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The breakfasts at the Band B’s are a story by themselves. The hosts at the B and B’s were very friendly and accommodating. They were quite happy to introduce you to their town, providing maps and directions to sights, and steered you towards favoured pubs and restaurants. They seemed genuinely grateful for your patronage. Most of the B and B’s served breakfast from 8:30 to 10:00, and if you needed to depart earlier, arrangements could be made to do so. Breakfast was not to be missed or hurried. The sideboards in the breakfast rooms groaned with dry cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit or fruit salad, baskets of bread and jams and juice. In addition to this, there was a menu of hot items which included a full or mini Irish breakfast consisting of sausage or bacon, black or white pudding, toast, eggs, tomatoes and occasionally beans. Menus also listed eggs with salmon, porridge, pancakes, potato waffles, variations of eggs. One of my favourites was at The Towercrest Inn, Dingle, a wonderful cheese and fruit plate.  

Mary Gibbons, a Dublin guide on one of our tours, told us that due to the current economy, the dairy farmers have had to diversify to survive. They now produce excellent ice cream and cheese. From our samplings, we could not dispute this. In fact, Ireland’s cheese production now surpasses France, in quality. 

At the second Band B we were totally spoiled. Orla and Aileen at The Cloisters in Kinsale, were absolutely charming hostesses. Upon our arrival, they welcomed us with coffee, tea and fresh scones, which was lovely after a two hour drive in the rain. At breakfast, they apologized that there might be a bit of a delay for breakfast as all of the food was made fresh to order. The food was wonderfully presented. One morning I ordered a bowl of porridge and it was delivered with a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream, because as Orla said, “You are not driving today”. I must say that these ladies spoiled us for the rest of the trip. I held up all of the other B and B’s to them for comparison.

In Dingle, we spent three nights at the Towercrest Inn. Mary Griffiths runs this spot which is about a 10 minute walk from town along the bay. Her husband runs the adjacent farm. It was kind of neat to walk out to the carpark and see sheep and goats grazing in the fields behind our car. This B and B was purposefully designed and beautifully decorated. The rooms were very large and bright. 

Breakfast was a feast, commencing with fresh hot scones served by very friendly staff. It was lovely and quiet, away from the noise of the pubs.

In Galway, we stayed at the Petra House. Frank and Joan have a lovely home with a very formal dining room. Breakfast, as we had come to expect - was exceptional, with Joan even sharing her recipe for scones.

   

 In the Aran Islands, we stayed at the Seacrest Inn, on Inish Mohr. Geraldine, our hostess was warm and inviting. It was a very comfortable stop for two nights, like spending the weekend at the cottage. Her Irish breakfast was number one on our list. 

Angela at the Boulevard House in Westport runs a bright and cheery place situated near the bridge, around the corner from Matt Molloy’s pub. Her fruited porridge hit the spot on what was another dull and damp Irish morning. 

Antrim House in Portrush, a seaside resort town in Northern Ireland was a centrally located Victorian Mansion with it’s own private carpark. The rooms were huge and comfortable. The full Irish breakfasts were certainly a good to start the day.

I honestly don’t know what I appreciated more, the quality of the food, or that fact that I didn’t have to prepare, serve and clean-up afterwards. 
Bed & Breakfast's are a great choice for lodging. You can share your travel experiences with the other guests and benefit from their input. The hosts are also good ambassadors for the local area.