Tag: tourism

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Garden Group Tour: Rathbeggan Lakes – Sun 5th Feb 2012

Post author By Peter Donegan
Post date January 24, 2012
No Comments on Garden Group Tour: Rathbeggan Lakes – Sun 5th Feb 2012

Date: Sunday 5th February 2012
Time: 11.30 am on location.
Details: Dave Robinson, Manager/ Owner of Rathbeggan Lakes will be our personal guide for this wonderful day out and the first official gig of 2012.
Numbers: limited to 18

New To The Garden Group ?

There’s no membership. It’s very simply people who like the great outdoors with a side order of horticulture, should you ask the question. There’s no membership and I try to keep it as free as possible. This usually comes by people likle Dave donating me and you their time and venue.

What else have we done – see Catgeory Garden Group

What’s at Rathbeggan Lakes ?

Dave tells me – they have 85 allotments, a viewing tower, a new geometric garden, a two year old orchard and new mini woodland walk! And that’s without going near the lakes themselves. We also have a small coffee shop on site.

Please Note:

There will be no charge for the tour of the gardens – but – and only on this occasion you can make a donation to Temple Street childrens Hospital should you wish.
Children, kids, Grandads and families are more than welcome. Very much a case of the more the merrier so long as you say hello, goodbye and thank you.
I do this garden group for free. This is year 3. The best thing you can do to help is come along – the day you don’t is the day I scratch my head – also: Garden Group for 2012.

Garden Group-ees Note:

Booking: via comment – here only. Its a very easy numbers count.
Contact me: see below. not a problem
Other: My suggestion is car pooling from Dublin City or Swords meeting point. Most of you know each other. If you are stuck and wanna go just leave a comment noting that – it will be easily solved.
Dress Code: this is Ireland. See weather.
Duration: 1.75 hours or longer if you are enjoying yourself
Weather: the weather…. your guess is as good as mine.
Lunch: I had suggested bringing a picnic. That’s what I will be doing anyway. All things going good it’ll be a flask of coffee and some nice sambos!
Anything else: leave a comment below or gimme a call.
Directions: Rathbeggan Lakes, Dunshaughlin, County Meath – on the old N3 now called the R147 and are easily found by taking Junction 6 on the M50 and then leaving the M3 at exit 5. See what you think. Dave Robinson
– or – see Google Maps
More info: Rathbeggan Lakes Facebook or rathbegganlakes.com

Contact Me:

by email info[at]DoneganLandscaping[dot]com
call mobile – o876594688
twitter.com/DoneganGardens
Peter Donegan on facebook

Tags free events, Garden Group, Tours, garden outing, garden tours, peter donegan, rathbeggan lakes, tourism

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Lough Ramor Caravan Camping Park

Post author By Peter Donegan
Post date August 1, 2011
No Comments on Lough Ramor Caravan Camping Park

Located 5 kilometres south of Virginia in County Cavan, this is probably one of the smaller campsites I have been to, but Lough Ramor is an absolute gem and sits right at the waters edge. To that note, I’ll do a separate post on Lough Ramor itself and keep this one to the camping and campers side of things.

If it’s the great outdoors you wish to enjoy, you won’t go wrong here but anything more than that and I honestly believe you may actually need a hotel complete with kids club. With that in mind and the facilities, the washrooms and bathrooms were hygienically spotless and clean as you could get from a campers perspective.

There are some permanent mobiles there which is always a good sign, but of note is the fact that the visiting campers areas are split into two zones. The tents seem to be placed right by the waters edge whilst the camper caravans are placed by the electric points on the upper area but slightly out of view of the water.

To those pitching tents, the lower ground is quite rocky beneath from which many bent pegs resulted. I highly recommend a length of re-bar and a steel headed mallet to be added to the camping essentials list.

I was there for four nights and loved every second even though the weather was often verging on extreme to mixed. Those there for the weekend lacking in the correct paraphernalia really stood, most moving on after day one.

In the town of Virginia the Super Valu is probably the best place to go shopping for supplies, but as per camping gear, should you find yourself stuck you may find yourself in a mild pickle. I did bring back up gas for my MSR pocket rocket [essential for a cuppa with 3 minutes brewed outside btw], but not for my Gelert compact double burner with grill – this did pose a mild problem and I could not find a supplier of camping gas, anywhere.

Of note for those looking to take a days excursions, directional signage is not a forté of Cavan County Council and in search of another lake, via its sign postings, I ~~got lost and~~ stumbled across Mullach Lough, not such a bad result in the end for that day I will admit.

In summary, I like Lough Ramor Camp site. Highly recommended if you love your fishing, light boating or you are simply looking for a relaxing weekend away.

email: loughramor@eircom.net

Tags camping, cavan, lough ramor, lough ramor camoping, People, Business, tourism, travel, virginia

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Lough Ennell Caravan and Camping

Post author By Peter Donegan
Post date June 15, 2011
No Comments on Lough Ennell Caravan and Camping

I did do a post on Lough Ennell. This post however is about Lough Ennell camp site….

I was so impressed with Lough Ennell Camp Site, you simply wouldn’t believe it. First up, let me break this down for you, it is not a 5 star hotel. I shall proceed…. 😉

Family run and owned, the first thing I noticed when I arrived on a Thursday afternoon was that the resident mobile homes had their own wee little gardens, hanging baskets, garden gnomes even and beautiful veranda’s. The point of noting that and my reason for noticing is that people who are there for the short term don’t make long term home improvements. There was a sense of pride about the place.

It’s not until one meets Eamonn O’Malley that you realise why the people stay. I was so impressed with Eamonn’s ethos and the work his family have done over the last years, that I interviewed him for The SodShow – the garden radio programme I present.

The bathrooms were clean. The campsite is constantly being improved so I was told and as was blatantly evident to see. Signs were multi-lingual and the waste bins were segregated into what could and couldn’t be recycled. I liked the shop, the food is great and also good value. They even sell ice.

What you may also notice for the tents people is that where I pitched my tent, the lawn is raised, so when the rainy day does arrive, it drains just that little bit quicker. Believe me, the amount of times I have seen a tent pitched in what could be considered a potentially very large puddle. It is the little things.

But more than that, for me, it is the people that make a place and this the O’Malley family did extremely well.

Did I tell you the campsite is [really] just a stones throw from Lough Ennell. Happy days. I could have stayed there for three weeks. I might just do that….

If you are popping into Mullingar Town Centre, I will highly recommend C.R. Tormey Butchers – they are located in the shopping centre that includes a Dunnes Stores. Polite, friendly, good value and darned tasty ! Well worth a visit. I still miss his fancy sausages.

Also Hamills garage. If your car should should break down…. or you are simply automotively inept like myself, look no further.