My staycation summer with … Sonia Deasy
Skincare entrepreneur Sonia Deasy reveals her favourite family staycation spots
There’s something magical about taking time to explore places closer to home. With native holidays firmly on the vacation agenda again this summer, staycationers are embracing all that Ireland has to offer. Finding those hidden gems, exploring those off-the-beaten-track locations, or stumbling upon an unexpected beauty spot can turn a good trip into an unforgettable experience.
Sonia Deasy, co-founder and coCEO of Irish skincare company Pestle & Mortar, loves nothing more than discovering those lesser-known tourist places that showcase Ireland at its very best. She founded her business in
2014, having previously worked alongside her husband in their portrait photography studio and she looks forward to spending precious time out with her family. No surprise, given that over the last seven years she has built a thriving business – products in 21 countries across three continents - rooted in the philosophies of her Indian heritage in natural healing and a family history of practicing Medicine Men that goes back six generations.
“The thing is, when people think about staycationing and vacationing in Ireland, names like Killarney, Connemara,
West Cork, and Mayo spring to mind,” says the mum of five who is based in Kildare. “But the lesser-known Blackwater Valley is truly worth experiencing too.”
From its birth in the Mullaghareik Mountains on the Kerry-Cork border to flowing through Fermoy and Mallow onto Co. Waterford towns such as Lismore and Cappoquin, the River Blackwater meets the sea in the Ancient East harbour port of Youghal. “I’m excited to visit The Blackwater Way, which follows the valley of the River Blackwater. My in-laws live along the North
Cork stretch and before Covid, we would pack the kids into the car and drive down to stay in a traditional cottage beside their property. It’s idyllic,” she adds.
The entrepreneur says she loves nothing more than an actionpacked holiday. “You’ll find the best places for fishing, horse riding, canoeing, kayaking, golf, walking, cycling, mountain biking, and eating out along the Blackwater Way,” she says. “It’s a fantastic place for families. Our kids absolutely love it.”
A trip along the south coast also affords precious time with extended members of the family and the chance for all the Deasy clan to indulge in some genuine Irish homemade produce.
“Their Grandad keeps bees and makes the most delicious local honey for us to enjoy with breakfast every morning,” she says. No wonder she’s buzzing about the family staycation this summer.