2024 Award Winners IRISH BREAKFAST AWARDS 2024 - COUNTRY HOUSE

Rathsallagh House, Dunlavin, Co Wicklow

The O’Flynn family’s large, rambling country house on the Wicklow-Kildare border is just an hour from Dublin, but it could be in a different world. Insistent that it is ‘not an hotel’, it has a classic country house atmosphere and, with its quaint bedrooms, comfy couches for relaxing and reading a good book, lovely walks and excellent food, it’s just a brilliant place to get lost in and forget all about the worries of life. Good food has always been central to Rathsallagh. With seasonal produce from the farm and beautiful walled garden as the foundation, you will eat well here whatever the reason for your visit – and, perhaps it’s down to the practice they get from weddings, but service given by the particularly warm and helpful staff is very efficient. And then there’s their brilliant breakfast, which is always a high point and, as well as excellent hot dishes (many featuring their own freshly gathered eggs), offers a terrific display of everything you could think of in terms of breads and patisserie, preserves, fresh and poached fruits, juices, cheeses and meats – with a ham on the bone taking pride of place, for carving to order... A special place.