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Coursetown Country House

Jim and Iris Fox’s fine 200-year old house just off the Stradbally road is attached to a large arable farm. The house is welcoming, immaculately maintained and very comfortable, with some unusual attributes, including Jim’s natural history library (where guests are welcome to browse) and extensive, well-tended gardens stocked with many interesting plants, including rare herbaceous plants, and old roses and apple trees.

Bedrooms vary according to their position in the house, but all are thoughtfully furnished in a pleasantly homely country house style and have direct dial phones, tea/coffee facilities and hair dryers. Iris takes pride in ensuring that her guests have the comfort of the very best beds and bedding - and the attention to detail in the pristine shower rooms is equally high, with lots of lovely towels and quality toiletries. (A bathroom is also available for anyone who prefers to have a good soak in a tub.)

Another special feature is a ground floor room near the front door, which has been specially designed for wheelchair users, with everything completed to the same high standard as the rest of the house.

Then there is breakfast - again, nothing is too much trouble and the emphasis is on delicious healthy eating. The wide selection offered includes fresh juices and fruit salad, poached seasonal fruit (plums from the garden, perhaps) pancakes, French toast with banana & maple syrup, Irish farmhouse cheeses, home-made bread and preserves - and the traditional cooked breakfast includes lovely rashers specially vacuum-packed for Iris by Shiel’s butchers in Abbeyleix.

Rooms 4 (all with en-suite shower, all no smoking, 1 for disabled); not suitable for children under 8 and older children must have their own room. B&B €65pps, single €85. 10% discount on breaks of 2 nights or more. Small weddings catered for (20). No smoking house; pets allowed in some areas by arrangement. Garden. Closed 3 Nov- 12 Mar. MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

Just outside Athy, on R428. Turn off N78 at Athy, or N80 at Stradbally; well signposted.