From the moment you turn off the busy Nenagh - Borrisokane road, you enter a time warp. Margaret (née Mounsey) and David Mackenzie's home, Ashley Park, is one of those beautiful 18th century houses where all is elegance and comfort.
Dating back to 1700, Ashley Park House has welcomed visitors from all over the world for more than three centuries, offering its own special style of family hospitality. Guests enter beneath an elegant stone arch - built with locally quarried stone - and follow a winding path through mature gardens until the beech trees part, revealing the calm waters of a private lake and a stunning country house beyond.
Ashley Park House is quite unique. It has the appearance of a grand country house, its sweeping wooden verandah adding a Southern elegance, reminiscent of antebellum American architecture. A blue-feathered peacock stands sentry by the front door, guarding the impressive entrance with a comfortable insouciance.
Guests are immediately enveloped into the warmth of the Mounsey family embrace. Every member of the clan has their shoulders to the collective wheel: in the reception, in the kitchen, and in the bar. Family photographs and press clippings adorn the walls, recounting the restoration journey that has occupied their lives for more than three decades.
A relaxed stroll around the grounds makes for an interesting distraction before dinner. A blue rowing boat lies still, waiting for a more active guest to take it on an adventure to the tiny island in the centre of the lake. Meanwhile, an industrious family of ducks paddle to and fro, content to have the beautiful setting to themselves.
A kitchen garden - established by a long-ago chatelaine of the house - is neatly tended, with orderly rows of plants producing an abundance of good things. Dotted around the estate are lodges and old servants’ quarters, now painstakingly restored to provide ample accommodation for guests at the many weddings that Ashley Park House hosts every year. A reception room has been built at the edge of the lake, offering a stunning setting for ceremonies, while an expansive marquee provides an elegant space for dinner and dancing afterwards.
Situated only 20 minutes from Nenagh town, and just off the M7, Ashley Park House offers a country escape with minimal effort. The surrounding Tipperary countryside provides a wealth of distractions, from hiking the Silvermines Mountains to kayaking on Lough Derg.
Guests who prefer to stay closer to home have plenty of activities to choose from on the 72 acre estate, including archery, shooting, hunting, horseriding, fishing and angling. Those in search of more relaxed pursuits can arrange for a massage in the comfort of their rooms.
Restaurant
Sited along a tree-lined drive and within the fine Georgian house is this grand and luxurious restaurant, the atmospheric red dining room, overlooking Lough Ourna.
Dinner is served on an antique dining table, often with views of Lough Ourna glistening in the moonlight beyond.
The 5-couse menu is authentically of its setting: everything is based on produce from the walled garden, the local area and the seafood fresh from the nearby coast. Using these top quality ingredients, dishes with distinct flavours are carefully prepared for the enjoyment of discerning guests. Hearty and traditional, beef, lamb and salmon are the mainstays, all served with a generous hand and service that oozes familial warmth.
Afterwards a third generation Mounsey serves a welcome digestif in the drawing room, perfect for enjoying with a good book and the comfort of an open log fire.
Breakfast is served with equal care, regardliess of whether they have a full house or just a couple of guests. Each morning the dining room table is transformed into a miniature banquet of breakfast treats - a basket of fresh croissants and soda bread, bowls of vibrant-coloured fruit, delightfully retro melon balls, glass jars of cereals, a jug of golden orange juice and an array of pretty-as-a-picture porcelain cups and saucers, their floral pattern perfecting the country-chic style. Fresh flowers add a touch of elegance, and there's even an old-fashioned wireless in the corner. There's superb coffee and a range of hot food cooked to order, including options such as scrambled eggs, pancakes and omelettes as well as the traditional Full Irish, all based on local produce.
As elsewhere, breakfast service is warm and very relaxed - a highlight of any viist to this lovely house.
