We stayed for a couple of nights at the Emlagh House in the beautifully remote little seaside town of Dingle to take a little breather on our otherwise hectic trip through Ireland. The Emlagh House is on the outskirts of town, just before you reach Dingle, an easy 5 minute walk - no need to take your car. It has been built within the last 10 years, which is very new in Ireland, and was designed with the comfort of the guests in mind (heated tile floors, patios, fireplaces). Gráinne Kavanagh runs the hotel with the help of her daughter and a cute terrier ("the man of the house"). The local paintings, collected by her late husband, fill the walls and showcase the rustic beauty of the Dingle landscape and people. We were given the BlueBell room, a huge room on the first floor with a fireplace, bay window overlooking the meadow and ocean in the distance, and a door to a private patio. Beautiful periwinkle blue fabrics in the drapes and upholstery were a counterpoint to the crisp white linens on the amazingly comfortable bed. Heated towel racks and a heated tile floor in the elegant bathroom took the damp chill out of the air. We walked into town for dinner at a tiny eclectic seafood restaurant across from the harbour - menu written on chalkboard and everything caught that day. The Chart House is also supposed to be good, but it was closed the night we wanted to dine there. We spent a day driving around the "Ring of Dingle", which was lots shorter than the Ring of Kerry and just as scenic. Blasket Island Interpretive Center was a wonderful new museum and very interesting. Some of the other guests went on an Archeological Tour of the area with a local guide, which they enjoyed. We did most of the same things ourselves, with the help of a Rick Steves book and a guide sheet that they had in our room. There was a nice living room for guests to gather in the afternoon to discuss their adventures on the Dingle peninsula. A great breakfast was served in a beautiful dining room, with windows overlooking the meadows and ocean in the distance. If you want to take a break from the hectic pace of Dublin or Kerry, visit the Dingle area. While the town is filled with other hotels and B&B's, I would highly recommend the Emlagh House is you want to stay at a comfortable, elegant and friendly place with a great location.





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