Co. Sligo COLLOONEY

Markree Castle

Markree Castle

County Sligo’s oldest inhabited house has been home to the Cooper family for 350 years and now makes an unusual country house hotel, set in a large estate. This is a proper castle, with a huge portico leading to a covered stone stairway that sweeps up to an impressive hall, where an enormous log fire always burns.

Everything is on a vast scale and restoration of the castle is an ongoing labour of love for the present owners, Charles and Mary Cooper, who rescued it from virtual dereliction in 1989 then later opened it as an hotel - and they have always been generous with the heating. Collooney village, one and a half miles away, has attractive Roman Catholic and Protestant churches but, better still, the Castle Chapel is available for use, subject to agreement with your clergyman - and wedding blessings are also possible here.

Personal individual attention from the owner and manager should ensure that everything runs smoothly - they can arrange or recommend virtually anything you could want, including special transport requirements, any special welcome and decoration of the venue.

Exclusive use of the castle as a wedding venues guaranteed for parties of over 60, and all of the public areas are spacious and conveniently close together, which is not always the case in castles; in addition to the vast hallway, reception areas include a spacious, comfortably furnished double drawing room with two fine fireplaces, and a separate bar, so there is plenty of room for guests to mill around comfortably.

The food at Markree has always been good and the wedding banquet - which is served in a beautiful double dining room with fine plasterwork and antique chandeliers - can be a sit down meal, a buffet or a mixture of table service and buffet; very fairly priced menus offer a choice of starters, main course and desserts as standard.

The Schoolhouse at Annaghmore

Set on the Annaghmore Estate, this charming rural schoolhouse features distinctively Tudor Revival decorative elements.  Built in the 1860’s as a school for the estate tenant’s children, it is an attractive rural building picturesquely located on the banks of a stream surrounded by mature woodland. 

The building retains many decorative surmounted by wooden hood mouldings and  a striking oriel window on the upper east gable.  The L-shaped one and a half story building comprises a two-story accommodation area and will sleep 4 people in 2 double bedrooms. 

Some 19th Century schoolhouse furnishings still survive including the schoolhouse furnishings still survive including the schoolhouse fireplace, coat hooks and chalkboards.

Details:

• Sleeps 4 people
• 2 double bedrooms
• 1 bathroom, eiyh bathtub
• 1 shower room with wc downstairs
• 1 kitchen
• Double height Sitting/Dining area
• Oil Central Heating
• On Site Parking

Other facilities include:
·       Open Fire in Sitting Room
·       Electric Oven
·       Microwave
·       Dish Washer
·       Washer/Dryer
·       Fridge/Freezer
·       Towel and Linens provided
·       Travel cot/crib for infants (under 2 years), on request
·       Hair Dryer
·       Iron and Ironing Board
·       Cooking Utensils and Equipment
·       Sitting Room
·       Garden and Patio with garden furniture
·       River located nearby
·       Radio

Nook Café and Restaurant