It is the quality of their products that lead many to Pat and Miriam Mulcahy’s home, Ballinwillin House: delicious, tender Ballinwillin venison and free range wild boar features on many leading hotel menus, including those at the Maryborough and River Lee in Cork, the Marker and Merrion in Dublin. Then you realise these meats are also on the breakfast menu at their on-farm accommodation; this is a place that just has to be visited.
And it is extraordinary. Right on the edge of Mitchelstown, with the Galtee Mountains close-by, you approach through a suburban cul-de-sac which ends in a security gate – leading into a different world. Once inside the 80-acre estate, you see deer grazing and the driveway opens up to reveal a substantial 18th century country house and outbuildings – which house the farm shop, and also some unexpectedly modern and luxurious accommodation in a recently converted courtyard.
Inside, the accommodation is laid out like a house and guests can book individual rooms for B&B or self-catering (sharing a communal kitchen), or a group can take over the entire unit, which also includes a dining room and lounge area. The Mulcahy family also offer private dining in another building for groups (minimum 8). Breakfast (for B&B guests) is taken in the main house.
Breakfast is cooked and served on a common table (chats aplenty with visitors from different countries). The room is south-facing, beautifully decorated and with lots of good ware on the table, including some by Nicholas Mosse. As with most Irish breakfasts, you may start with a juice, something from a fresh fruit, yogurt and cereal selection, or perhaps an excellent bowl of porridge.
But it is when you come to the hot dishes that the Ballinwillin experience stands out, as virtually everything comes from the farm. The full Irish, for example, will include venison or wild boar sausage, eggs from their hens, rashers and black and white puddings from their free range pigs. The full Irish doesn't get any more Irish. And it is well cooked and cooked to order - there aren't that many guests here at any one time.
Alternatively, you might have scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or the Ballinwillin Omelette - made to order, with your choice of ingredients. But it is the unique full Irish that gives a real taste of Ballinwillin, and it is heartily recommended.
Pat and Miriam also own the Chateau Mulcahy vineyard in Hungary, and another unexpected feature of Ballinwillin is a characterful old stone wine cellar, where they hold tastings (for group of six or more) and other events. Their claim to offer “a truly unique experience that combines luxurious accommodation, wine and artisan food” is no exaggeration - it is a most unexpected find, especially so close to the centre of a large country town.
Ballinwillin offers a real rural holiday for both adults and families, with farm tours available (safe walking tracks) and guests welcome to ‘roam free with the deer’. Foodies will love the farm shop and the many artisan producers to visit nearby - and should factor in a visit to the Ballyhoura Food Fair, held at Kilmallock on Bank Holiday Mondays in summer.
And Mitchelstown borders on Ballyhoura Country, famed for its beauty, great walking - and The Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails (www.ballyhouramtb.com), which is the largest trail network of its kind in Ireland. Offering 96km of linked way marked off road trails, ranging from 6km to over 50km long, the trails are laid out as ‘stacked loops’ with each loop leading onto the next and rejoining it on the way back.
All round, it’s a wonderful area to explore – and Ballinwillin would make a great base.
