Glengarriff is famous for its mild Gulf Stream climate and lush growth - especially on nearby Garinish Island, with its beautiful gardens - and it was a very popular destination with the first 'tourists' in Victorian times.
Casey's Hotel dates back to ... more...
Located on the far side of the River Shannon where the Abbey River flows into it, this stylish modern hotel enjoys a great site with a waterside bar and restaurant, decked outdoor seating area and views of the hills - and a peaceful situation in what i ... more...
A charming mid 19th century house set quietly in mature woodlands on the de Vesci estate, Avril Bibby and Robin Scott’s country house B&B is just outside Abbeyleix village and offers all the advantages of the relaxed rural life that is typica ... more...
Both the house and garden at the Shelswell-White family’s 18th century mansion overlooking Bantry Bay are open to the public – and a visit to their Tearoom is highly recommended while you are there.
The Tearoom is set in three interconnect ... more...
Just 55 minutes from Dublin Airport yet set among three hundred acres of rich pasture land in the heart of the Boyne Valley, Bertie and Renée Clarke’s lovely creeper-covered 17th century country house overlooks the River Blackwater and is ... more...
Patrick and Helena Keenan’s gorgeous restaurant with rooms is in a stunning shoreside location, looking right up Lough Ramor - where little fishing boats and wildlife activity around pretty wooded islets are a constant source of interest.
It&rsq ... more...
Discerning visitors to this attractive seaside town have been making a beeline to the Waterworth family's great quayside pub for years - Denis and Margaret Waterworth opened their Donaghadee stalwart in 1999, and it seems to have been there for ever, e ... more...
Right down in the south-west corner of County Clare, Loop Head is a magical place with an away-from-it-all atmosphere, dramatic coastal scenery, and a whole range of outdoor activities, including dolphin watching. Add great food and hospitality to the ... more...
Scenically located, with great views of Clew Bay, Clare Island and Croagh Patrick, this long-established pub with restaurant has thrived under the ownership of Tom Bourke since 2016 and - even in the competitive Westport restaurant environment - is now ... more...
A lovely old creeper-clad building on Castlecomer's handsome main street, the Avalon House Hotel lay empty for some years until the Comerford family brought it back to life and re-opened as a four-star hotel in spring 2019.
A lot of TLC has gone ... more...
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?
With lengthening days and spring in the air, a short break away from cities can lift the spirits without breaking the bank. A hotel is a good bet early in the year, offering plenty of comfort and facilities if the weather is disappointing. To get the best rates, travel midweek if possible, give the special offers pages on hotel websites a good browse - and book direct. Here are some of our favourites to try.
Spring may be a clichéd time for all things romantic, but there can never be a bad time to plan a twosome break. Here are just a few of our favourite romantic destinations in Ireland to get you thinking...
Whether for Christmas, New Year or that lovely Twixmas gap between them, this can be the perfect time for a short break with - or as a respite from - family and friends. That in-between time often offers great value for a refreshing post-Christmas recovery break and some hotels have interesting pre-Christmas packages on offer too. Extra high demand this year means that some venues may be heavily booked, especially for the main Christmas break, but it is always worth calling to check availabi ...
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.
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….
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.
A bold modern boutique hotel overlooking Ardmore Bay, this chic five-star bolthole draws guests as much for the culinary offerings as the setting - and The Well spa, with its stunningly positioned outdoor infinity pool.
While mainly modern, this restored Victorian castle surrounded by beautiful woodland and formal gardens is a relaxing place to stay, and has wide appeal for a short break.
Two iconic houses of great taste create the perfect blend this March when The K Club hosts a very special Laurent Perrier Champagne Dinner in the Barton Restaurant
Famed for their value breaks together with great food and service, the Dunraven Arms always has some excellent short breaks on offer, including in Spring 2024
It’s not too late to bag a festive treat at this special rural destination. Set in a secluded County Wicklow Valley, BrookLodge & Macreddin Village promises a ‘haven of tranquillity’ at any season...
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 ...