Pack Up Your Picnic
Immediate Release - May 2023
If you ask us, no summer picnic feels complete without these seasonal bucket list items. We share with you tips for packing the ultimate summer picnic and the best places in Ireland to enjoy it.
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Picnic Checklist
- Always remember a bin bag for litter. The place where you sit to eat your picnic will probably look lovely when you arrive. So make sure you leave it that way for others. Take all your rubbish home!
- Take a basic first-aid kit. Waterproof plasters, antiseptic wipes and wasp sting spray are essentials for outdoor trips.
- Make sure you have bottled water. Especially when the weather is warm. It’s easy to get dehydrated.
- Make sure your food is packed in lightweight containers. Unless you’re thinking of rolling up to your picnic spot in the Range Rover, spreading out the tartan rug and dining on real china from a proper wicker hamper. It’s surprising how quickly you’ll feel the weight of lugging a rucksack full of food around!
- Remember towels, togs and sun protection cream for beach picnics. If the weather is warm, the temptation to strip off will be massive, and it’s dead easy to get burned quickly by the sea on an impromptu sunbathing session.
- Don’t forget the rain gear! Because this is Ireland, and you just never know.
Top Irish Picnic Spots
- Lough Hyne near Skibbereen West Cork. Hike up to the top of the mountain (it’s got a track so you don’t have to be a mountaineer). Put out the rug and enjoy dining al fresco while looking at a panoramic view of Roaring Water Bay and Carbery’s Hundred Isles to the west. And to the east, back towards Galley Head near Clonakilty. Members close by include Kalbos Cafe, and The Church Restaurant, both in Skibbereen.
- Glendalough Co. Wicklow. Might be a bit busy on the tourist front, but still, the views here take some beating. Within driving distance from Glendalough are Brooklodge Hotel and Spa in Macreddin Village and The Ballymore Inn at Ballymore Eustace, close to Blessington which is another good spot for a picnic
- Connemara National Park, Co.Galway. Beautiful mountains, lakes and woodland glades abound, you’ll be hard-pressed to pick your picnic spot. Renvyle House Hotel and Delphi Lodge, and Connemara Smokehouse are all proximate.
- Glencolmcille in Co.Donegal. Golden beach and mountains views. What more can we say? Ti Linn Cafe is also nearby and has the Slieve League Visitor Centre on site. Slive League are the tallest sea cliffs in Europe.
- Ring of Kerry. Anywhere along here provides stunning scenery. Members on the Ring of Kerry include Jack’s Bakery Killorglin, Smuggler’s Inn, Waterville and Valentia Island Ice Cream. Valentia Island is also worth visiting for its interesting history in transatlantic communication.
- Giant’s Causeway on the Causeway Coastal Route. Close to this Unesco World Heritage Site is Bushmills Inn in Bushmills Village, where you can taste Bushmills Whiskey, distilled here for centuries.
- The car. Hail, snow, rain or blow, nothing stops the Irish from having a day out. There’s something quite cosy about sitting in the car somewhere scenic, eating sandwiches in the pouring rain, as the windows steam up around you.
What to Make for Your Picnic
So what delicious goodies will you take on your trip? We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeves which you might like very much!
- Kelly’s Hotel Chicken, Ham and Mushroom Pithivier is a savoury puff pastry pie that transports well.
- Wild Garlic Pesto is excellent for dipping crackers or bread.
- Burren Smoked Salmon Spread is brilliant for filling sandwiches or rolls.
- Smoked Salmon Cheesecake is superbly served cold in wedges with salad.
- Bolognese Pita Pockets is a quick and easy recipe.
- Smoked Chicken and Tarragon combines Glenilen Creme Fraiche with Ummera Smoked Chicken in a swooningly good topping for brown bread.
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