THE SALTEE CHIPPER AT KILMORE QUAY

Kilmore Quay is a small rural fishing village on the coast of South East of Ireland in Co Wexford. A  church, some  thatched cottages dating back to the 18th and 19th Centuries, a couple of bars, a number of seafood restaurants, coffee shops and craft shop make up the village.  The Kilmore fishing fleet unloads its catch here and there are a couple of fish processing plants on the out skirts of the village.

The “The Saltee Chipper” is a Mecca here in the South East. Located in the harbour area of Kilmore Quay, it is renowned for its Fish & Chips and other seafood. I was in Kilmore Quay on Saturday 29th March 2014, a dull overcast sky, a slight rain and a little chilly. A “Soft Day” as it would be called locally. What better for lunch than a Fish & Chips in the hand wrapped in paper standing out in the cool air and taste the hot crispy battered Haddock and chips as it melts in your mouth and warms the inners of your being. Eating fish & chips on the street is a social event where by the conversations roll and “hmmm” or “great fish” or “god I craved this” and passers-by enquire “are they good, the look good”.

The Saltee Chipper is located right at the Quay side and is owned and run by Michael O’Leary and Michelle Cullen. They run a “tight ship”; a friendly service where the customer is first, food is great value and the premises are kept spotlessly clean all in a tasteful ambiance of bright decor. Attached to the Chipper, they have a new restaurant that seats forty five. Needless to say, with a local supply on their doorstep of freshly caught fish the restaurant specialises in sea food. A wide range of seasonal fresh fish is always on the menu and includes: Cod, Haddock, Lemon Soul, Monk fish, Place, Brill. Mike and Michelle make their own Tartar sauce and their own speciality of Rissole as well as brown breads. For those who do not wish to indulge in a seafood meal, there is homemade pizza, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, soup, chowder and steak.

To help work off this gastronomic experience, a short walk to the Ballyteige Burrow, one of the finest sand dune systems in Europe and perched on a 9km coastal barrier, giving you open space to work off your meal, do a bit of contemplating and listen to the Sky Larks calling with the added value of filling your lungs with fresh sea air.  En route pay notice to the Memorial Park dedicated to all those lost at sea along this coast.

The Kilmore Quay is also a base for the Kilmore Quay RNLI Service and was established here in 1847. This service is run by volunteer crews who purr themselves at great risk for others. Crew members of the Kilmore Quay Lifeboat have been awarded nine silver medals and one bronze medal for extraordinary courage in the line of duty over the years. The Lifeboat here is a Tamar 16-18 Class lifeboat and one of the most modern and up to date vessels in the RNLI fleet.

Contact: Phone: 053 912911
Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, Ireland