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 ... more...
Just a few miles from Wexford town, the Mernagh family’s magical country house offers a tranquil retreat for couples looking for an alternative to the hotel experience and it's the perfect place for stressed townies – a real castle to ... more...
Set in one of West Cork's most desirable locations, the O'Donovan and Barrett familes' immaculately maintained hotel is magnificently situated overlooking the Atlantic Ocean just outside the quaint town of Clonakilty.
Now in third generation ow ... more...
Another of the unrivalled collection of fine Killarney hotels, this family-owned establishment is a charming older sister to the luxurious Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork city (see entry) and, more recently Great Southern Killarney, nearby.
Proprietors J ... more...
Established in 1792, the Murphy family’s large hotel in Adare has somehow retained the comfortable ambience of a country inn. A very luxurious inn nevertheless, and operated under the personal management of Bryan and Louis Murphy.
The furnishing ... more...
Mark and Emma Hewlett’s peaceful and relaxing late Georgian country house is set in seven acres of Heritage Gardens, including formal walled gardens. The house is elegantly and comfortably furnished, with a drawing room overlooking the Italian ... more...
One of the city's most attractively located hotels, the Kingsley is situated alongside the River Lee, just minutes from both Cork airport and the city centre and is equally appealing to business and leisure visitors. Now part of the Fota Collection, th ... more...
Beautifully located overlooking Lough Foyle, on the shore side of the scenic route that runs up the eastern coast of the Inishowen peninsula, this modern hotel is near the traditional holiday town of Moville - yet, surrounded by extensive grounds and i ... more...
Farmers/Country Market / Food Market / Restaurant / Street Food
As lock-down projects went, what the O'Neill family did on their 120-acre Kilkenny farm was epic by any standards. Siblings Bee O’Grady and Michael O’Neill are the driving forces behind the aptly-named third generation enterprise, which enj ... more...
Kate and the late Andrew Cooke’s atmospheric bar and restaurant with rooms in the centre of Cahirciveen abounds with character. Customers arriving into the bar off the street are greeted by original features include a magnificently rugged old sto ... more...
Lengthening days and spring in the air make a short break away from cities very appealing - especially with St Patrick's Weekend, Mother's Day and Easter all coming up in quick succession. A hotel is a good bet early in the year, offering plenty of comfort and facilities if the weather is disappointing, and it needn't break the bank. To get the best rates, give the special offers pages on hotel websites a good browse, take up holiday weekend offers or travel midweek if possible - and book di ...
It used to be all about St Valentine's Day but now it's February the Month of Love, which makes a lot more sense - and why not extend that to Spring of Love…There’s great value to be found early season if you navigate around Easter and other public holidays, especially if you can take a midweek break. From pubs with rooms to five-star hotels, this micro-collection highlights just a few of the most desirable destinations around Ireland for twosomes (among others) and it includes ...
Give yourself a break and take off for a few days this winter - there are cosy and relaxing places all over Ireland to tempt you, and some fantastic value to be enjoyed off-season too. And with Valentine's coming up, maybe one of these would be perfect for that romantic treat...So browse through this gloriously diverse collection and take your pick...
What better way to spend a few days away in some of Irelands most stunning landscapes than a short break at one of our famous fishing hotels? And, by a happy chance, they are all lovely places for non-fishing partners to visit too….
A short break can do us all a power of good, and picking a destination that's only an hour or 90 minutes from home means less stress, more chilling time - and better value all round. So, especially if you're based in Dublin, why not try one of our picks for a quick break within easy striking distance of home?
While many are open all year, this is perhaps the perfect time for garden visits - and some of Ireland's loveliest gardens offer accommodation too, so why not try one (or more) of these gorgeous garden getaways this year...
Thinking of a family get-together in Ireland, or want to meet up somewhere interesting with old friends? Destinations that can cater separately for families and other groups often offer a particularly relaxing stay. Here are just a few of our favourites to tempt you…
10 of the very best places to eat, drink & stay throughout Ireland. We are blessed with some outstanding places to eat and stay in Ireland and these are unquestionably some of the very best – and they’re all beautifully located too.
Not quite decided on your holiday plans yet? Consider the simplicity, relaxation and - if chosen wisely - better value, that airport-free home holidays offer. Parents holidaying with their kids will find there is plenty to choose from in many of the most beautiful and interesting areas of Ireland, and you’ll be made especially welcome this year.
Sweep your loved one off their feet and reconnect with nature with a celebration that’s full of luxury and romance at five-star Glenlo Abbey Hotel and its 138-acre estate.
This warmly welcoming family-run seaview hotel offers very comfortable accommodation and lovely food, especially seafood, while Casey's pub, which dates back to the 1800s, has a cosy old-world atmosphere (complete with live traditional music).
Escape to Ardtara Country House, a charming Victorian property set in beautiful rolling countryside in the heart of Northern Ireland and near the Causeway Coast.
This February, guests are invited to experience a romantic escape with a memorable fine dining experience from award-winning Executive Chef Meeran Manzoor's Tasting Menu at Rare at the delightful Blue Haven Hotel in picturesque Kinsale.
Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan ...
With a rich historical and maritime legacy, East Cork has a truly unique variety of attractions to offer the visitor.
It is a haven for family holidays with a huge range of activities and attractions to keep the whole family entertained for hours.
In this extensive county, the towns and villages have their own distinctive character. In West Cork, their spirit is preserved in the vigour of the landscape with the handsome coastline where the light of the famous Fastnet Rock swings across tumbling ocean and spray-tossed headland. The county is a repository of the good things of life, a treasure chest of the finest farm produce, and the very best of seafood, brought to market by skilled specialists.
The town of Killarney is where the Ring of Kerry begins and ends for many, among the lakes and mountains where they are re-establishing the enormous white-tailed sea eagle, has long been a magnet for visitors. Across the purple mountains from Killarney, the lovely little town of Kenmare in South Kerry is both a gourmet focus, and another excellent touring centre. As one of the prettiest places in Ireland, Kenmare puts the emphasis on civic pride.
That Galway Bay coastline in Co. Clare is where The Burren, the fantastical North Clare moonscape of limestone which is home to so much unexpectedly exotic flora, comes plunging spectacularly towards the sea around the attractive village of Ballyvaughan.
Connemara, the Land of the Sea, where earth, rock and ocean intermix in one of Ireland's most extraordinary landscapes, and is now as ever a place of angling renown - you're very quickly into the high ground and moorland which sweep up to the Twelve Bens and other splendid peaks, wonderful mountains which enthusiasts would claim as the most beautiful in all Ireland. Beyond, to the south, the Aran Islands are a place apart.
Rivers often divide one county from another, but Fermanagh is divided - or linked if you prefer - throughout its length by the handsome waters of the River Erne, both river and lake. Southeast of the historic county town of Enniskillen, Upper Lough Erne is a maze of small waterways meandering their way into Fermanagh from the Erne'e source in County Cavan.
Co Cavan shares the 667 m peak of Cuilcagh with neighbouring Fermanagh. No ordinary mountain, this - it has underground streams which eventually become the headwaters of the lordly River Shannon, Ireland's longest river that passes south through many counties before exiting at the mighty estuary in Limerick. A magnet for tourism now with boating, fishing, cycling and walking-a-plenty.
Between the sheltered bays at the foot of the Glens of Antrim, the sea cliffs of the headlands soar with remarkable rock formations which, on the North Coast, provide the setting for the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Giant's Causeway.
A selective companion guide to our famous broad-based online collection, the ‘glovebox bible’ includes a uniquely diverse range of Ireland's greatest places to ...