What can Irish Design do for Tourism?

In the latest of her series on the Year of Irish Design and its importance for tourism, Aileesh Carew suggests a touring itinerary that would take in range of the great design experiences that Design Island can offer, many of which you can eat and/or stay in…

Design Island Sample Itinerary – Tour of Ireland (minus Dublin)

I hope from last month you have taken the time to download Design Island – full of great recommendations from the design community on the best of design in Ireland. Dreaming of some travel, I worked out a route from the recommendations starting in Wicklow, working South and then all the way up to Derry. Good design is timeless, and this is reflected on the breadth of recommendations to be found. I hope it inspires you to get out and about and support some great places and experiences somewhere new.

From Dublin, drive an hour and a half south to Hunter’s Hotel, Ireland’s oldest coaching inn. Revel in the old world charm of the building, the interior of which hasn’t changed since the early nineteenth century, having been run by the same family since 1825.

After a leisurely lunch and a stroll around the gardens, head for Borris in County Carlow and The Step House Hotel. This restored Georgian manor house has an easy formality and is within walking distance of architectural curiosities such as The Old School House and an abandoned, 16-arch, GSWR railway viaduct which towers across a valley on the edge of town.

If you have time, it’s well worth the trip into Carlow town centre to visit the county’s foremost arts centre, Visual Carlow. The contemporary building houses exhibitions and events on film, visual art, dance, music, theatre and more - and has an excellent café Lennons at Visual.

Once you’ve explored all that Carlow has to offer in the field of design, make your way to Tipperary and The Old Convent, which lies in a quiet area of the country between Clonmel and Mitchelstown. This gentle adaptation of a convent building offers repose in stylish rooms along with a restaurant that prides itself on its use of Irish artisan produce.

Using this relaxing haven as your base, take the time to explore the surrounding countryside, venturing down to County Cork. Here, you can get your coastal fix with the Ballycotton Island Lighthouse Tours, a boating trip to an uninhabited island off the coast of Ballycotton fishing village where you can climb to the top of a mid-nineteenth century lighthouse and take in the panoramic views of the Cork coastline.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite on the water, head for The Real Olive Company and Toonsbridge Dairy, an hour’s drive away just outside Macroom. Here you’ll find the source of Ireland’s first home-grown buffalo mozzarella, made from the milk of a herd of ‘Irish’ water buffalo. The company also imports a range of quality Mediterranean foods that you can enjoy in their weekend café, before buying some wares to take home from their shop.

From this culinary haven, it’s a two hour drive towards the coast and one of Ireland’s best-kept secrets at Liss Ard Estate, The Crater in The Irish Sky Garden. This is a James Turrell installation from the nineties that allows for a spot of solitary sky watching – a really unique experience.

Leaving behind the delights of The Old Convent, head north-west for Lough Inagh Lodge in Connemara. This fishing lodge dates from the 1880s and boasts breathtaking mountain views. The surrounding countryside is also a rich source of design curiosities, all within a half day’s drive.

Two and a half hours south of the lodge is the feat of engineering that is Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric Power Station. Marvel at the four giant turbines that generate 332.000MWh of electrical power per year for the local population, in a structure that was built in the 1920s.

For another day’s outing, head for Bunlahinch Clapper Footbridge just outside Louisburgh in County Mayo, less than an hour’s drive north of the lodge. This stone footbridge dates from the famine period and is the largest complete clapper bridge in the country.

An hour’s drive north of Bunlahinch up the coast you’ll find Kilcullen’s Seaweed Baths in Enniscrone, County Sligo. These traditional baths are housed in an Edwardian building and have been in operation for over a hundred years.

Once you’ve revived your senses at the baths, make your way to Galway for an epicurean pit stop. Ard Bia at Nimmos near the Spanish Arch in the centre of the town is loved as much for its status as a hub for local creative types as it is for its excellent menu based on fresh local produce. A more recent favourite is Kai Café and Restaurant, a contemporary eatery that also makes the most of Galway’s excellent local produce, placing a strong emphasis on its relationships with its suppliers.

To round off your tour of Ireland’s design treasures, head north to County Down where your final base will be Helen’s Tower near Bangor, an enchanting stone structure offering private accommodation, set deep in the woods down a dirt track. From here, you can explore the best craft shopping the north has to offer.

A short drive south of the tower, beyond Newtownards, The Old Post Office is in the little village of Lisbane near the western shore of Strangford Lough; it dates back to the 1840s and has been lovingly restored as a centre for local craft. It retains its thatched roof and many of its original rooms, and is a warren of spaces where you will find a café, deli and gift shops.

A couple of hours drive to the northwest in Derry/Londonderry city, you’ll find The Craft Village, a reconstruction of an 18th century street and a 19th century square which is a great place to find ceramics, textiles, jewellery, glass and prints by local designer-makers.

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* ID2015 is delighted that the inaugural Irish Tourism Industry Awards have included a special award to highlight good design in Tourism. For more information http://www.irishtourismindustryawards.ie/categories/

* Irish Design 2015 partners include Founding Partner - MCO Projects; Accommodation Partner - The Doyle Collection; Venue Partner - OPW; Exhibition Partners – DAA. Technology Partner - IBM

An overview of the core programme of events can be found at www.irishdesign2015.ie

Aileesh Carew is the Tourism Advisor for Irish Design 2015. Her role is to provide advice and management of the tourism programme for the year of Irish design 2015, to communicate and animate interest in the Year of Design – nationally & internationally - and engage with tourism industry partners to raise awareness for Irish Design 2015. She has spent most of her career managing hotels, most recently opening Ballyfin Demesne in Co Laois, putting it on the international map as one of the best small hotels in Europe. A graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management, with an MBA from Copenhagen Business School and Business Management Coaching from Scandinavian Leadership, she loves to travel, read cookery books, occasionally cooking from them, eat out and spend time with her family.

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