Five Things To Do With Your Extra Hour

The evenings may be drawing in, the mornings getting darker but the good news is it wont be long now until the shortest day of the year (December 21st)!  Its only a little over eight weeks to go and the days will be getting longer again, wohoo! I really love this time of year, the air is really crisp (great walking weather), the leaves are falling of the trees and you don't need an excuse to light the fire.  The even better news is that this weekend we gain an hour.  Nobody likes losing the hour early in the year but you wouldn't hear too many complaining about an extra hour in bed in October!  I was trying to think of how the extra hour could be spent this weekend and here's what I've come up with:

1. The Imagine Festival is running until the 25th October in Waterford.  On Sunday, storyteller and Seanachai Eddie Lenihan, is doing two shows locally.  The first is fairy stories for kids and kicks off at 1 pm in St Patrick's Gateway Centre, Patrick St, Waterford.  At 10 pm his second show will start.  This one is aimed at the adults and is sure to be an entertaining evening.  Eddie is a friend of ours here at Nell's.  He told stories around our open fire in the past.  This is one not to be missed.
2. Up the road in Kilkenny the Savour Festival is on.  We love our food around here at Nell's which means we love a good food festival.  The festival will be in full swing on Sunday.  The "Build The Ultimate Burger" event and "Yes Chef, War Stories from the Kitchen" are two events that take place on Sunday that have caught my eye.  
3. Summer in Dublin may be over but Bagatelle are still on the go, but not for long...As part of their final tour they are playing this Sunday night in the Clonmel Park Hotel as part of the Tipptober Festival.  Tickets can be booked through the Clonmel Park Hotel
4. Down the road and over the bridge in Wexford Loftus Hall the most haunted house in Ireland is the ideal stop if your into a bit of paranormal.  There's lots of tour options on Sunday for big and small kids.  If your there during the day spin down to Hook Lighthouse afterwards for tea and cake.  You might need something sweet after your Loftus tour!!
5. The Suir Valley Railway are running the Spooky Express on Saturday 24th but will also be running trains on Sunday 25th and up until Sunday 1st November. The trains operate daily at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm. The prices are €8.50 for an adult, €7 for a golden years ticket and children (under 16) travel FREE for the entire week. This is a great way to see part of the new Greenway which will open next year. 
   
6. My last suggestion, a bonus one, is to put the feet up, light the fire and enjoy a cup of tea and savour the extra hour on your own sofa :-)

However you decide to spend your bank holiday weekend we here at Nell's Farmhouse hope you have a good one. If you would like to spend some time (night/weekend/week) at Nell's Farmhouse please contact us on info@nellsfarmhouse.ie or 086-2206007 

10 Things To Do During Your Stay at Nell's Farmhouse

We love the mountains here in Nell's, in fact were mad about the mountains.  We'd spend all day up there discovering new paths and trails but we were thinking the other day what else there is to do in the local area without spending a fortune or having to travel too far.  So here's a few of our favourites:

Endless Beaches
We are spoiled around here with all the fabulous beaches we have on our doorstep - from Ardmore to Tramore and all the coast line in between.  Lots of golden sandy beaches to build sandcastles on, to stroll along, waves to surf on and clean water to swim in.

Ormond Castle
You can get a free guided tour around Ormond Castle in Carrick which is only six miles away from us.  The guide will fill you in on the Butler family who lived there back in the day.  You can even get the tour in Italian, Spanish or German if you prefer.

The Anne Valley Walk
In Dunhill you will find the new Anne Valley Walk.  It is a purpose built trail through forest and marshland.  Its buggy friendly too which is great for the smaller family members.  Watch out for the fairies too, rumor has it lots of them live along the trail!

The County Museum Dungarvan
If history is your thing The County Museum is the place to go.  Hours could be spent here looking through their archives of photos and articles.  Its even reported to be the best little museum in the country.

Curraghmore & Mount Congreve
Two other fine estates worth a visit in the locality are Curraghmore and Mount Congreve.  Mount Congreve reopens after the winter on the 12th of March.  When in full bloom the rhododendrons are a spectacle.  Likewise in Curraghmore the carpet of bluebells are a stunning sight in May.  Tours of Curraghmore House and the Shell House are available too for you to catch up on all the local history.

Fenor Play Park
If the kids need to burn off a bit of energy Fenor Play Park is one of the best around.   Lots of space for adventure and picnics.

Dungarvan Greenway
The first part of the much anticipated Deise Greenway is open in Dungarvan.  Its a lovely walk along the old railway line.  Also suitable for bikes and buggies.

Hook Lighthouse
Hook is the oldest operating lighthouse in Ireland and you'll find it on the Hook Peninsula.  Nip across on the Passage East car ferry and you'll be there in no time.

Jeanie Johnston
While your over the Wexford side the Jeanie Johnston is docked in New Ross and is worth a stop off.

Reginalds Tower
In the heart of Waterford City at the end of the quay stands Reginalds Tower.  Strongbow and Aoife got married here back in the day.  Its steeped in history and more than worthy of a few hours of your leisure time.

The Magic Road
One of our favourite spots to bring the visitors.  On the way up to the Mahon Falls you will find the Magic Road.  Its just magic, fact! Check it out.  We will give you directions if your heading that way.
Suir Valley Railway
Just outside Kilmeaden you will find the Suir Valley Railway.  It runs along the end of Mount Congreve Estate.  This is one for kids of all ages, they even do special fun trips at different times of the year.  The railway re-opens for the season on the 1st of May but usually has an Easter train.  The Deise Greenway will eventually run alongside the Suir Valley Railway.

Kilkenny Castle
You could spend hours alone wandering around the grounds of Kilkenny Castle without doing the tour of the castle itself.  The castle tour is fantastic though and we would highly recommend it.  We loved the gallery upstairs  There's also a play ground and a coffee shop to keep adult kids and little kids happy.  

OK so there were a few more than ten but we couldn't choose so we put the few extra in.  We could have added ten or twenty more.  It goes to show how much there is to do in a close proximity to us. So in a nut shell - Nell's is an ideal base for a family fun filled break away.  To book your next break give us a call on 086-2206007 or check us out on the interweb on www.nellsfarmhouse.ie/