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What to see and where to eat and drink
in Dunmore East, Co Waterford

To see: Dunmore East is an attractive coastal village in the southeast corner of Ireland in county Waterford. There is a busy fishing harbour which is active throughout the year, but especially in winter when the big trawlers come and go between the fishing grounds offshore and the Auction Hall. In summer, all the inshore boats are active, fishing for lobsters and crabs mainly. There is also a thriving sailing club and Waterford Harbour usually heaves with sailing boats, both small and big, especially at weekends in summer. Summer too is the time for tourists and the many visitors enjoy all the local amenities, and the beaches are usually thronged with people in good weather. The village enjoys spectacular sea views and the cliffs are superb when the sun shines on them. The village is noted for the many thatched cottages that occur throughout the village.

To do: There is a lovely walk west along the cliffs from the carpark at Shanooan, just above the Harbour, all the way to Portally Cove, some two kilometres distance. This has recently been upgraded and the walk is safe and scenic, and there are benches to sit down on to admire the splendid views. By May, there will be an abundance of coastal flowers in full bloom, the most conspicuous being thrift, kidney vetch, sea campion, scurvygrasses and sea beet. Herring gull, fulmar, jackdaw, red-legged chough, shag and kittiwake are the most obvious seabirds.

Portally MAp


There is also a woodland walk among the beech trees, to which there are a number of access points, the handiest being near Azzurro pub and restaurant. The full circuitous walk is around five kilometres, though a short leisurely walk is also possible.
An Adventure Centre down in the Harbour offers outdoor activities just offshore, sea angling can be booked if required and there is a challenging golf course up on Foilakipeen Hill with superb views of Waterford Harbour offshore and Hook Head in the distance (the oldest lighthouse in Europe stands proudly at the tip of the Head).
If all else fails, simply walk in the park opposite the Haven Hotel, enjoy the views of Waterford Harbour, the cliffs and the overall ambience. You could also nip into the grounds of the Haven and have a look at the wonderful wooden sculpture carved out of a big Macrocarpa tree.


There is definitely much to do and see in Dunmore East, and you won't be disappointed.

 

Eat & drink: There are several places to eat and drink in the village, offering local fare (fish and lobster are all caugth locally) and all the drinks you can wish for. The Haven Hotel is renowned for its beef and the Sunday carvery is very popular. The Sailing Club can be busy at weekends and is great for a pint, if open; it has great views from the bar area. Bill the Butchers pub (or Powers) in the heart of the village is great for Guinness and for music, while the Centra Supermarket next door is great for snacks and treats. The Bay Café overlooking the Harbour is always busy (a good sign) and Dingley's delicatessan nearby offers good fare in summer. East Pier Fish Shop, Deli and Coffee Dock opened in the middle of March 2019 and that might be a great place to go for a coffee, buy some local produce, or even some fresh fish (if you have a mind to cook it!). The Lemon Tree just out the road (to the west) is another busy restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. You might get a cup of coffee down in the Adventure Centre and from there watch the kids enjoying themselves out in the water. The Strand down in the lower village is always lively and the Spinnaker Bar just up the road from there is great for pints, steak and music. Azzurro is busy too and it has a great restaurant. Off to the west, up at the Golf Club, the Lighthouse Restaurant, apart from offering great food, also has superb views offshore and you'll get a pint in the gold clubhouse next door; there are several houses for rent just nearby so many of our guests won't have far to go for a pint!

 

Wood Sculpture in the Haven

All aboard

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