I’ll never forget the drive down to County Kerry – we’d piled into the car in Dublin full of that giddy holiday buzz, sandwiches packed and podcasts queued up, only for the sat-nav to chuck us into a proper downpour just past Killarney. Cue a hilarious detour down a narrow lane that turned out to be more puddle than path, with me white-knuckling the wheel while the kids in the back cheered like it was a rollercoaster. But oh, what a payoff when we finally rolled up to this handsome holiday home, just a mile from the beautiful Inch beach, with panoramic views across Castlemaine Harbour to the Ring of Kerry. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a choice of companionable living spaces – perfect for our big family gathering. First impressions? Magic. The sun was peeking through as we tumbled out, bags everywhere, already dreaming of kicking back.

From that moment, it was all about doing sod all, and I mean that in the best possible way. After the chaos of the journey, we just flopped into those cosy living areas, windows flung wide to let in the salty sea air and the gentle lap of the harbour. The garden became our kingdom – a lush, wildish patch sloping down with views that made you forget the world. I’d grab a book (some dog-eared thriller I’d been meaning to crack for months), settle into a lounger with a cuppa, and let hours slip by. The others did the same: one kid sketching the dunes, the hubby nodding off with a newspaper over his face, the rest sprawled on blankets playing cards. No schedules, no rush – just the joy of slowing right down.

Lazy cottage days like that are pure therapy. Mornings started late, with toast and coffee on the patio, watching seals bob in the harbour or gulls wheeling overhead. We’d wander the mile to Inch beach maybe once a day, toes in the sand, but never for long – back for lunch, then more reading in the shade. Afternoons blurred into siestas; I’d lose myself in pages while the breeze rustled the garden hedges, feeling that rare, deep calm wash over me. It hit me one evening, pint of Guinness in hand (local brew from down the road), staring at the sunset painting the Ring of Kerry pink: when did I last just *be*? Work, kids, life – it all races by, but here, time stretched like toffee. A gentle nudge to myself: more of this, please.

Evenings were simple feasts – fish and chips from the takeaway in Inch, devoured al fresco, followed by board games in one of the living rooms till yawns took over. No big adventures, no Instagram frenzy; just us, the views, and that profound relief of doing very little. Kerry’s got its wild hikes and pubs aplenty, but this spot nailed the art of unwinding. If you’re after recharging with a big group, it’s spot on. We left fatter in the soul, already plotting a return. Pure bliss.