Overnight stay & Michelin-starred meal: Mount Juliet

Disclaimer: this is an independent review, we paid for our stay and meal at Mount Juliet.

Ireland is an expensive country to visit, especially when it comes to accommodation and dining out. For this reason, I'm guilty of having mostly travelled overseas and never seeing much of the island. That said, in recent years, Mr FFID and I have been a little bit better and treated ourselves to the odd staycation.

48 hours in the Boyne Valley: Glamping & Sightseeing in Slane

Disclaimer: This is an independent post, I've paid for my accommodation and everything else mentioned in this post

Summer is pretty much over and I realised that I still had one staycation left to share on the blog: my glamping stay in Slane. I'd never heard of Rockfarm in Slane until I noticed it on the Instagram account of a travel blog ran by a French couple last year who totally 'influenced' me. A few months later I happened to visit Rock Farm on a day field trip with my MA course. I was convinced and just had to book a stay as a birthday present for Mr. FFID afterwards.

Sleeping in a Bubble Dome: Finn Lough Resort, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

Disclaimer: This is an independent review, Mr. FFID and I paid for our stay at Finn Lough

Each year in December I publish a Christmas gift guide on the blog and make you believe that I'm helpful when in reality it's a wish list in disguise to send hints to Mr. FFID. I was delighted to see that my plan came to fruition last year when I found a gift voucher for a night in a bubble dome in Finn Lough under the Christmas tree.

The History of Irish Butter at The Cork Butter Museum

Who doesn't love Irish butter? It's certainly my favourite Irish food. Not only do I love eating it but I really love learning about its long and fascinating history. As a matter of fact the first paper I wrote when I started my masters last year was about Irish bog butter, so I'm slightly obsessed... Maybe I'll post it here someday.

Staycation in East Cork: A Night in Ballymaloe House

Disclaimer: This is an independent review - I paid for my accommodation, food and drinks at Ballymaloe House.

I first visited Ballymaloe House when I did the 12 week certificate course in Ballymaloe Cookery School back in 2015. Darina Allen always brings the students for a full visit of the house which ends with afternoon tea. I've only returned once since the course for the brilliant Ballymaloe Litfest (sadly discontinued) and I've always told myself I'd go back with Mr. FFID to stay and eat in this Irish food institution, to celebrate a special occasion...

Staycation in Donegal & the Wild Atlantic Way

Last year when I told people I was going to Donegal for my honeymoon, they kind of laughed at me thinking it wasn't 'very exotic'. Having travelled extensively in our 20s the only thing Mr. FFID and I wanted to do was spend time together in our favourite place in the world: Ireland.