Gourmet Getaway

When weighing up the merits of various breaks in Ireland, it's worth your while to pay attention to what exactly the offer includes. In the case of Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, Co Mayo, you'd be advised to note that the offer of €150 per person midweek and €175 at weekends includes accommodation, breakfast and dinner in the awardwinning Salt restaurant. Chef Wade Murphy serves up exceptional food – think mains like butter-basted monkfish tail with sautéed Irish lobster and watercress and rhubarb risotto and desserts like seasonal fruit beignets smothered in butterscotch sauce served with rum-and-raisin ice cream. Foodie heaven, in other words. Of course, the hotel itself is lovely and the village of Cong is a great base from which to explore Mayo and Galway. Visit www.lisloughreylodge.ie or call 094 9545400.

Danish Tasty

Copenhagen is calling. If you fly here during October with Scandinavian Airlines, you'll get a free 24-hour City Card, worth €31. This gives you entry to more than 60 museums and attractions, including the famous Tivoli Gardens. Autumn is a superb time to visit the Danish capital, with plenty of activities happening – a four-day blues festival takes place at the beginning of October, featuring high-profile Danish and international performers. Scandinavian Airlines flies twice daily from Dublin direct to Copenhagen for only €75 one way including taxes and charges. See www.flysas.com.

Capital Idea

Barcelona certainly has its champions but for its amazing nightlife and superb shopping, we prefer Madrid. Gohop has a three-night deal to the city in late October (23-26) for €387 per person sharing. This includes flights from Dublin and three nights in the Hotel Petit Palace, a three-star hotel very close to the Royal Palace, Gran Via and the famed Prado art gallery. Visit www.gohop.ie and tel: 01 2412310.

Totally Tropical

If you're longing for some glorious winter sun, check out Tropical Sky's offer of seven nights in the Dominican Republic. The deal, which costs €969 per person, is available for selected departures in November. You'll stay at the four-star Dreams Palm Beach Punta Cana on an all-inclusive basis. Included are flights from Dublin via Paris, accommodation in a deluxe tropical-view room, resort transfers, taxes and surcharges. The resort is located on the east coast of the Dominican Republic, which is one of the Caribbean's most popular tourist destinations. Visit www.tropicalsky.ie and tel: 01 5262566.

Sligo Champions

The Clarion Hotel Sligo is doing its utmost to lure you to this part of the country, providing some very enticing reasons to visit, apart from the long sandy beaches in Strandhill and Enniscrone and the famous seaside baths. The midweek prices start from €70 per person per night and this includes breakfast, dinner in the Sinergie restaurant and access to the Sanovitae health and leisure club. Children under 17 sharing a parent's room get free B&B. The Stay and Dine option is also great. From €205 pps (Sunday to Thursday or €235 at the weekends) you get three nights' accommodation, with breakfast each morning and three dinners, with kids under 17 free again. Check out www.clarionhotelsligo.com and tel: 071 911 9000.

All that jazz

If you thought that summer meant the end of festivals you're clearly mistaken because some of the biggest and best are happening this autumn, including the Cork Jazz Festival in October. And if you're planning a visit, why not do it in style and book the special package at Castlemartyr Resort. Enjoy two nights' bed and breakfast and a dinner in the Bell Tower restaurant from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October for €295 per person sharing. On Sunday, relax over a special jazz brunch to the sounds of Ocean Five, who will perform favourites by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Andy Williams. To book, tel 00800 6136 3636 and visit www.castlemartyrresort.ie.