Ómós Digest #90: Escaping to Breac House.
By Cúán Greene.
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An Easter weekend to remember
My friend and self-professed comedian, chef Keith Coleman would regard a 3-night stay up in Donegal as a ‘staycaysh.’ For anyone at a loss here, this refers to a staycation or domestic holiday. For that matter, it never fails to surprise me when I meet Irish people who have yet to visit Co.Donegal. Perhaps even more astounding is when such folk are yet to have heard about Breac House, a magnificent 4-bedroom guest house situated on Ireland's extreme northwestern corner. Its location can find you poised on the cliff edge of Horn Head or gazing out past the silver sand beach of Tramore in admiration. These are two visceral viewpoints only accessible by foot, which firmly remind us how fortunate we are to reside on an ancient island as spectacular as this one. I tell you this because, together with my gallant comrades, Joe and Andy, we had the pleasure of escaping the congestion of our capital city to man the stoves at Breac House, only last weekend.
I’ve been thinking back to our experience over the past couple of days. In truth, I write this article feeling rejuvenated and invigorated despite the great body of work undertaken. The amount of produce and preparation it takes for a dinner like this never ceases to surprise me. Just ask Catherine - we arrived at her beloved kitchen with crate after crate bulging with equipment and produce. You’d swear we were coming for the summer! The house itself is situated on a gentle slope leading up to Horn Head, which looks out over the fishing town of Dunfanaghy. As guests awake, the sun rises over the crenulated silhouette of Mount Muckish, where soon after it floods not only the entire bay in sunlight, but Breac House’s expansive south-east-facing picture frame windows. When I had the pleasure of staying here in the autumn, I recall feeling nervous about our arrival. Firstly you ascend the aforementioned slope, unexpectedly passing an emu farm, before climbing a steep road and turning onto an unmistakable grass-lined pathway - undeniably an indication in rural Ireland that you are either lost or soon to reach your destination. Then from the corner of your eye, Breac house appears. Modern and bold, the black larch-cladded building takes your breath away. It's impressive in an understated Finnish manner and a welcome respite from the 1980’s bungalows that encircle the village below.
Shall we head in?