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Sheedys Country House Hotel & Restaurant

John and Martina Sheedy run one of the west of Ireland's best-loved small hotels - it offers some of the most luxurious accommodation and the best food in the area, yet it still has the warm ambience and friendly hands-on management which make a hotel special.

The sunny foyer has a comfortable seating area - and an open fire for chillier days - and the cosy bar is just the place to snuggle down with an after dinner drink and explore the rather fine range of interesting Irish Whiskeys including Midleton Rare.

All the bedrooms are spacious and individually designed to a high standard with generous beds, quality fabrics and elegant, quietly soothing colours; comfort is the priority, so bathrooms have power showers as well as full baths and there are bathrobes, luxury toiletries and CD music systems, in addition to the usual room facilities.

Fine food and warm hospitality remain constant qualities however - and an original feature has already enhanced the exterior in a way that is as useful as it is pleasing to the eye: the gardens in front of the hotel have been developed to include a rose garden, fruit trees, and also a potager (formal vegetable and herb garden), which supplies leeks, Swiss chard, beetroot and cabbage to the kitchen: a delightful and practical feature.

Rooms 11 (3 junior suites, 2 with separate bath & shower, 1 for disabled, all no smoking); children welcome. B&B €55-80 pps, ss €25. A recently introduced DB&B rate offers exceptional value at €120 pps. Free broadband wi/fi in the library area.

Restaurant:

The combination of John Sheedy's fine cooking and Martina's warmth and efficiency front of house make Sheedy's a must-visit destination for discerning visitors to the area. The restaurant has recently been refurbished and a new carpet and curtains (the windows were previously curtainless, which was stylish but a little stark) have added a warmer tone which is welcome on cooler days.

But thankfully there has been no change to John's carefully-presented meals; amuse-bouches sent out from the kitchen while you are choosing your dinner sharpen the anticipation of delights to come.

And everything on John's well-balanced menus just seems so appetising. His cooking style reflects a pride in carefully sourced local foods (many of them named on the menu, along with their suppliers) and pleasing combinations of classic and modern Irish.

Savour interesting dishes made from sparkling fresh seafood, tender and uniquely flavoured lamb and beef, and local farmhouse cheeses from the Burren: everything is cooked to order, every dish is beautifully presented, and vegetarian dishes are equally appealing.

Finish with a gorgeous speciality dessert such as home-made ice cream or old-fashioned lemon posset with fresh fruit sorbet- raspberry perhaps - and crisp shortbread.

Under Martina's direction, the service is gently paced, professional and unobtrusive, and a carefully selected wine list complements the cooking at prices that are very fair for the quality provided.

The same high standards apply at breakfast when an extensive menu is on offer: delicious fresh fruit compôtes and juices; great home-made bread and pancakes; a cheese plate, a fresh fish dish, as well as classic Burren smoked salmon with scrambled eggs.

A stay here is a treat by any standards.

Seats 25; children welcome. D daily, 6.45-8.30pm. 3 course early bird D 6.45-7.30pm €22.50-27.50. A la carte. House wine €22. SC discretionary. Establishment closed Oct-Easter. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

200 metres from square of town on road to Sulphur Wells.