Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

Thursday 27 October 2011

With Halloween and the Midterm Break approaching the evenings are closing in fast but it is still a time of year that gives us bright crisp days with golden autumnal leaves and is, as our American cousins say, perfect for a ‘Fall Break’. There are great rates around the country.

Starting out in The Pale which has so much to offer the visitor with children the Castleknock Hotel & Country Club they are offering a 54321 package for families for the midterm break from €120 per family for 1 night to €580 for 5 nights. Some packages include family passes to Dublin Zoo. www.castleknockhotel.com Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, Co. Dublin, have a Family Break of 3BB1D in The Dungeon Grill from €450 for 2 adults + 2 children sharing. www.fitzpatrickcastle.com

In Co. Wicklow the Glenview Hotel & Leisure Club at the Glen of the Downs, have 2BB1D at €155 pps with u’12s sharing free BB. Kid’s Club and Gymbos creche. www.glenviewhotel.com The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt have the Ritz Kids Games Room with a Fancy Dress competition, Trick or Treat Treasure Hunt, and lots of activities throughout the estate. Tara’s Palace one of the most spectacular doll’s houses in the world and part of a larger dolls house and children’s toy exhibition on Powerscourt Estate. €262 per room per night; book two nights and get 3rd night free. www.ritz-carlton.com/Powerscourt. The Druids Glen Resort at Newtownmountkennedy have a great 2 night package from €250 for two people over the holiday period. Get to meet the Hamley’s Teddy Bear and enjoy face painting by the Hamley’s Team. Children 0-12 share free on a B & B basis in an adjoining room (subject to availability), 12-15 year olds share free on room only basis, and children 16 and over pay €40 per child per night for B & B. www.druidsglenresort.com

In fabulous Duncannon, Co. Wexford, the sweet little Alridge Lodge offers the perfect grown up away from it all escape with really good food by Chef Billy Whitty at the rate of €75/€80 pps for 1DBB. www.aldridgelodge.com At the Talbot Hotel, Wexford, €89pps will get you 1BB1EM on Halloween night plus plus, children under 12 share free for dinner, bed and breakfast! Halloween Dip and Games. www.talbotwexford.ie

In the pretty Georgian village of Durrow, Co. Laois, at the Castle Arms Hotel they are having a Bank Holiday weekend “Get Together’ with Old Time dancing. €99 pps 2BB1D. Dancing Only Package with dinner is €45 www.castlearms.ie The Bridge House Hotel Tullamore have a Halloween Kids Camp to “keep the children out of trouble.” Choose any three nights in a spacious family room from €349 based on two adults and two children under 12 sharing. www.bridgehouse.com

In Tipperary at the Horse & Jockey Hotel 1/2 night packages with 1 evening meal are from €75/€119 pps. The Halloween Arts Festival will be taking place in Thurles with activities on Sunday 30th and Monday 31st including a parade along with a Guinness World Record attempt for the most people dressed up in Halloween costumes. Expect fire jugglers, face painters and magic shows, all ending up with a ‘spooktacular’ fireworks display. www.horseandjockeyhotel.com At Coolbawn Quay Lakeshore Spa, on Friday and Saturday next they have ‘Halloween High Jinks – Guess Who is Coming to Dinner.” 2BB1EM from €165 pps with a ‘Celebrity Masked Dinner’ on Saturday. www.coolbawnquay.com At the Clonmel Park Hotel they promise “Old School Halloween Fun” with Ghouls and Goblins of all ages invited along. Midterm Family Packages start from €69pps for 2BB with children under 12 free for BB. www.clonmelparkhotel.com Glenribbeen Eco Lodge BB near Lismore is offering peace and tranquility but fun too with traditional games. €120 per couple for 2 nights, or €150 for 3 nights. Self Catering apartment also. www.glenribbeen.com

In Cork the 5 Star Hayfield Manor their famous top hatted doorman, Bart Bambury, will be telling scary stories by the fire before bedtime. 2BB1D Family package 2+2 u’ 12 sharing is €680 per room. www.hayfieldmanor.com At The River Lee Hotel ‘Stay & Scare’ at €370 for 3BB1D for 2 adults and 2 children includes a family pass to The Nightmare Realm (over 13’s) at Navigaton House in Cork or visit old Cork Gaoil. www.doylecollection.com In East Cork at the Garryvoe Hotel overlooking the water for €249 per adult sharing, 2 u’12s share free with 3BB1EM for all the family. Family Pass to Fota Wildlife Park, Kids Halloween Fancy Dress Disco with prizes. Cinema Night. www.garryvoehotel.com Fota Island Resort Mid Term Family package of 2BB1EM is €449 including Kids’ Camps. www.fotaisland.ie

The Blue Haven Hotel Kinsale have a 2BB1D midweek Dine Special at €90 pps. €10 supplement per night for children sharing under 12. On 2nd November they have a Kids Cooking Demonstration at €25 per child and there is live music every evening in the bar. www.bluehavenkinsale.com

In magical Dingle at Brian and Helen Heaton’s superb waterside 5 star Castlewood House overlooking Dingle Bay 2BB is from €85pps for November – and they are gourmet breakfasts. www.castlewooddingle.com In Killarney at Jackie Lavin and Bill Cullen’s 5 Star Muckross Hotel & Spa pamper yourself by checking in on the 30th October for 2BB1D at €369 for two sharing including a jaunting car ride into Killarney National Park. www.muckrosspark.com At the legendary Malton Hotel in the heart of Killarney they have kids clubs, pumpkin carving, mask and card making, a Halloween spider hunt competition in the gardens. From €139 pps. Children sharing with adults from €60 per child. www.themalton.com The sublime Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa family package costs from €255 per adult for 2BB1D with u’12’s sharing free. Supervised Kids arts and crafts and movie night. www.aghadoeheights.com

The 4 Star deluxe Limerick Strand Hotel has teamed up with Bunratty Castle with a family day out to their Holiday Halloween Horror Event on Bank Holiday Monday visting the Creepy Crypt and lots of other fun. 2BB with under 12’s staying free is from €110pps. www.strandhotellimerick.ie In the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare, they offer 2BB1D at €109pps. Kids stay free on a room only basis. 25% discount card for the Shannon Region’s top attractions and activities. www.flynnhotels.com

At the Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon you can have a Lough Key Family Escape break - 2 night BB1D midweek for €150 per adult with 2 u’12’s sharing free B & B. Family Pass to the wonderful Lough Key Forest & Activity Park. They also have a Great Destination, Great Value break at €135 pps for 2 people for 2BB1D and a 3rd night B & B free applying to Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Now that has to be good value. www.landmarkhotel.com At Lough Key House on 11 acres Frances McDonagh is offering 2BB at €89pps and half price for children under 16. www.loughkeyhouse.com At the beautiful watersedge Wineport Lodge In Athlone they have a great 3 night package at €325 pps in a family suite decorated for Halloween with children sharing free. The rate includes 3BB2D including free dinner for the children and complimentary babysitting from 7-11 pm on one evening. www.wineport.ie At the Salthill Hotel in Galway with wonderful views over Galway Bay you can have 3BB2D in their Prom Restaurant from €230pps and watch red sails in the sunset. www.salthillhotel.com

Head to Connemara and you can take the family to Delphi Mountain Resort. If they love the outdoors they will love the kayaking, hill walking and rock climbing, archery, or test your balance on the high ropes course. From €999 the package at Delphi Mountain Resort includes a five night stay in a four star hotel room that can sleep up to four people, three adrenaline pumping activites, and dinner on two evenings for all the family. www.delphimountainresort.com At the gorgeous and gracious Cashel House Hotel, at the head of Cashel Bay in Connemara, you can enjoy the many acres of gardens, woodland walks and herb gardens through which the late General de Gaulle and many other celebreties have strolled. Vegetables and herbs from the garden are used at dinner – could you get fresher? Cashel House have their own stud farm and gardening school in the grounds and here you can have 2BB1D break from €159pps. www.cashel-house-hotel.com At the fabulous fabulous Ashford Castle at Cong, ‘Hogwarts’ will be in full swing with daily activities and Harry Potter movie evenings whilst Mum and Dad relax and dine in the George V Restaurant. 1BB1D €495 for 2 adults and 2 kids; 2BB2D €950. www.ashford.ie At Ashford Lodge, the former Lisloughrey Lodge, The Pirages of the Corribean – geddit! – will be in full swing led by Captain Rita from Sunday to Thursday. Think Tug of War, Jump Rope and more. Midweek family package €190pps for 2BB1D for 2 + 2 u 12’s sharing. www.thelodgeatashford.ie Ross Lake House Hotel at Oughterard say “get away from witches and goblins” with peace and tranquility and gorgeous grounds. 2BB1D €165 pps/3BB2D €270 pps. www.rosslakehotel.com

At the ever popular Downhill House Hotel in Ballina, Co. Mayo, you can be “enlightened and frightened” when ghosts and ghouls, spooks and spirits, come to life through traditions, visual arts, and dance workshops, at Ballina’s newly opened Art Centre. €299 by 2+ 2 u’s 12 for 2BB1D with 3rd night’s accommodation free. www.downhillhotel.ie Also in Ballina, at the gorgeous Mount Falcon Estate families can enjoy 3 nights B & B in a luxury 3 bedroom lakeside lodge (sleeps 6) from €600, or couples can have 2BB1EM from €229. www.mountfalcon.com In Westport at Knockranny House Hotel it is €159 pps for 2BB1D. Kids u’10 sharing stay free. www.khh.ie At the sister Westport Plaza www.westportplazahotel.ie and Castlecourt Hotels www.castlecourthotel.ie they have Kid’s Camps and Midterm breaks from €119pps. At the Westport Woods Hotel they run a kids club with a 3 BB3D for 2 adults + 2 children under 12 for €499 – extend your stay up to 7 nights for €999. www.westportwoodshotel.com The lovely Wyatt Hotel at the Octagon has a great Midterm break “So Cheap Its Spooky” €99 BB per room per night for 2 adults + 2 u’12s. Wow. Book 4 nights and get 1 free family dinner! www.wyatthotel.com At McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris 2BB1EM 2+ 2 sharing is €259. www.mcwilliampark.ie

At Castle Dargan Resort in Sligo their Halloween Midterm break offers 1BB for 2 adults + 2 children in a two bedroomed suite. www.castledargan.com Harvey’s Point Hotel, Donegal, a great grown up destination, will have a wine tasting and cookery demonstrations as well as their annual Halloween Dusk Walk led by local historian and author, Kieth Corcoran, who dresses up as an old night watchman with a tall hat and a lantern. 2BB1D is €229 pps in a luxurious Executive Suite. www.harveyspoint.com At Arnolds Hotel at Dunfanaghy you can get a 3B2D for €199 per adult and €50 per child 14 years and under sharing with 2 adults. Bank Holiday weekend activites include Village Treasure Hunt, plenty of traditional music, a guided archaelogy walk on Horn Head..and more. www.arnoldshotel.com At An Chuirt – Gweedore Court Hotel 3 BB1D Family Package is €350. Based on 2 adults and 2 children under 14 years sharing Family room. www.gweedorecourthotel.com

In Drogheda, Co. Louth, The d Hotel have a 2BB1D Funtasia Big Splash Package from €139 pps with 2 children sharing free. Package includes a visit to the Waterpark or Sky Climb and a game of bowling or a visit to the play area and a meal voucher. www.thedhotel.com Finally at Bellinter House at Navan, Co. Meath, they have a Trick or Treat Retreat over the Bank Holiday weekend with 2BB1D at €205pps or a Spooktacular Mid Term Break with Halloween Treats in your room on arrival and Lil’ Pumpkin Party for kiddies from €149 pps. www.bellinterhouse.com

Spook away for a really great break.

UNEDITED ARTICLE WHICH FIRST APPEARED IN SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON OCTOBER 23, 2011.