A Tale of 2 B&B’s
This B&B was a very strange experience. During my first trip to Ireland I was spending 2 separate times in Dublin, bookending a trip to Galway. I booked 5 nights at the Doheny House after reading positive reviews about it on Tripadvisor. I needed somewhere central, cheap, but clean. When I got there a nice middle-aged Irish woman greeted me as friendly as can be. She took me next door and brought me to a room there. She took me through a hallway that was very messy and the decor very dated. This did not feel like a real accommodation at all. To make matters worse, my room did not have a private bath as advertised. While my room was clean and the bed very comfortable, there was clothing hanging in corners of the room. Moreover it was CLUTTERED, which is one of my pet peeves. I can’t even watch the show “Hoarders” without feeling overwhelming anxiety. This was going to be a test of my love of travel for sure. The bathroom seemed as if it was her bathroom, as it was kind of clean, but not to a hotel standard. It was also very cluttered with all sorts of toiletries, clothes, cleaning products, etc. and the toilet did not always flush. Since I was sharing this with other people I was not comfortable with this at all. The homemade Irish breakfast given in the Breakfast Room was first rate though, so I dealt with the awkwardness. What choice did I have anyway? With no notice, tight budget, and before the advent of Airbnb, I had no recourse. I just stayed out as late as possible hoping to be so exhausted that I didn’t notice the state of the room.
Now about that delicious Irish Breakfast. The owner greeted me in the Breakfast Room every morning and asked if I wanted a traditional Irish Breakfast or something light. Of course I went for the full meal every time. I was in Ireland and since it was included in the rate it would help me save money on a meal since it was very filling. She cooked me the works: Eggs, Sausage, Beans, Tomato, Toast, and Black Pudding. I had no idea what the latter was. When she brought the plate out to me she asked me if I knew what black pudding was. I confessed I did not nor did I want to know. I figured ignorance is bliss and let me try it before any prejudices I might have had influence my feeling about it. Well I found it rich, smoky and quite salty, which meant I loved it. It went great with egg yolk. The next day when giving me the plate she asked me the same question. Again I declined an answer. I wanted to make sure I liked it. I suspected I would not be too pleased with the ingredients. By the third day of this game I was brave enough to know. Surprisingly I was quite fine with it. Not as displeasing as I had thought. (You will have to experience it for yourself). I am now quite the fan of black pudding.
Despite the wonderful breakfasts, when I was in Galway I searched the internet for another place to stay when I returned to Dublin, but could not find anything I could afford. So I resigned myself to a couple more awkward days in this B&B. This time however was VERY different. When I arrived she brought me into a room in the main house, which was lovely and had a very clean private bath, pretty much what I expected on my first trip. It was a completely different and more amenable experience for the same price. My only conclusion was that either she overbooked for my first stay, or she prematurely opened up those rooms next door, in what can be considered an annex. So if you choose to stay in the Doheny House, ask to stay in the main house. Then it is quite the bargain, especially with the hardy breakfast. Try the black pudding.