristy paraphernalia, in addition to snacks and drinks for those who’ve labored up a thirst.
Malin Head is, in fact, on the tip of the Inishowen Peninsula – Eire’s largest peninsula, located within the north west of the nation. We had been right here for the weekend, and had travelled to the scenic scorching spot through the hills of Donegal from our base on the Redcastle Oceanfront Lodge in Moville.
The resort is ideally perched on Lough Foyle, and we had been fortunate to have a room with a balcony overlooking the shore. Additionally sitting proper on the water is the resort’s restaurant, fittingly known as The Edge. A desk by the window gives the look that you just’re really floating on the ocean – so anybody susceptible to a bout of seasickness ought to in all probability keep away from this vantage level!
The view from Redcastle Lodge
On checking in, head concierge Gerry McKeever knowledgeable us proudly that The Edge has been making waves in culinary circles, lately incomes its second AA Rosette. On the Friday night time we visited, there was an amuse-bouche of blue cheese mousse with pickled shallots and purple potatoes: a sensational appetiser that left solely a bitter style of remorse that there wasn’t extra of it to get pleasure from!
For starters, a Burtonpost Crab Salad with Avocado, Yuzu and Elderflower Kombucha was deliciously gentle. The flavours of the yuzu (a small, yellow citrus fruit generally utilized in Japanese delicacies) and kombucha (a fermented tea drink) had been beautiful and recent, and left loads of room for a major course of completely cooked fillet of hake.
To complete, my ever-accommodating dessert abdomen welcomed a ‘Yoghurt Mousse and Salted Baked Pineapple with a Cashew and Coconut Granola’. The successful mixture of light-as-air mousse, juicy, tangy fruit and crunchy cereal was heavenly, and the entire dish tasted one thing like a scrumptiously candy breakfast – which is not, by any means, a grievance, since breakfast occurs to be my favorite meal of the day…
Gerry proved true to his phrase… no marvel he was named Concierge of the 12 months a few years again. Throughout our keep, he was stuffed with helpful tips about locations to find round Inishowen – from the golden sands of Pollan Bay Seashore and the award-winning chowder at Nancy’s Barn in Ballyliffin to the interactive historic excursions on the Doagh Famine Village in Lagacurra.
And certainly, the resort’s Cora Natural Spa additionally got here extremely advisable (FYI: their stress-free ‘Complete Therapeutic massage Journey’ full-body remedy is effectively definitely worth the splurge). The spa is a beautiful calm retreat to unwind in after a day’s sightseeing. And there are such a lot of gems to find across the peninsula – I higher begin planning return journey quickly!
Tips on how to do it
Donegal’s Redcastle Lodge
Rooms on the Redcastle Oceanfront Golf and Spa Lodge, begin from €49pps B&B.
The ‘Escape to Inishowen’ bundle, together with two nights’ B&B, a three-course night meal in The Edge restaurant and goodies on arrival prices from €125pp. For extra, see redcastlehoteldonegal.com.
Gillian was a visitor of the resort.
Learn extra:
Scrumptious Donegal: High 10 locations to eat in Eire’s rising foodie county
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