Carlingford, Co.Louth

Forget penicillin, combustion engines, electricity and the football; the Best Invention In The World… Ever! is red pudding. Native to a small corner of Co. Louth, this culinary masterpiece – think white pudding but with loads more pepper – is one of the best-sellers at D. Savage Victualler, a defiantly old fashioned Carlingford butchers than can also sort you out with local Mourne Mountain lamb and Cooley garlic when in season.

Adding to the town’s reputation as a foodie hotspot is the Carlingford Oyster Company (Mulatee, Carlingford) whose briny delights can be sampled at numerous local restaurants – we love ours au naturel with a splash of Tabasco – and the Carlingford Brewing Co. (The Old Mill, Dundalk Road, Riverstown) whose Tholsel Blonde, Taafe’s Red and Long Woman’s IPA can be enjoyed whilst munching on some seriously tasty woodfired pizza in their taproom.

Carlingford Brewing Co.

If you’re worried about the adverse effect all of this is going to have on your waistline, fear not, because Carlingford is also a Mecca for walkers who either follow the Carlingford Greenway, which extends for 6.2 glorious kms, or climb Slieve Foy and its neighbouring Cooley Mountains, which gaze down majestically on Carlingford Lough and the Irish Sea below.

NB. that because of all the sheep that are grazing there, dogs are strictly verboten. The postcard perfect town centre switches from sleepy to full-on at the weekend with loads of stag and hen parties travelling down from the North, which is mere miles away.

Hiking not being high on their list of priorities, it’s always possible to find the peace and tranquillity which – together with all that scrummy food and drink – makes Carlingford such a wonderful bolthole and which by car is just 80 minutes from Dublin.

Where To Stay: The beachfront Shalom B&B (Ghan Road, Liberties of Carlingford) has cosy doubles for around €125 a night. More good value guest houses can be found on booking.com.

Where To Eat: P.J. O’Hare’s (Tholsel Street) is renowned for its freshly shucked Carlingford Lough Oysters, served either naked as they come, or grilled and baked with a garlic and Parmesan cheese crumb.

Don’t Miss: Trying your hand at rock climbing, orienteering, Gaisce hillwalking, target sports, zip wiring, kayaking, canoeing, pier jumping and lots more courtesy of the Carlingford Adventure Centre (Tholsel Street, Liberties of Carlingford).

Carlingford Adventure Centre

Read the full Staycation Special in the current issue of Hot Press: