Off-Season IrelandNotebook No 6June 2024
The walk every Irish family takes, somewhere with the sea.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
When the calendar turns, we join families across Ireland making their way to the coast. From Howth Head to Strandhill’s sand, from Inchydoney’s dunes to Lahinch’s waves, the specific location matters less than this quiet ritual. It is a shared moment of fresh air and reflection, an expansive start to your year ahead.
West Cork in February
You will dress for the brisk sea air, a flask of something hot gripped in your hand. The walk typically lasts an hour, culminating in a simple, warming bowl of soup afterward. This understated tradition is less about grand views and more about a grounded, communal experience with the sea.
There are many ways to engage with Irish life, but this is a deeply authentic tradition, simple and restorative.
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.