Picturesque Kilmore Quay has always been a popular stop off for tourists and campers. It was really crying out for a proper campsite. Well now that it has one, it still hasn’t stopped some people crying.

Camping on the road outside a fish processing factory is not my idea of wild camping and I for one am delighted to have the option of this brand new Kilmore Quay Holiday and Camping Park.

This camping facility is so well located, just a couple of minutes walk into the village with its   playground, the harbour, pier and The Burrow dunes and beach, it is good value at €25 all in, including unlimited showers and use of the excellent kitchen facilities. (There are laundry facilities on site for €3 per use). There is also a good Mace store just outside the gate.

The woman behind the venture is no stranger to the sector due to experience in another business in Rosslare but this is a new and challenging undertaking to get off the ground. Alice O’ Connor is dynamic, energetic and hands-on so I have no doubt that her determination will make a great success of this project.

In getting the Camping Park open in time for this year’s busy season the owners haven’t let the grass grow under their feet in one of the hottest and best summer for years. That has ironically proved a bit of a double edged sword and a problem for the facility. There isn’t a blade of grass.

As a result, aesthetically and optically, the site look brown, bare and barren, even though you can see where brave attempts to sow and get the grass to grow have perished in the heatwave. This situation hasn’t been helped by the use of somewhat misleading photos on the campsite’s original website depicting sylvian scenes, a lush landscape and mature trees. That will all come in time I’m sure…

However, in their enthusiasm to get up and running the Park’s owners have some works to tidy up and finish properly, there were a few pockets more building site than camping site. In fairness the works were ongoing even the weekend we were there as a crew descended to fit out an impressive solar panel system on the services block.

Vanhalla has been to the south east on a good few excursions this year, as documented in our previous blogs featuring the Saltee Islands and Hook Lighthousewhich you can check out here:

www.visitkilmorequay.ie is a good resource too if you want to check out the attractions, festivals and eateries in these parts and there is plenty to chose from. Back in July there was the Southeast Country Music Festival in nearby Killag and a Kite Surfing Festival in Duncannon, and Phil Murphy Weekend presented by the Bannow Folk and Traditional Society in its 27^th year, is one I certainly chalked down for future reference as it had a tantalising line-up for the Carrig-on-Bannowbased event.

I have raved before about the Little Saltee Chipper which has them queueing out the door for its cod, monkfish, lemon sole, tempura prawns and chip butty. The Seaview Fish Shop is the spot for getting your own fresh fish virtually off the trawler and we opted for two smashing pieces of cod for €7, sure where would you get it? And it was great to see local restaurants like the award winning Silver Fox, actively promoting its sourcing of local produce such as its extensive seafood menu. Kehoe’s Pub just across the back field from the campsite and opposite St. Peter’s Church, is a good spot too with an extensive menu, beer garden and entertainment.  It is worth the stroll up to either the church or the pub just to have a gander at the lovely line of thatched houses along Kilmore’s main street. There are loads of arts & crafts spots too and of course the RNLI Shop, which is a must visit and I could browse for hours in Kehoe’s Marine Supplies which has all your chandlery, angling, navigation, watersports and camping supplies in its vast stock.

Another quaint little spot that caught my eye was Griffiths which would bring a smile to any child’s face. It certainly brought back memories of summer’s past and many a lá brea cois farraige with its vast array of colourful fayre for the seaside from spades and buckets to butterfly nets and beach balls with your choice of John Hinde postcards on hand to tell everyone back home that you wish they were here…

On our way home on Sunday we opted for Duncannon from numerous seaside options available in the Wexford/Waterford area and got a grand spot along the road next to the grass embankment. A good spot and it was choc-a-bloc in the scorching July sunshine. The beach however was virtually turned in to a car park and seemed more in need of a traffic warden than a lifeguard. Parking on beaches is a big bugbear of mine and not everyone was driving carefully or slowly enough to take in to account the amount of young children making a beeline for the water. An accident waiting to happen…

As for Kilmore Quay Holiday and Camping Park I don’t think a determined Alice O’ Connor is going to allow the long hot summer rain on her parade. Her helpful and upbeat attitude creates a good atmosphere for guests and in time the grass, shrubs and trees will grow and so too will the popularity and reputation of this ideally located camping facility in the sunny south east.