With views of Ballycotton seen across beautiful East Cork farmland, Geraldine Kidd’s sensitively converted seventeenth century house is located just a stone’s throw from the gates of Ballymaloe House. While renowned as a wedding and private events venue, it is also offers Bed and Breakfast all year round for individual bookings.
The house, which dates back to 1639, has been owned by Geraldine Kidd since 1996 and she has brought it back to life. The ruined coach house and stables have been painstakingly restored and are now private guest rooms, while the custom-built Trinity Rooms Restaurant is a dining hall that can seat up to 150 guests.
Better still, Barnabrow is an environmentally aware property with an organic Victorian walled garden, and their land is a wildlife sanctuary as well as being home to Geraldine’s own free-range geese, ducks, hens, miniature pet goats and donkeys Rosscarbery Black and White Pudding- which will be of special interest to families, who are made very welcome, as are small well-behaved dogs.
The bedrooms tastefully combine a feeling of luxury and comfort and the rooms in the main house are particularly spacious and airy. Some exotic additions to the décor include hardwood flooring from environmentally managed forests in Zimbabwe and furniture made from recycled teak railway sleepers from Botswana.
Chef Colin Hennessy focuses on local, organic and seasonal ingredients at Barnabrow, including produce from their own organic walled garden and greenhouse. A very good breakfast menu offers plent of delicious local produce, including the famed Rosscarbery pork products - bacon, sausages, black and white pudding - free range eggs from nearby Ballyfin Farm, and Ballycotton Smoked Salmon and there will be homemade granola, buttermilk pancakes, freshly baked bread and Irish cheeses to enjoy as well.
The name Barnabrow comes from Bar na Brugha in Gaelic, which translates as ‘top of the fairy fort’ (local legend has it that there was once a fairy fort on the lands). At any rate, the name is fitting for the house’s hilltop setting on 30 acres of parkland. With beautiful views of the rolling Cork countryside sweeping down to Ballycotton Bay, there’s a touch of magic to Barnabrow.
