2019 Award Winners B&B OF THE YEAR 2019

The Castle, Castletownshend, Co Cork

The true Irish B&B - where genuine hospitality combines with good, simple food and a desire for guests to be really comfortable and have the best possible experience of the area - is an absolute gem.

No ordinary B&B, the Townshend family’s fascinating and beautifully located castellated property opened for guests as a boutique B&B in 2016, offering a unique opportunity to stay in one of Ireland’s most interesting historic houses. Its been in the family for 11 generations and much of the original furniture, portraits and oak panelling still remain, so its character is intact, and the guest rooms are elegant and very comfortably furnished, with individually styled en-suite bathrooms. And, ah, there’s the view from your bed…! For dinner, one of Ireland’s best pubs, the wonderful Mary Ann’s, is just yards away, - and, for daytime bites, the Castle has a charming café and terrace where non-residents can drop in for a coffee or a light meal. Off season they’re open at weekends and the café is especially popular on Sundays in autumn and early winter, when a proper Sunday roast lunch is a comforting treat.