ICE ICE BABY

It was a fairly quick drive down to Ballina from Sligo, and we are checked into the Ice House Hotel, just on the edge of town. Tons of history about this hotel/spa, but I will try to give you the Coles Notes (remember those?). Originally built in 1836 on the banks of the River Moy in County Mayo, it featured huge stone barrel roof chambers on the lower level that were used to store ice, used in turn to preserve the salmon taken from the river, for shipment largely to London and Liverpool markets. No refrigeration in those days, so ice from the river and shipped from the north was harvested and stored in the chambers, and could last for a year, or even more. When ice was not plentiful in Ireland, it would be shipped here from Norway. This all sounds like a pretty big operation for a bunch of salmon, but when you consider this was one of the primary sources of Irish Salmon for the British Isles, it makes more sense………..how many salmon you ask………it was said that a net stretched across the River Moy would yield up to 5,000 salmon in an hour during peak season……….kept on ice, they would be shipped via rail for delivery at the London market the next morning…….now that’s fresh. Structures were built atop the ice chambers as they fell into disuse towards the end of the century, and what remains and is now incorporated into the hotel was a fairly large two storey Victorian. In the early 2000’s with some fear the building might even topple into the river, the property was purchased, received extensive renovations/additions and became the Ice House Hotel and Spa. Truly a beautiful transformation, and we are staying in the spa wing on the lower level whose rooms feature a wall of glass overlooking the river below……..stunning.

Feeling pretty gassed we decide to stay in tonight and give the hotel restaurant a try. It appears that the bulk of the restaurant staff are new hires for the upcoming season and have not yet completed their mandatory training, nonetheless they have been released and now serving us! Most are from France and have a pretty good handle on their English, but sometimes things just get lost in translation. Trying to determine if the cod was on a bed of crabmeat or if the crabmeat was a topping on the cod was indeed a comedy, and involved eventually two of the waitstaff and the on duty manager, but eventually we placed our orders and hoped for the best. I had ordered a bottle of Motepulciano which tasted fine, but was a little warm, so I asked our waitress to get our second bottle out and to put it on ice so it would be a nice temp when we were ready for it. I looked at Sheila and said “How do you think this one is going to turn out?”……giggles……..but five minutes later the bartender arrived at the table with a confused look on his face, the bottle of wine in one hand, and a highball glass filled with ice in the other. He saw us smile and said “You want this in a bucket, don’t you?” Dinner was fine, but not something we will come back for……going out tomorrow.

We had a great nights sleep, our nasal passages filled with that intoxicating spa smell from down the hall, and were up and at em for our round today at Enniscrone, but first……..breakfast. Making a bacon sandwich to be smuggled out for an on course snack later.

Enniscrone is just twenty minutes up the road, and we arrive in plenty of time to hit some balls at the range and do the prelim shopping in the pro shop. We have booked a forecaddie today after going without the last couple of rounds……..everyone feels it is well worth the extra $ to have some local knowledge and a trained pair of eyes onside. Dave is our man today…….an older member of the club who lives just down the road and caddies a few times a week in between playing himself. He will be taking his own cart, telling us that if we want him to run around and find four balls per hole, there is no way he can do it on foot……..his buggy is completely closed in with plexiglass panels and sliding doors to get in and out…….now known as the Popemobile. The course dives immediately into the dunes with beautiful, challenging holes, and we are glad to have Dave along to provide directional guidance. Dave’s best line when asked if we would find a wayward tee shot was “I couldn’t find that if it was a beachball.”……..funny guy.

The original 9 holes opened in 1918, with an additional 9 added in 1930, and a major renovation in 1970 by Eddie Hackett gives us The Dunes Championship Course we are playing today. It has hosted numerous high level tournaments over the years, and falls somewhere 12-15 in the ranking of Irish courses depending on which one you look at. A great test of golf with the dune portion spectacular and although still great holes the open flatland portion was a little boring by comparison.

Its back to the Icehouse for us and a quick change for dinner…….wow, only one course left on the western swing. Carne awaits!