Darina Allen enjoys ‘girly catch-up’ with daughters and daughter-in-law Rachel in hidden staycation

Darina Allen enjoys a “girly catch-up” with her daughters Lydia and Emily and daughter-in-law Rachel in her favourite hidden staycation spot in Ireland.

She loves spending time at Ballyvolane House in County Cork and has visited the area for over 20 years.

The chef gave her recommendations to RSVP Magazine, including where to eat and how to fill up your itinerary.

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Where is your favourite staycation spot in Ireland?

I love going to Ballyvolane House, it’s one of Ireland’s hidden houses. They have six bedrooms and it’s only around 35 minutes from my home. I take my passport and pretend I’m somewhere else. It’s like staying in someone’s lovely, country house with comfy seats by the fireplace. It’s a very glamorous shabby chic, with tons of books. You can spend time sitting by the fire and chill. They have lovely gardens too. Justin and Jenny Green are the owners. Justin’s father Jeremy still does the garden so they have their own produce which they then cook with. For dinner you can choose to have your own table or you can sit with others. It’s a great way to make new friends and meet very interesting people. The food is simple and delicious – very appropriate for a country house. The wonderful thing is that there are no televisions in the rooms.

What are your favourite things to do in the area?

Often when I go on a staycation, I’m ready to chill. You want to do nothing and then gradually go for walks. It’s near the Knockmealdowns Mountains, so there’s lots of wonderful walking trails. There are plenty of things within a 30-minute drive, such as Lismore Castle. They have a really avantguard exhibition there every year, with lots of contemporary art and sculptures. The gardens are wonderful there too. I love this very good artisan bakery in Lismore called Vinilo. There is a wonderful young couple running it, a man from Uruguay married a local girl. Ballyvolane House is also very near Castlelyons. Usually when we go there, we take a picnic and have lunch by the river in Castlelyons and get into the vibe. If you are feeling energetic you can canoe on the Blackwater River. It’s so fun and a beautiful river. You can just glide along and it’s like another world. Youghal is a lovely old-fashioned town with such an incredible history. One of my favourite antique shops is there, it’s called The Store Yard. It’s always worth having a little poke in to see what’s there.

When was the first time that you went there?

I often go there with my daughters and daughter-in-law. We usually go for a night or two there and have a girly catch-up. I have been going there for 20 years now.