Westmeath football star's staycation suggestions

Westmeath football ace John Heslin is not stuck for ideas when recommending staycation options.

When talking to people from outside Westmeath, John said he would tell them to consider his native county as visitors coming in would benefit the local economy. As for getting away himself, the Kingdom of Kerry (a view of mountains in the county is pictured above) is a place that often springs to mind.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Kerry,” he says, adding that despite the lovely scenery and the attractiveness of towns such as Tralee and Killarney, he is fascinated by Kerry in terms of the GAA perspective. That said, for this year it’s neighbouring Cork that is on his list.

“I think just like many other people – particularly my age – there are many parts of Ireland undiscovered. Having grown up in an era of cheap travel, when you can easily get a flight to Spain, that’s kind of what many people would be familiar with, so I’m looking forward to this staycation and trying to explore some parts of Ireland that I probably didn’t know about. Hopefully, we can get some good weather and take in some of the scenery," said John (pictured below).

“I’m still quite active in the GAA so in terms of exercise, I’m always trying to fit the holiday into that one or two weeks of the year when you have a bit of a break in the GAA season, so normally it's a bit of rest and relaxation, but I would also be trying to go on a couple of hikes and exploring, getting out and about seeing what’s in the local area. I think this year I will be trying to do some water sports, maybe kayaking and a bit of fishing – everything and anything,” continued the St Loman's Mullingar player.

John’s hope for the sake of the tourism industry is that they can offer an affordable option to the home tourist.

“It’s important to wind down because, you know, I think this year is unique for everyone, and without doubt it’s important not to put pressure on yourself.

“It’s quite okay to just go away somewhere and put the feet up and enjoy the local cuisine and obviously this year you have to get to know the local people from a distance. I think that the thing that is on the tip of many people’s tongues is the cost that can be associated with that. So I’m hoping that the hoteliers and people in the food industry don’t take advantage of the number of people that would be hopefully going on staycation in Ireland.

“At the same time, it’s great to boost the local economy and to take in some of our own culture that we have in the country,” John added.