A staycation at Knockranny House Hotel & Resort in Wesport

Instead of guaranteed wall-to-wall sunshine in the Med (and all the attendant headaches Covid has created for foreign travel), we opted for the West of Ireland, where the chance of experiencing rain, either ‘soft’, ‘spitting’, ‘lashing’ or ‘bucketing’, was, if not a certainty, a high probability.

Our base was Co Mayo and its honeypot, Westport, the bustling, colourful and elegant Georgian town, with a beach-laden coastline and a slew of top-notch bars and restaurants.

Westport has an artsy, cosmopolitan feel that attracts many visitors from Northern Ireland every year.

But, we were holidaying in a pandemic, so would Westport be as wonderful as the last time we were there?

Would our favourite pub, Matt Molloy’s, owned by the eponymous Chieftain’s flute player, be open? Yes, to the former, and sadly, no, to the latter, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

We were staying at Knockranny House Hotel & Spa, a congenial, four-star establishment which prides itself as Westport’s ‘most luxurious hotel’.

Situated on a bluff just outside the town, Knockranny enjoys commanding views of Croagh Patrick mountain – a soaring cone-shaped peak that rises above Clew Bay and every year attracts thousands of pilgrims (some barefoot) to honour St Patrick, who is supposed to have passed the 40 days of Lent in 441 alone on the mountain, finding time to hurl all of Ireland’s snakes to their deaths over the precipice of Lugnarrib just to the south of the summit.

Knockranny’s modern-day mock-Tudor facade may not be to everyone’s taste, but once inside, warming hands by an open fire (remember, it’s summer in Ireland), you know you are in for a pleasant stay and long-lasting memories.

Knockranny pulls off the tricky formula of combining opulence with an easy home-from-home feel.

Broad corridors are decorated with antique furniture and Irish art, there’s a charming conservatory, and everywhere helpful, smiling staff.

Like all hotels during the pandemic, Knockranny has implemented new safety measures to protect staff and visitors.

Upon arrival only one person per room approaches the desk to check-in, whilst the receptionist is behind a screen.

There are lots of sanitising stations throughout the hotel and breakfast, which is now table service, must be booked in advance. The pool in Spa Salveo must be booked in advance. In the rooms, the guest directory folders have been removed and replaced with a laminated, shortened version.

Our family of four stayed in a luxurious Courtyard Suite - a palatial, sumptuous affair with a bedroom, its own lounge, huge marble-tiled bathroom with Jacuzzi bath and twin sinks.

Painted in restful creams and greens, the star of this elegantly-designed space is undoubtedly the ginormous super-king bed, which could easily, I imagine, accommodate a host of sleeping beauties betwixt goose-down duvet and crisp linens.

Naturally, all mod-cons are included with complimentary Wi-fi, LCD televisions, Bose 321 surround sound system, iPod and game console capability - to name but a few of the techy treats.

The Brehon Bar is the informal dining option at Knockranny, and we enjoyed a menu created by award-winning head chef Seamus Commons, who is recognised as one of Connaught’s best chefs

The dishes on offer reflect Commons’ philosophy of fresh, seasonal and local.

Amongst the delicious offerings included are local Killary Fjord mussels, catch of the day from the local Mayo fishermen and locally-reared lamb, pork and beef.

There’s a fine dining menu in La Fougère a lovely, bright spilt-level room, boasting panoramic views of Clew Bay, which has, according to tradition 365 islands, one for every day of the year.

La Fougère regularly scoops fine-dining awards and it’s easy to see why.

We enjoyed an exquisite meal of artfully cooked and tastefully presented dishes.

My baked Atlantic hake was the stuff of epicurean dreams, whilst the dessert of coconut and lime parfait, with berry lime compote and thyme crumble, would surely have any Masterchef judge sputtering superlatives.

Knockranny is set in lovely, manicured grounds and an after-dinner drink at the outdoor seating area is a great way to end the evening and watch the sunset behind Croagh Patrick, perhaps even contemplate climbing its craggy summit, either shod or unshod.

Breakfast is also served in Fougère, which now, due to Covid restrictions, means it’s a la carte. No great hardship there. In fact,it’s quite nice not to have to scramble for the scrambled eggs, spill Rice Krispies from those weird cereal dispensers or have an soul-destroying encounter with the evil do-it-yourself toaster.

It would be easing to while away a weekend at the hotel and do nothing but eat and sleep, but if you’d like to burn off the calories, there are activities on offer.

During the summer months Knockranny teamed up with paddleboard experts, Summer SUP School, to offer stand-up paddleboard sessions to guests at Old Head Beach near little Louisburgh.

If you love the water, but the thought of submerging yourself in a layer of slimy pondweed at a local lake or dodging jellyfish in the sea, doesn’t appeal, then stand-up paddleboarding is a great alternative. Essentially it’s a cross between surfing and kayaking, where you glide across the top of the water.

As a committed landlubber, I decided to give it a miss, but my children took to it like ducks to water (sorry) and even managed to stand up on their boards by the end of the two-hour session.

The hotel can also organise bike hire or a cruise around beautiful Clew Bay, or if you fancy a traffic-free amble, the Great Western Greenway a former railway track running from Westport to Achill Island, is a great option,

Whether you visit this part of the Wild Atlantic Way to tackle the pilgrim’s path to the top of Croagh Patrick, or to explore the rugged seascapes, you’ll find no better spot to call home for than Knockranny. This ‘staycation’ malarkey is all it’s cracked up to be after all.

*Knockranny offers a range of activities this autumn including: a yoga weekend (Oct 2-4) available from €205 pps; and a walking weekend (September 25-26 and November 6-7), prices start from €229pp.

For more information or to book, visit www.knockrannyhousehotel.ie or call +353 (0)98 28600.