At the end of the Prom in Salthill the locals all kick the wall for all kinds of reasons, some lofty and some daft. Now they go 10 more steps to visit Galway's most loved new place, Blackrock Cottage, alongside the iconic Diving Tower. Some go after their 7am swim to join the high achievers - including Head Chef Martin O'Donnell, formerly of The Twelve in Bearna who, it is said, was head-hunted for this job by a fellow swimmer, in the water...
John Moran and his wife Ellen, who always seemed to wear a scarf and lean over the half door, lived there for years. Even better known was their donkey, who kept the field onto the cottage in neat trim. Later, after too many years as a derelict site, McHugh Property Holdings bought it in 2018 and turned it into a well planned food ?usiness. The cottage itself is a near copy of what was there, even down to a real-looking gas fire at the end of the big room, and - while it is a reconstruction - many of the orginal materials were re-used. The new addition is a gleaming glass box, so different and modern, with an "almost" open kitchen, a large seating arrangement along one wall and tables looking onto a wonderful series of raised pods for sheltered outdoor eating with views across Galway Bay.
Breakfast is hugely popular here and no wonder - the menu (see online) leads off with the Classic Local Full Irish (€13.50) and, with its Thick Cut Rashers, McGeough’s Sausages, Smoked Black Pudding,Garlic Home Fries, Organic Eggs and Chunky Sourdough what's not to love. Everyone raves about the the freshly baked brown bread and sourdough, all baked on the site, and the place is full for morning coffee, so for lunch you need to join a queue before 1pm as there are no daytime reservations.
For dinner, online booking is required - while not popular with everyone, all is forgiven by most thanks to the sheer quality of the experience and the respect given to local producers including
