Rathmullan, Fanad Peninsula, Co Donegal

If Rathmullan's endless stretch of golden sand isn't quite enough beach for you, continue beyond the rocky outcrop at its end to Kinnegar Strand and another few kilometres of sandy quiet on the shores of Lough Swilly. Like its hidden abundance of beaches, this deceptive little village harbours an impressive array of eating options.

Ronnie Blake's Salt 'N' Batter turns out some of the finest, fresh, battered fish and hand-cut chips in the north west (074 915 8800). Don't ask about the calorie implications of the Very Good Chocolate Cake (€6) at An Bonnán Buí, Martin Kelly and Monica Santos' Bridgestone-100-Best restaurant -- just order it, or anything else from the Brazilian-flavoured international menu (074 915 8453; anbonnanbui.com).

At the Wheeler family's top-rated Rathmullan House, Ian Orr has the kitchens firing on all cylinders -- the exquisite rib-eye of Kettyle Irish beef in their Weeping Elm Restaurant cuts like butter and drips with meaty intensity (€55 for three-course Classic Menu; 074 915 8188; rathmullanhouse.com).

Rosslare Strand, Co Wexford

Let's face it, even with a safe and sandy Blue Flag beach to its credit, Rosslare doesn't surface on many of our radar screens as a go-to kind of place. No question, the beach is nice without being spectacular, and a great place for families. For many of us, though, it's just another of those things we missed on our way to catch the boat to somewhere else.

Reason enough to change that is Eugene Callaghan's cooking at La Marine, the bistro in Kelly's Resort & Spa, where this former disciple of Paul Rankin and winner of the prestigious Roux Brothers Scholarship has been quietly toiling under the radar since the mid 90s. Callaghan challenges eaters with such French bistro classics as duck confit (€16.95) or grilled rib-eye steak with snails in garlic and red wine (€21.95), delivering each with perfection (053 913 2114; kellys.ie).

Tragumna, Skibbereen, Co Cork

This pristine, blue-flag pocket beach is the place to come for a brisk swim and a bit of appetite-building before delving into the embarrassing wealth of eating and drinking options in this de-facto heartland of culinary Ireland. Try Over The Moon in Skibbereen, Francois and Jennifer Conradie's happy ode to west Cork food culture.

From the lunch menu's Gubbeen ham sandwich (€6) to the after-dinner selection of Irish cheeses with fig salami (€7), the menu sparkles with dishes of perfectly combined local ingredients (028 22100; www. overthemoonskibbereen.com).

Be it in the bar or the restaurant at Mary Ann's, Fergus and Patricia O'Mahony's very traditional Irish Pub in Castletownshend, the food is fabulous. Homemade breads, meaty T-bone steaks, and seafood good enough to be selected Georgina Campbell's Seafood Bar of the Year in 2008. Shellfish gluttons gorge on the Castlehaven Bay seafood platter (€14.95; 028 36146).

If you just have to stay the night, check into the dreamy Trag Retreat (028 23283; tragretreat.com), one of the best self-catering options in the area set on an acre of private garden with the Atlantic just steps away. A three-night break starts at €330.

Ballyconneely, Connemara, Co Galway

Don't bother asking anyone how to get to Ballyconneely Strand, unless you enjoy getting perplexed and bewildered looks in response. This peninsula on the very south-western edge of Connemara is ringed with tiny niches of wonderful white sand and exotic corals. At low water, some of them unite to form longer, continuous lengths of unimpeded beach perfection.

For all the confusion, the fractured pieces and multiple names that constitute Ballyconneely's beach landscape, there is but one destination on its food map -- The Connemara Smokehouse. Every fillet of fish that luxuriates in the beechwood smoke of this family operation's small traditional kiln first passes Graham Roberts's knife. The process is controlled by hand, not machine, resulting in gently smoked and wonderfully textured wild salmon, tuna, and mackerel (from €6.50 to €52.50; 095 23739; smokehouse.ie).

Ballyteigue Strand, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford

In the right conditions, the flat, featureless terrain of this long, south-facing spit of land west of Kilmore Quay is one of Ireland's best spots for shore fishing. After a good southerly blow, sea bass enthusiasts can expect brutes of 10 pounds and more. What's more, Ireland's record flounder was caught on the estuary side of Ballyteigue's dune system.

All well and good for those who fish; for those who don't, there is Le Poisson D'Or, the unassuming little place where Dominique Dayot turns Kilmore Quay's fresh catch into simple pleasures. Tuck into the seared Kilmore Quay scallops (€27.95) or a Slaney Valley filet of beef (€31.00) while ogling views of the Saltee Islands (053 914 8853 lepoissondor.ie).

Besides beer, the nearby award-winning Kehoe's Pub also has 'fish on tap' (053 912 9830; www.kehoespubandparlour.ie).

Ardmore, Co Waterford

This beach was made for walking. Combine it with the cliff walk leading around Ardmore Head and Ram Head, past monastic ruins and round towers, to the sandy cove at Goat Island.

Martin Kajuiter practises passionately precise cooking in the kitchen of Ardmore's Cliff House Hotel, where every meal unfolds like a piece of theatre on stage. His organic Clare Island salmon starter comes veiled in a dome of fragrant smoke (€62.50 for the three-course menu; 024 87800; thecliffhousehotel.com).

Lahinch, Co Clare

Lahinch used to be known primarily for world-class golf links. But ever since improved wetsuit technology opened up new frontiers all along Ireland's coastal waters, the focus of activity has substantially shifted to the front of those dunes, where surfers carve up Lahinch's dependable waves.

Over the same period, Vaughan's Anchor Inn in Liscannor has mutated from cosy pub to gastronomic experience. Parents John and Annette man the traditional bar, while food-obsessed son Denis drives the kitchen. Fresh seafood dominates -- Liscannor lobster with fois gras (€35.00), crab claws with mussels (€21.95) or sautéed King scallops with homemade black pudding and truffle foam (€25.95) -- but meat fiends and vegetarians come away equally happy (065 708 1548; vaughans.ie).

Ventry (Ceann Tra), Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry

Finding Ventry beach can be a little difficult for the uninitiated. The signposts leading to this horseshoe of white sand in the Irish-speaking countryside, a few kilometres west of An Daingean -- better known to some as Dingle -- all point to Ceann Tra. Fortunately, finding good food in Dingle is less complicated.

The menu at Tim Mason's funky harbour-side joint, Out of the Blue, depends on what's in the sea. If there's no fresh fish, they say the restaurant doesn't open. This is simple yet serious seafood -- smoked mackerel in balsamic vinaigrette (€8.50), monkfish kebab (€28.00), pan-seared scallops in cognac (€28.50), haddock in almond butter (€22.50), and potato-crusted pollock (€21.50) (066 915 0811; outoftheblue.ie). For dessert, head to Murphy's for a selection of homemade ice creams that ranges from vanilla to brown bread and Guinness (066 915 0811; murphysicecream.ie).

Barley Cove, Mizen Peninsula, Co Cork

One glimmer of Barley Cove's two perfectly scalloped, sandy beaches explains why this west Cork jewel made The Guardian's list of top 10 beaches in the world. Throw into the mix places such as O'Sullivan's Bar in nearby Crookhaven, and Barley Cove becomes the quintessential draw at the end of the world. The latest generation of the O'Sullivan family continues to serve wonderful homemade soups and sandwiches; few things in life beat the pairing of an O'Sullivan's crab sandwich (€11.95) with sunlight-drenched Crookhaven Harbour (028 35319).

A few kilometres back down the road in Goleen, you'll find Sue Hill's aptly named Heron's Cove Restaurant. Watch the herons wade the cove's tidal zone while you tuck into house specialities such as west Cork smoked sprats (€9.95), Bantry Bay mussels in a creamy wine sauce (€9.95), or the crispy breast of Skeaghanore duckling (€26.50) (028 35225; heronscove.com).

Duncannon, Co Wexford

Duncannon's 'golden mile' could just as easily have been included on our previously published piece on beaches for kids. As soon as our fickle sun makes a fleeting appearance, families arrive here by the carload, rolling on to the hard sand surface to establish base camp for a day of fun.

What better way to end the day than to ditch the kids for a quiet meal at Aldridge Lodge? From the outside, Billy Whitty and Joanne Harding's Michelin-Bib-wearing restaurant looks like a typical dormer house. But the sleek interior matches a polished menu that pairs local ingredients with a deft modern touch -- one example is the roast wild Tipperary venison with handmade Bluebell goat's cheese mash (€38.50 for three-course menu; 051 389 116; aldridgelodge.com).

Can't unload the kids? Let them select from the children's menu while you try the grilled black sole at Sqigl's Restaurant (051 389188; sqiglrestaurant.com).

- Rick Le Vert