Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry - Ireland 2014 - page 324

$$$ Moorings Guest House feels like a small hotel, with 17 rooms, a pub and a
fine restaurant downstairs, and the most convenient location in town, 50 yards from the
end of the pier (Sb-€57-70, Db-€69-140, Tb-€99-145, Qb-€140-190, tel. [phone],
www.moorings.ie , [e-mail] , Gerard and Patricia Kennedy).
$$ Portmagee Heights B&B is a modern, solid slate home at the edge of town, renting
eight hotel-like rooms (Db-€70-80, Tb-€105-120, Wi-Fi, on the road into town, tel. 066/
947-7251, www.portmageeheights.com , [e-mail] , hostess Monica
Hussey can arrange Skellig boat trips). They also have a cool self-catering cottage across
the road—great for families who want some space to themselves.
$ Beach Cove B&B offers three comfortable, fresh, and lovingly decorated rooms in
splendid isolation four miles south of Portmagee, over lofty Coomanaspic ridge, beside
the pretty beach at St. Finian's Bay (100 yards past the Skelligs Chocolate Factory).
Charming Bridie O'Connor will arrange a boat trip out to the Skelligs for you. Her ad-
jacent cottage out back has two double rooms, making it ideal for families (Sb-€45-50,
Db-€65-70, Tb-€95, family room-€100, tel. [phone], mobile [phone],
www.stayatbeachcove.com , [e-mail] ) .Bridie'shusband,Jack,wasthehead
coach of the Kerry football team until he retired in 2012...making him a very important
person in this part of Ireland (Kerry has won more football titles than any other Irish
county, three of them with Jack at the helm).
Eating in Portmagee: These options all line the waterfront (between the pier and the
bridge to Valentia Island). The Moorings is a nice restaurant with great seafood caught
literally just outside its front door (€16-22 dinners, Tue-Sun 18:00-22:00, closed Mon, re-
servations a good idea, tel. [phone], www.moorings.ie ). The Bridge Bar, next door,
does traditional pub grub but stops serving food a bit early. Call ahead to check on their
traditional music and dance schedule (€10-18 meals, daily 10:00-20:30, live music Fri and
Sun nights, tel. [phone]). The Fisherman's Bar is less flashy, with more locals and
cheaper prices (€10-19 meals, daily 10:00-21:00, tel. [phone]).
For picnic supplies, O'Connell's Market is the only grocery (Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00,
Sun9:30-15:30). Skellig Mist Bakery canmakebasiclunchsandwiches totakeonSkellig
boat excursions (daily 9:30-17:30, tel. [phone]).
Valentia Island
These two sights are on Valentia Island, across the bridge from Portmagee.