Ice cream makers are happy people. Happy people make great ice cream. Great ice cream makes people happy. It’s a circle! Joe and Caroline Daly spread happiness in the beautiful part of the world that is Valentia Island, Co Kerry – as if you needed more than the stunning scenery of this little corner of Ireland to make you feel good.
But when you sit on the terrace here, gazing out over green fields and the sea view, eating homemade ice cream produced from the milk of the Daly’s pedigree herd of Friesians, it’s hard to imagine feeling better. This is happiness in a double whammy cornet full!
Joe Daly has farmed a dairy herd for many years. In 2006 Joe and his wife began to investigate ways to bring added value to the farm. They decided the milk from their herd, which grazes in the fields below the ice cream parlour, was rich enough to make superb ice cream. They set about finding out how it was done. They opened a pretty little shop, just in time for a heatwave that brought tourists flocking! It’s been up, up, up ever since. And now their product is grabbing headlines and already on offer in selected Kerry supermarkets and on the menu of some fine hotels too. But by far the best way to enjoy is right where it is made.
Valentia Island Farmhouse Ice Cream is created with full-fat milk and cream from the Daly herd, with no artificial flavourings, colours or preservatives. The moment you take a spoonful, you can taste pureness on the tongue, pure and simple. It’s made in a tiny dairy on-site, and not far from where the cows are milked – a real cottage industry. In summer, a cheery awning covers the door, along with an outdoor decked seating area and children’s play area.
Open: May to October, 7 days a week 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and July/August 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
