The Fanzini Brothers visit Kilbrogan House

We were fortunate to have a visit from the Fanzini Brothers who were performing at the St Patricks Day parade in Bandon. They are a multi talented duo not to mention multi lingual as they both hail from the gaeltacht. If you need street performers or entertainers, give these chaps a call.

Lismore Castle and Gardens

Yesterday we had the good fortune to take part in a cream tea in Lismore Castle itself in aid of the Lismore Travel Writers Festival. It is a rare treat for the public to gain admission to the grand medieval style pugin banqueting hall. The original castle was built in 1185 so is steeped in history. It was acquired by the current owners, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, in 1753 and was then remodelled in gothic style using cut stone shipped in from Derbyshire near their residence, Chatsworth House.

60 of us sat down to an old fashioned style cream tea and were warmly welcomed by Lord and Lady Burlington. Lord Burlington is the son of the present Duke of Devonshire. After tea, we were taken on a very informative tour of the garden by the head gardener. Dozens of camellias and all kinds of varieties of magnolias were in full bloom as were a sea of daffodils. The gardens and Lismore Art Gallery which is housed in a once derelict west wing of the castle are open to the public.

We would highly recommend a visit to Lismore Castle Gardens. The many herbaceous borders are a sight to behold in the summer months.

We wish the Lismore Travel Writers event every success and congratulate the Burlingtons for their kind sponsorship.

Incidentally Kilbrogan House was built by the Duke of Devonshire in 1818 but was sold off in the late 1800s.

Lunch at the Capella in Castlemartyr

We had two American guests to stay here at Kilbrogan House. They had lunch at The Capella on their way to us and raved about it. They were, perhaps, a bit biased as one works for the company that owns the hotel. In any case, I had the good fortune to be invited to lunch at the hotel last Saturday so was able to check out if their recommendation was credible.

I thought the experience was tremendous and great value at euro 40 a head for two courses. The lunch itself was superb. There were at least five choices for each of the courses and between us we sampled most of what was on offer. There was nothing but praise from our group. The dining room looks out at the ruins of the castle and a recently created garden. We were a group of six and our table was somewhat hidden away at the end of the dining room - almost like a private room so we didn't disturb any of the other diners.

What was so special about our Capella lunch was the entire experience - The ambiance, the stately lounge with a fabulously ornate ceiling. Go early and take a tea before lunch as you won't be disappointed. We walked around the garden afterwards and took a peak into the spa which looks wonderful. The living accommodation has been neatly tucked away at the side of the old historic house. This project must have cost millions to develop and every last detail has been carefully worked out.

Tom Doorley wrote a very favourable review of the lunch here and we concur with his findings! Take a trip their yourself for a special occasion. This hotel is light years ahead of places like the new Carlton in Kinsale. It has a magical, special ambiance. It's a shame that the Capella don't make more of the history of this magical place as it is such an integral part of the entire experience.

A visit to Italistro, an authentic Italian restaurant in Bandon

Last evening two of us visited Daniele Quatrana's new Italian restaurant in Bandon called Italistro. Daniele is the owner and is from Italy though has lived here for over 30 years. He told us that nearly all the fixtures and fittings have come from Italy and it certainly has that feeling.

The surroundings really work. Daniele has chosen clean pastel colours and a very modern decor. The restaurant is also cleverly laid out so that there is ample room between the tables and there is a feeling of privacy yet a buzz around the place.

I chose a spicy hot pizza and had the choice of three different sizes with a thick or thin base all at different prices. What I really like about this menu is that you can have just a pasta or pizza or if you feel a bit more peckish, you can choose a steak or other meats, ie he has catered for everybody at all price brackets. Our bill was less than euro 30 per head for a pizza and a couple of glasses of white wine which I thought was very reasonable. Incidentally, the pizza was the best that I have eaten in a long time and so far all my guests from Kilbrogan House who have visited the restaurant have been favourably impressed. Daniele, we have been waiting for such a restaurant in Bandon for a long time so well done!!

The start of a new season at Kilbrogan House

The winter months were spent painting, decorating and generally updating our bed and breakfast and self catering accommodation here in Bandon. We opened again on 29th February and are now looking forward to another exciting season.

We have spent the last few weeks helping with the development of the website www.westcorkcalling.com. This site came out of a Mergo Tourism Network initiative sponsored by Failte Ireland. We are just one of 33 businesses in the South West area which have grouped together in an effort to co-market and provide interesting holiday packages.