Parents: give yourselves a well-deserved break

If you spent the summer refereeing squabbles, enduring sleepovers where nobody slept and ignoring ice cream vans that seemed to park on your driveway, chances are you need a break. SANDRA O'CONNELLrounds up 10 child-free breaks

Arts escapes

How about staying up late with the grown-ups for a change, with a quick dip into the Clifden Arts Festival?

Now in its 34th year, it runs from September 15th to 25th and has a packed programme covering all spectrums of the arts, from literature to music, theatre, film and comedy. This year’s line-up includes readings from poet Harry Clifton, music from Eddi Reader and comedy from Kevin McAleer.

Hotels in the area are offering some good rates for the event, such as three nights at the Abbeyglen Castle, including breakfast and dinner, from €199 per person; doubles with breakfast at the Clifden Station House for €80 midweek or €100 at weekends; or two nights B&B and one evening meal for €99 per person at Foyles Hotel in the town midweek.

clifdenartsweek.ie

Best west

On the other hand, if all you want is to park your weary bones on a comfy bed and have someone else scrape the toast for a change, there are some great rates available from hotels around Galway this month.

This includes a free fourth night if you book a three-day package from €249 at the Connemara Coast Hotel, 10 minutes from Galway city. Further out, Renvyle House Hotel in Connemara is offering September weekend breaks including B&B and one dinner for €191, including a free day- trip to Inishboffin.

sinnotthotels.com

renvyle.com

Sunny southeast

Catch some autumnal sun in Wexford, where Whites Hotel is offering restorative weekends for weary parents at a rate of €169 for two nights B&B and one dinner. Go midweek and you get the same package for €109.

In Rosslare, Kelly’s Resort Hotel and Spa has midweek golf clinics, activity programmes and relaxation packages, plus nightly entertainment all this month, plus all those miles of – by now deserted – beach outside, with rates starting at €138 per adult.

whitesofwexford.ie

kellys.ie

West End wonders

Having put up with amateur dramatics all summer, how about a performance of the real thing? Keith Prowse Ireland is running an Irish Times reader offer to London that could be just the ticket if you’re in the market for a little rest and relaxation.

For a totally theatrical break it is offering weekend stays at the four-star Hesperia Hotel in London, including two nights’ accommodation plus breakfast and a top-price ticket to a Friday night show. Choose anything from Blood Brothers to the Wizard of Oz and see how real drama queens do it, with prices starting at €169 per person.

keithprowseireland.com

Sea escapes

For anyone who fancies running off to sea and can wait until October, Joe Walsh Tours has a great no-fly cruise programme coming up, with sailings direct from Dublin Port. Sail aboard the Ocean Countess to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, departing October 2nd for 10 nights from €699 per person, including breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Opt instead for a programme including the Canary Islands and Madeira, departing October 12th, for 13 nights, from €799 on the same basis, including afternoon tea and late night snacks, a full programme of daytime activities and big show entertainment at night. The company has coach feeder services from Belfast, Cork and Waterford too, so with this one you don’t even have to drive to get away.

joewalshtours.ie

Plough ahead

The National Ploughing Championships take place in Athy, Co Kildare from September 20th to 22nd. With fashion, cookery demos, music performances and so much else to see and do, you needn’t have the slightest interest in farming to enjoy it.

If you do however, then stay at nearby Belan Lodge, Seán and Maggie Lawler’s working farm which has five miles of carefully mown walks through fields and along riverbanks to enjoy.

Just open this summer, restoration work on the beautiful Georgian House, former home of Ernest Shackleton’s uncle Ebenezer, is still ongoing but you can stay either self-catering or BB in their converted courtyard, with one and two-bedroom units priced from €200 to €350 a week.

belanlodge.com

Northern highlights

Cassidy Travel has a great range of citybreaks this month, with travel through to November 30th. Prices start at €299 and you can opt for Oslo, Copenhagen or Stockholm flying SAS Airlines for a return two-night stay in a central three-star hotel on a BB basis. At that price, the only angst is which one to choose.

Copenhagen is great for shopping, wandering and ‘Skol-ing’, the Norwegian capital has the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Viking Ship Museum and the new opera house, while Stockholm – built on 14 islands with narrow streets and well preserved medieval buildings – is known as the Venice of Scandinavia.

cassidytravel.ie

Gone gondola

Of course, you could always just go to the real thing. A two-night stay in Venice, staying at the modest Hotel Isabela at Santa Maria di Sala – quite a bit away from the main sights – with Go Hop, flying Ryanair, and departing September 28th on a BB basis starts at €166.

Or simply book the cheap flights yourself and check out hotel packages online. Roomex is promoting some terrific hotel deals in Venice for later this autumn, including stays at the five-star Bauer Hotel, right on the edge of St Mark’s Square, from just €75 a night, based on two sharing for three nights, though you’ll have to be quick to get that.

gohop.ie

roomex.com

Derry do

If what you need more than anything right now is a good laugh, check out the Big Tickle Comedy Festival which takes place in a variety of venues in Derry from September 5th to 19th. The event is Northern Ireland’s biggest comedy festival and comedians performing this time round include Colin Murphy, David O’Doherty, Jake O’Kane, Jarlath Regan and Barry Murphy.

B&B at the Tower Hotel, the only one inside the city’s historic walls, starts at €100 a night.

Or stay a little further out at the Hastings Everglades which has overnight packages including B&B, evening meal and a complimentary city tour for a per room price of €124.

towerhotelderry.com

hastingshotels.com

Parental Portugal

In summer Portugal’s Algarve is synonymous with kids but in September it’s the perfect place to unwind without them with miles of sparsely populated beaches, good golf and great weather.

Topflight has a range of week-long Algarve packages, such as a stay at the five-star Sao Rafael Suite Hotel in Albufeira, including flights, transfers and B&B accommodation, for €749 per person sharing, departing September 11th.

Or save a few euro and stay at the three-star Dom Pancho Apartments, also in Albufeira, in a studio apartment for €499. Think of it as an investment in your sanity – before you know it, it’ll be mid-term.

topflight.ie