Eccles Hotel is located in Glengarriff, County Cork, Ireland.
It’s been around since about 1745 when it was known as Glengarriff Inn.
The Eccles family eventually took it over and in 1890 it became Eccles Hotel.
Grand hotel
It was definitely a grand hotel in its day but as it changed ownership in the latter part of the 20th century, Eccles Hotel lost some of its luster.
However this is beginning to change under the new owners, Ray Byrne and Eoin Doyle, and the new manager, David Manning.
The location right on Glengarriff Bay is stunning.
And the hotel itself is still in very good shape — I’d say it just needs a bit of updating and polishing.
But this is beginning to happen.
Eccles Hotel is right behind me. This is the gorgeous Glengarriff Bay and the hotel has these views.
Eccles Hotel. It’s a good sized hotel in a fabulous location. Glengarriff Bay is behind me.
The first step for Eccles Hotel
One of the best things the Eccles Hotel has going for it is a new chef — Eddie Attwell.
I was treated to a wonderful sample plate of Mr Attwell’s creations.
Setting aside my pescatarian ways, I did eat some meat.
When in Rome! Or in this case, when in Ireland.
I tasted Blue Cheese and Beetroot Salad, Eccles Fish Cakes, Smoked Beef Fritters and Duck Leg on Bao Buns.
My sample platter by Chef Eddie Attwell at Eccles Hotel. Delicious!
This is the bar area of Eccles Hotel. Lovely room and great service!
While the duck probably didn’t appeal to my tastebuds as much as the other 3 dishes (it’s just me and my mostly vegetarian ways), it was all delicious.
The Blue Cheese and Beetroot salad and the Eccles Fish Cakes were my favorites.
I’m certainly no foodie, but I do know what I like and I can also tell when food is fresh — and Mr Attwell is definitely using fresh, local ingredients.
I visited on Sunday afternoon after my kayak tour with Outdoors Ireland.
And on Sundays they do what is called a Carvery Lunch which as you might deduce is meat based.
For those who are meat eaters I’d highly recommend it as it looked and smelled wonderful.
I’d say that Mr Attwell is creating some of the best dishes in County Cork.
The Cork Whiskey & Vanilla Cured Salmon on the main menu looked especially appealing to me as did the Butter Poached Hake and the local cheese board. Ireland — County Cork in particular — has some amazing cheese!
The Blue Cheese and Beetroot Salad was delish!
The Eccles Fishcakes were superb!
The next steps
David Manning, the manager of Eccles Hotel, walked me around the hotel a bit and sat with me as I waited on my food.
He shared old photos and stories of this grand old hotel.
His enthusiasm for restoring Eccles Hotel to its former splendor is admirable.
And I have no doubt that he will work hard to do so.
Mr Manning told me of some plans to upgrade the rooms and to add a small spa to the hotel although there is no timeframe on this yet.
While so many folks drive through Glengarriff these days, Mr Manning would like to make it more of a destination and sees Eccles Hotel as being a big part of it.
I would love to see this all happen as I love this area of Ireland.
And I can imagine Eccles Hotel being quite the spot for those seeking a bit of pampering along with their outdoor time.
This is an old photo of Eccles Hotel courtesy of Mr David Manning. Love this!
This is the lobby of Eccles Hotel which I found to be warm and inviting.
My thoughts on Eccles Hotel
I can see that this was once a magnificent hotel.
And I love old places that are loaded with history — stories, legends, folklore.
The owners and Mr Manning are certainly on the right track with Chef Eddie Attwell.
He is definitely bringing folks into the restaurant.
I believe that once the rooms see some enhancements, more people will begin to stay a couple of nights at Eccles Hotel.
The location is fabulous and I got a sense of wonderful customer service.
So keep your eyes on this grand old hotel — and put it on your list for your time in County Cork.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Eccles Hotel so my meal was comped. However all opinions are my own.
