Just 80 minutes from Dublin and 60 minutes from Belfast, ‘yet a million miles from anywhere’, Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan is set on 1,000 acres of undulating Irish countryside dotted with ancient woodland and glittering lakes, and it is one of the last great Irish Castle Estates still in the hands of its founding family. Since the 1660s, the distinguished (and, as they say themselves ‘somewhat individual’) Leslie family have lived on the Estate, welcoming everyone from politicians to celebrities to their home and, more recently, their hotel.
Following significant investment and a major restoration programme over the last two decades, Castle Leslie Estate is now truly one of the finest rural estates in Ireland, with wonderful walks, pike fishing and boating, a renowned Equestrian Centre, Victorian Treatment Rooms specialising in organic treatments, luxurious rooms - and delicious food, including an excellent breakfast, from Chef Aaron Duffy and his team. Both the hotel’s informal Conors Bar and the atmospheric evening dining destination, Snaffles Restaurant, are open to non-residents (by reservation) and an unusual speciality is the clever re-invention of family recipes in the centuries old Castle Leslie Estate Cook Book - making for a delightful combination of old and new. A fascinating place.
The lucky winner of this free competition will have a short break for two people sharing (subject to availability), to include:
