Part 11:Pub-crawling around the World - The Valley House, Achill, Ireland.

Far from just a bar, The Valley House in Achill is steeped in history, a previous Daniel Craig movie set and a top rated Lonely Planet hostel. I've mentioned it in many blog entries but never under pubcrawling. Now I'm correcting this clear oversight. It's difficult to pinpoint one particular night in this incredible venue as I've spent so many there but here are memories and reasons you should visit.

Slievemore at sunset, can be seen from the end of the lane at the Valley House

The location - Firstly, it's on Achill island, which is beautiful anytime of year but particularly in the summer months. The bar itself is hidden by trees, surrounded by a pitch and putt course and a small lake. It's less than a fifteen minute walk to the nearest immaculate and often deserted beach. It's courtyard captures stunning sun in the late afternoon and it's wonderful to while away a few hours basking in the sun there. I remember a particular bank holiday Monday in June 2007, guitars were out as was the sun, tunes aplenty and good company - it made for a perfect evening. Of the friends I spent it with, three live in different countries now, one is married with a child and one I have long since lost contact with.

The music. I can't remember many nights without music in this place, for me it's the first place I think of when I hear "session". From regulars who show up with their guitar to visiting musicians with banjo's, flutes, violins or crystal-clear voices - I have never heard such a diverse amount of talent in any other venue, and here you don't even pay for it. Even the owner, Pat and his wife, Alice, are great musicians and the "sesh" is encouraged every night. There are people who have been joining in the sessions here for over 30 years (including my own Dad) when Pat's father, Roger (RIP) ran the place. If you want a bar with music in Ireland, you can't go wrong here. My own favourite memories centre around jamming with my Dad when we've been here together, particularly August bank holiday 2012 and 2013. Hearing an ensemble version of "The Weight" with impeccable harmonies still resounds from 2008 and a version of "There is a Light that will never go out," will always remind me of nights in the Valley House.

Regulars taking part in the "sesh" one summer night

An inexpensive bed can be stumbling distance from the bar. In the cooler months of the year (of which there are many in Ireland), it is nice to stay in the warm confines of the Valley House after a few pints of Guinness (or whatever you're having). It is advisable to book ahead for holiday weekends - i.e St Patricks Day, Easter, Hallowe'en etc. The Hallowe'en party is normally great craic. Music as always and an array of creative costumes, from Slash (Guns N'Roses) to a French courtesan (portrayed by a man), Robin Hood to Sponge-Bob. It's great to be able to crawl up the stairs and not out into the freezing night, particularly in October or March - or even sometimes May!

The Guinness must be mentioned. It was the bank holiday weekend in October 2006 and a group of us were staying in the Valley House, sharing the 12-bed dorm (great fun, as you can imagine). Åine , a friend, was buying a round for everyone and was insisting that her friend's boyfriend, John, didn't need another pint of Guinness. I had been on the vodka most of the day and actually had a pain from it. John and Åine went back and forth over this and eventually she included him in the round. At this point, John looked over at me and said "You have to drink this pint, I can't." That was my first Guinness. After a sip, it eased the pain I had in my tummy and I wondered why I hadn't been drinking it all weekend! Since I have travelled to many countries, drank Guinness in a number of Irish bars and around Ireland but I haven't found anywhere with a pint like the Valley. In the final stages of the drive from Dublin, I salivate at the thought of the pint that will soon follow.

Ambience: 10/10
Cost: $$ (I haven't been in awhile but by memory a pint of Guinness is around EUR4.40, you must try one!)
Food: Now renowned around the county for it's stonebaked pizza, sometimes other food is offered. Always good quality pub grub and great after a day at the beach or a few hours whiled away in the pub. Reasonably priced.
Location: You will need a car to get here. It's located in Dugort on Achill Island and public transport isn't very accessible. There are some taxis on the island.
Toilets: Well maintained and cool on nights where the bar gets very warm.
Overall: If you don't visit here you're missing a genuine hidden gem and my favourite bar in the whole world.


Their own website has more photos, details of upcoming events and information.
/http://www.valley-house.com/

A-chilling

Ohhhh, Achill island. I physically pine for the place when I've been away too long. There's a weird disparity about the places I yearn for - the place I live (Dubai) and my favorite place (Achill). Dubai is the desert, where life is fast, transient and sometimes very shallow. Achill is remote, green, good for the soul and full of wandering artists. It's a tonic for me, and re-fuels me to go back to real life when I've left. Gareth was waiting with bated breath to get to Achill; I've spoken so much about it in our short time together and I think he was eager to walk some hills. After a stroll around Galway city and bemoaning the fact we couldn't stay there longer, we hit a rainy, windy road to Castlebar. There we stopped to stock up on groceries and the last leg of the road to Achill. As I drove the last 30km or so, I already felt the air seeping into my bones and the excitement building. We rocked up to the Valley House - http://www.valley-house.com/ A historic building with a bar and hostel that I've been visiting and staying in for years. When I was young, it was Roger that ran the place and could always be found manning the bar; now it's his son Pat, and it's well renowned to be one of the best places to drink Guinness in Ireland, if not the world. It's always the first thing I do - order a pint of their finest and savour each creamy drop. Gareth claims he doesn't like Guinness and he didn't deign to try it that Friday evening. After unloading our considerable amounts of luggage, I took a drive across to Keel, via Dugort. Slievemore was crowned with a cloud; a usual sight as we drove past the strand. Over in Keel, Gareth and I took a little walk along the beach towards the cliff. About half-way in the drizzle started so we headed back towards Keel to meet my parents.

We had arranged to meet Mum and Dad at the Bayside Bistro in Keel for dinner. Their specials looked absolutely delectable so we ordered a nice bottle of Sancerre and waited for the parents to arrive. Gareth had yet to meet Dad so I was a little apprehensive but not hugely; Mum was a fan so I'm sure she'd have laid the groundwork for me! They arrived, a little tired from their journey and ready to be fed. The restaurant did not disappoint. The scallops went down a treat, as did the sea bass. Everyone seemed to be getting along fine! After the meal we headed back to the Valley to catch up with some old friends and have a right old session. The Valley is well known for nights full of music, anyone with a guitar, whistle or banjo pitches up by the fireplace and usually magic is created. Some friends and old bandmates of my Dad were there so the tunes started and the Guinness was flowing. I got into the spirit and did a few numbers myself, even singing lyrics off my Mum's iPad when people had requests! My oldest friend, April was down for the weekend too so I was up for a good chinwag. I introduced Gareth to April and bold as brass she said to him "You're a ride". I don't know what it is about him but the Irish girls seem to love him ;) It was a great night, hazy in the memory but full of melody and smiles....A-chilling again.

Mellow days and music...

Ireland is known for the three-day wedding. Maybe it's our love for each other, the drink, the craic - or a little of all three, and the fact that Irish weddings tend to be large, but we have to make that big day out into a sort of festival. Nowadays the bride and groom acknowledge this and actually benefit from it, because the day after the formal "do" they can let their hair down and relax. I believe these normal rules did not apply to my cousin Aeda, rumour has it she was up til 4.30am the night before her wedding. Well, we didn't call her "All-night Aeda" on the hen for nothing.... The day after The Baker nuptials we headed to Glounthaune for a bit of a session. Of course the Quinn's (my Mum's family) were first to arrive en-masse but soon we had a 40/50 strong crowd, some a little more worse for wear than others. The day after is also a great excuse to catch up on the gossip from the night before, no one can get away with sheepishly creeping out of hotels and holiday homes - they have to face the music later on the Sunday. This wedding had plenty of stories of people creeping past other's in residents bars, letting themselves into other people's rooms on the QT etc.... Music was provided by Cillian, Aeda's brother in law, Aoife (who played and sang in the church) and Neilus, making a guest appearance. Various people gave us a tune - a highlight being Aeda's Dad, Denis, doing some Johnny Cash numbers. Some of my earliest memories are of Johnny Cash being played in their house. Scott did a great rendition of "500 miles," in true Scottish fashion and Tony sang and played "Lazing on a sunny afternoon,". I even did a number or two! It was another late night, a party back in the Paddocks and a great way to round off a fantastic wedding weekend. After breakfast being cooked for us (Full Irish no.3 of the holiday!) Gareth and I hit the road for the second leg of our journey to Dingle in Co.Kerry. The clouds threatened rain but we weren't worried, just excited for a quiet night and a bit of music. There were a few hairy moments on the Ring of Kerry - driving around cliffs in the rain with low visibility and the fear after 3 days drinking is not my strong point. When we met a bus coming the opposite way I nearly had to stop to collect myself - the only thing that drove me forward was the prospect of getting off the cliffs. It is a spectacular place with stunning views - I wished it had been a little clearer for Gareth to really see it. We checked into the Quayside B&B in Dingle just after 3. The hosts - Muris and Therese were so friendly and welcoming from the off with loads of suggestions for places to eat and drink and things to do in the town. We headed out for a late lunch - Gareth had his first Irish stew and we had a little walk around the town. Later in the evening we were lucky enough to be two of a hundred people who got in to the folk concert in St. John's Church. It was absolutely magical. Eoin Duignan, the uileann piper, was the host and played some wonderful tunes at times accompanied by the guitarist, John Brown, who entertained us with some chat between tunes. We also got to hear a new instrument - the hang drum, only created in 1998. After a short interval we were treated to the melodious voice of Pauline Scanlon, accompanied by Donagh Hennessy on guitar. It was so good, we didn't want to go to any bars so we could keep the tunes lingering in our ears. We had a fish and chips on the quayside and took a little walk, relieved to have an alcohol free night. Against our usual grain we were tucked up in bed by 11, with the rain pattering against the window.