Rachel Gaffney’s Letter From Texas - Northern Star

The famous foodie who’s flying the tricolour for us in Texas shares her excitement in discovering one of the Guide’s favourite eco-destinations, The Salthouse Hotel  

Irish summer evenings possess a unique magic, and this particular evening was no exception. As I stepped outside to take in the views, I found myself leaning against a low fence, lost in thought. The landscape before me seemed like a scene destined for immortality on canvas. Had Claude Monet been alive today, I imagined this vista transformed into a masterful oil painting, proudly displayed in a gallery somewhere. 

The rolling hills were carpeted with wildflowers, nature's paintbrush having used every vibrant hue in her palette. Buttercups and avens, marigolds and daisies danced gently in the breeze. In the distance, the calm sea shimmered beneath a cloudless blue sky. It was a truly special evening.
As I stood chatting with a lovely woman beside me, the wildflowers began to sway more urgently. A distant whir of helicopter blades soon grew louder, stirring the blooms into a whirlpool of motion. Within minutes, one helicopter after another touched down just feet away.

While continuing my conversation, I remarked on the breathtaking sunset before us. The woman introduced me to her son, who stood nearby, waiting to welcome his arriving guests. They were dining at the Salthouse Bar and Restaurant, where I had just dined myself. We finally introduced ourselves to each other. Her name was Joann McGarrity, and she and her husband are the owners of this spectacular property, The Salthouse Hotel, located in Ballycastle, County Antrim. Her son, Carl McGarrity, who was greeting people as they alighted from the helicopters, is the Director of the hotel.

Only two days earlier, I had been staying in Portrush, eager to visit Rathlin Island. Knowing the ferry departed from Ballycastle, I decided to book a stay at the Salthouse Hotel. From the moment I stepped inside this hotel, I was struck by how the family had seamlessly blended the beauty of the outdoors with their interior design. 

Natural light flooded the hallways, wicker baskets sat beside the chairs in the entryway, and delicate bud vases held dried flowers and grasses in soft, earthy tones. Solid wooden pillars stood like silent sentinels along the corridor, and wall sconces, perched upon intricately carved driftwood, cast a warm glow.

Outside the Lookout Restaurant & Bar, thistles swayed against whitewashed walls, their purple blooms a striking contrast. In the Salthouse Bar and Restaurant, a beautifully carved chess set, graced the coffee table, inviting guests to sit and play. From the hotel’s dining rooms, the vast North Atlantic Ocean stretched out like a pane of polished glass, but I knew only all too well this tranquility was but one face of the Atlantic! Growing up in Ireland, one knows this same ocean could also roar with a wild and fearsome energy, seemingly relentless and untamed against the coastline.

The fields unfolded below like a giant patchwork quilt, where cows and sheep dotted the squares grazing lazily. This hotel is without a doubt one of the nicest properties I have visited in quite some time. The McGarrity family has done a superb job of bringing the outside in. It’s as if the indoors and outdoors are all one. I am eager to return. Eager to explore this area in more depth, eager to meet the people and eager to share with my clients here in the United States. If you have not visited or stayed, you are missing out.

*The Salthouse Hotel has been recommended by GCGuides since opening in 2019 and was the winner of our Sustainability Award 2023 

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