So we hit the road at 7am to be in Cork for a meeting at 10. I'm not a fan of eating breakfast very…read moreearly so I had only a couple of Rich Tea biscuits, grabbed as I rushed to try and not be late, to keep me going. Sometime around 8.30, a deep, grumble emanated from the cavernous pit that was my emoty stomach and thoughts turned to food. I was reassured by my colleague we'd be hitting this service station for a bite to eat before we carried on, refreshed. I was surprised by the size of it when we came down the exit road off the M*. It was quite a place. A line of lorries queued for the petrol pumps and quite a few cars were in the car park. But I was impressed when I walked in and saw the size of the shop and the variety of food to eat when I went in. I'd expected to be able to grab a stale scone when I thought about what I might get in a service station. Plenty of fresh scones, muffins and rolls greeted me. As did hot dogs. They were next to the deli and the hot food counter. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! I reckoned a sandwich was my best bet so I walked up to the counter and the words "Can I have a brown bread sandwich with ham, mayo and cheese, please" rolled off my tongue like they have hundreds of times before. I knew what to order and I knew what it would taste like. Or did I? Right before my eyes, the server picked up a big piece of cooked ham and carved off thick chunks of meat. Thicker chunks than the Celtic Tiger could have wrapped its mouth around. "Is this real? I'll wake up and realise I've to head for Cork now, won't I?" But as the glorius of Handel's 'Messiah' chorus rang in my ears, she presented the sandwich to me and in no time, I had paid (less than €4) and was unwrapping my sandwich. It wasn't 'til then that I realised how big the sandwich was. I ended up having to save half for later. But it was beautiful. Maybe it was the hunger, maybe it was because it was so unexpected to get a filling of such quality but it tasted exquisite. Thank you, Topaz! There's also a McDonalds next to it but that's not my bag.

I generally have two requirements for Motorway stops 1: It's actually on the Motorway or close to…read moreit 2: You get a good range of food and its a nice spot to actually stop and eat. This one ticks both those boxes nicely. Could not be closer to the motorway and a great range of food. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the seating area upstairs with comfy couches means you could actually relax and enjoy your coffee. Perfect.

O'FLYNN'S GREAT GAS Billy O'Flynn's petrol/diesel station is…read morea popular stop on the Old Youghal Road. O'Flynn, quite well known locally in soccer circles, took this establishment over as a Shell outlet quite a few years back. It is now independent and doing well and the proprietor is almost always on hand to greet you with a big smile. He also runs a convenience shop and nowadays there is also a second hand car sales facility on the site.

Always bang in the price with petrol/diesel.. Handy little shop and deli! Very nice staff inside.read more