Eating out in County Kerry

[Trevor F]

I can't ever remember Ireland being mentioned much on this Forum or on the erstwhile Rogov Forum.

A business trip to Kerry this week ( down in the deep south west ) resulted in an aborted departure from Stansted to Kerry airport on Monday morning due to 57 environmental activists running around airside which then necessitated a 3+ hour drive on Irish roads from Dublin to Killarney later in the day.

On Tuesday evening I went to the Beaufort Bar, just off the N72 road between Killorglin and Killarney, as recommended in an old 2001 Georgina Campbell guide to Ireland restaurants. There is a restaurant upstairs as well as the bar downstairs. Despite all the recommendations I found the bar food distinctly average. The only decent thing was a glass of the black stuff.

http://www.beaufortbar.com/

Wednesday I ate at Molly D'Arcys, over at Muckross village south of Killarney. This is attached to the expensive Muckross Park Hotel and is a large bar, empty at this time of year, tarted up for the Yanks and Nips in the summer. But the dinner food was OK --- large grilled salmon with mashed potato and bashed neeps ( mashed carrots and turnip), flavoured with capers. With a glass of Kilkenny bitter, this was fine.

http://www.muckrosspark.com/dining/kill ... arcys.aspx

Over the hills to Tralee last night and dinner at Cooperage along Straid Castelaine or Castle Street. Deep-fried Brie in a Moroccan sauce turned out to be deep-fried brie in a tomato chutney, followed by salmon ( again ) with boxty ( mashed potato with cabbage ) and a glass of Budweiser, the black stuff not being available on draught.

http://www.bennershoteltralee.ie/cooperage.html


More next week.