Ardmore, the Irish hotspot adopted by Olivia Wilde 

A seaside village nestled along the coast of Co Waterford, Ardmore has become a popular summer staycation spot in recent years and for good reason. Even Hollywood royalty Olivia Wilde is a fan – though her family being from there might make her a little biased. 

For context, Wilde’s grandfather moved to Waterford from London after World War II, and her father, Andrew was raised there before he moved to Washington to become a journalist. Ms Liv (if I may be so bold as to call her that), spent her summers in Ardmore, returning last year for a brief visit after her jaunt around Dublin with then-boyfriend Harry Styles… I wish I wasn’t so “online” as to know all this, but here we are. 

Recently invited down to Ardmore myself, (family in tow) I finally ticked the sunny seaside town off my travel list last month and it’s well worth considering if you’re looking for somewhere new to explore this summer. Just under two and a half hours from Dublin by car, our first pit stop was Dungarvan where we refuelled at The Local – home to some of the best seafood chowder I’ve ever had. The smell of freshly baked pastries wafting out the door of Dún Bakery on Main Street was too hard to ignore, so that was our next port of call, followed by a quick nose around Isabel’s Place next door (a must for cool knick-knacks and trinkets by Irish designers). 

From there, we headed to Sólás na Mara in An Rinn, the smallest coastal Gaeltacht area in Ireland. A wellness centre specialising in seaweed baths, they also have a small onsite café which is a regular haunt for locals in search of a cupán tae and some cáca milis (the carrot cake is definitely worth sampling). 

One of Ireland’s oldest natural therapies, seaweed baths have been recognised in Ireland for over a hundred years as an ideal way to help the body recover. Sólás na Mara is unique to the region in offering seaweed baths using freshly piped and warmed seawater. The seawater is taken into the facility during high tide, is gently filtered to purify it and then flows through the taps to fill your bathtub. The organic seaweed is harvested locally and is then prepared and treated onsite to ensure freshness.

Along with a bath, each room also has its own steam pod, which is essentially a wooden box you sit into (your head pops out the top like a seal) to open your pores before getting into the bath. My mam and I went for the double room while my dad and siblings were in a single room each. Gentle spa music plays during your hour-long soak and you’re provided with towels and a water bottle for hydration (necessary!) 

None of us had tried such a thing before so we didn’t have anything to compare this to, but we emerged from our seaweed baths slightly rosy and utterly relaxed. 10/10, no notes. 

Once we had revived ourselves with a slice of cake, we headed on to our accommodation for the night – Ardmore Glamping Pods, a twenty-minute drive away. Offering both four and seven-bed options, we were put up in the latter which comprised two double beds, a single bed and two fold-out sofas. There was also a mini fridge, a kettle, a small table and a bathroom with a toilet and a shower. Outside, the double French doors opened onto a small wooden deck with chairs.

The pods themselves were super cute, albeit quite cramped; there’s not much room inside for extras so pack lightly and expect to be pretty much on top of each other for the duration of your stay! Let’s just say, if you’re going with people you don’t really know, you’re going to be very well acquainted by the end of your trip. The four-bed pod is €165 a night (regardless of whether you’re two, three or four people) and the seven-bed pod is €265 per night (same applies).

Probably best suited to families with young children, the pods are a good choice as the grounds are gated and separate from the car park, so the kiddos can run around freely. There’s also a mini zoo and soft play centre right beside the pods that will most definitely keep stir-crazy toddlers busy should the weather not cooperate (entry is extra and not included in your stay). I found the mini zoo quite sad if I’m honest, but that’s more of a personal thing, and judging by the many exuberant grins I saw as kids gazed in bewilderment at the animals, little ones love it.

For history buffs, Ardmore is the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland and features many interesting ruins from monastic life, including a 12th-century round tower and cathedral inside which are two Ogham stones – one with the longest known Ogham inscription in Ireland. You’ll also find St Declan’s Stone along the shore, which, according to old legend was miraculously carried here on the waves from Wales. St Declan’s Well is nearby, where the waters are said to have healing powers.

What about the Ardmore food scene? I’m glad you asked. Though we were only there for less than 24 hours, we were very well fed and watered. Shipmates is a great shout for lunch/dinner, we all ordered different things and absolutely everything was delicious. Service was quick, staff were lovely and portion sizes were very generous – tick, tick, tick. For breakfast, Garden Café on Mainstreet has you covered. I got the pancakes with butterscotch sauce and my only complaint was that there wasn’t enough of them! A 99 from Beachcombers is also a must… I don’t make the rules.

Brunch finished and several cups of coffee later, we headed up the hill towards the cliff to find Ardmore Pottery & Craft Shop, the dotiest artisan shop I ever did see (and one of the highlights of my trip). Full to the brim with all manner of goods, the shop only stocks Irish makers and currently sells work from over 150 top designers. You could easily spend an entire afternoon just poring over their products which range from Aran knitwear to jewellery, kids’ toys, paintings and of course, pottery. Run by the Lincoln family, the building itself was actually their former home (they still live above and beside the shop) and both Katie and her lovely mum Mary were on hand to answer any questions we had. 

Katie has taken over the running of the business but Mary still consults and is heavily involved in the making of some of their most popular designs. In fact, it’s in that very building that she designed the unique Ardmore Pottery range customers love so much – the earthenware clay is decorated with sea sponges, and the startling blue colours are a pure oxide taken straight from the earth. Visitors can still watch Mary throw, fire and decorate these pots on site.

If glamping pods aren’t quite glamorous enough for you, the five-star Cliff House Hotel, further up the cliff, is opulence incarnate. Widely regarded as one of the finest small luxury boutique hotels in Ireland, the property has 39 unique rooms along with an intimate spa and a one-star Michelin restaurant too. Clinging to a cliff on the south side of Ardmore Bay, the structure almost seems to defy gravity but once you’re done marvelling at the ingenuity of the building, you’ll see that the stunning seaside views are actually the main attraction. 

Unsurprisingly, such grandeur doesn’t come cheap and a one-night stay here during the peak summer months can cost anywhere from €500 to €900. Thankfully, the Cliff House isn’t the only place from which to enjoy the magnificent views though and the nearby cliff walk is another excellent vantage point – particularly on sunny days when seals, common dolphins and if you’re lucky, fin whales, can be seen popping their heads above the surface of the water. 

The only defined cliff-walk on the Waterford coast, it starts at the hotel car park and meanders west across the clifftop for a little over 1km. We were blessed with a gloriously sunny day (this summer’s first!) and even after we had completed the loop, it was hard to usher us back into the car to Dublin.

For water sports enthusiasts, sea kayaking or sea paddling are cool ways of exploring the Ardmore coastline and the team at Ardmore Adventures welcomes all experience levels from beginners to seasoned pros. Ireland’s first and only floating hot tub boat will also be coming to Ardmore for the summer (from mid-June) and is a very fun activity to do with friends – more on that here. 

If all of that hasn’t convinced you, surely the promise of an Olivia Wilde sighting is enough to tempt you down!?