At the Edge of the AtlanticNotebook No 27November 2024
Gus O'Connor's, before the season starts in earnest.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
We often find ourselves in Gus O'Connor's in Doolin on a Tuesday evening. The traditional music session usually starts at nine, and the room quickly fills long before ten o'clock. By eleven, we know we will stay for a good while longer.
Slieve League
Before the session, we eat early at McGann's, just down the street. We walk back leisurely, grateful we did not need a reservation for our meal. This easy, unforced start sets the tone for the music to come.
This Tuesday night session remains our most consistently rewarding music experience on Ireland's west coast.
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.