Where’s the Salt?

Since becoming a mammy, I haven’t had as many pints of Guinness as I used.

Back in the days before we had to push a buggy, carry her majesty, or dawdle along at a pace only slightly speedier than a snail, we used to spend whole weekends hiking around the hills, mountains and country lanes of Ireland. These treks always ended up in a lovely warm atmospheric pub. If it was a freezing cold day, it would be hot ports all round, otherwise, a pint of dark, creamy Guinness.

My mum used to work in Guinnesses, so we grew up listening to stories about the brewery at James’ Gate in Dublin and how they used to offer a glass of Guinness to new mothers in Irish maternity hospitals. “A great source of iron”, by all accounts

Anyway, I’ve long had a fondness for the stuff, and without really noticing, I’ve been missing the way the first mouthful tastes after a long walk in clean fresh air.

This Sunday, hubby, toddler & I set off on the Scilly walk in Kinsale - without buggy. The 2 year old has just mastered the entire “We’re going on a bear hunt” saga, so recited it for us all the way, getting especially excited when a tiny stream crossed our path “A river, a swirly whirly river. We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it. Oh no! We have to go through it!”

Anyway, the perfect pint: The Bulman Pub sits on the waterfront at the end of the Scilly way in Summercove. They have 2 huge fires blazing in winter, generally a couple of dogs lying about and you can glimpse fishing boats heading out to sea through the windows.

The bar food is pretty good, but on Sunday, as we had dinner bubbling away at home, we just had drinks. Milk for the toddler, 7-up for hubby and a wonderful pint of Guinness for me! What wonderful memories that first mouthful evoked…I floated home on a Guinness induced high!

The Bulman Bar & Restaurant,
Summercove, Kinsale, Co. Cork. + 353 (0)21 477 2131