5 Star luxury country house hotel in the heart of Ireland. Set at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the centre of Ireland, Ballyfin is a place of history and romance, of tranquility and great natural beauty.
The house has long been admired as the most lavish Regency mansion in Ireland, and after eight years of restoration, Ballyfin re-opened in May 2011 as a 5 star country house hotel like no other. It offers the very best of Irish hospitality in the most beautiful surroundings imaginable.With only twenty rooms for the 614 acre estate.
This 5 star luxury hotel is the place for a break from the stresses. It provides discretion and privacy like few other destinations. With just 20 bedrooms it is also the ideal place to take over for a very special celebration.
Come and enjoy life in one of the greatest country houses in Ireland. Welcome to Ireland. Welcome to Ballyfin.
HISTORY
Steeped in Irish history, the site of Ballyfin has been settled from ancient times and was ancestral home in succession to the O’Mores, the Crosbys, the Poles, the Wellesley-Poles – the family of the Duke of Wellington – and later the Cootes.
The Coote family was descended from Sir Charles Coote, an Elizabethan adventurer who came to Ireland in 1601. The Coote coat-of-arms is prominently displayed above the entrance to Ballyfin.
The house itself was built in the 1820s for another Sir Charles Coote to designs by the great Irish architects Sir Richard and William Morrison.
The Cootes enjoyed the house for exactly one hundred years employing a large team of servants to preserve the life of refined leisure that is documented in Edwardian photographs showing tea on the terrace or skating in the walled garden.
As the political situation changed with the dawning of the Irish Independence, the Cootes sold the estate to the Patrician Brothers who, for much of the twentieth century, ran a much-loved school at Ballyfin.
After many years of restoration Ballyfin reopened its doors in May 2011.
All rooms in the house are beautifully appointed, yet all individually designed to mirror the unique style of the original house.
The marble bathrooms are equipped to the highest standard with walk in shower, bath, double basin, luxurious toiletries.
Very spacious and comfortable, the only Stateroom Twin is situated in the former kitchen wing and so benefits from
additional seclusion and privacy. Views of the courtyard.
One of the rooms has a small balcony with view of the front of the house or of the lake.
One of the rooms has a large hallway.
Every dining experience at Ballyfin is a gastronomic affair. Throughout the year the Head Chef and his team along with the gardeners and local suppliers work together to produce not only
mouth watering dishes but to make the most of what Ballyfin walled gardens and the Irish countryside has to offer. From “garden to plate” at the very best.
Guests hiking, biking or simply relaxing may opt to take with them a traditional gourmet picnic hamper to enjoy in any location across the grounds, or select an al fresco meal on the terrace of the main house. Alternatively, enjoy the panoramic views from the picnic house (additional cost applies).
The cocktail hour is back at Ballyfin, ushering in dinner where you will enjoy the grandeur of the State Dining Room and the Van Der Hagen Room.
Downstairs the Cellar Bar offers a relaxed atmosphere and informal setting and provides residents with the opportunity to enjoy a more casual dinner experience.
Private dining can be arranged in the Porcelain Room lined with the famous ‘Flora Danica’ set of china or in the atmospheric Wine Cellar. (pre-booking 24 hours in advance required for private dining and additional cost applies).
At Ballyfin the architectural splendour of the rooms and their historical resonances combine with the food to make for truly memorable dining experiences.
Guests dine at individual tables unless a preference is expressed to dine with other guests.
Whether you feel like swimming some laps, enjoying some water exercises or simply relaxing, the 14m heated indoor pool, overlooking the courtyard garden, is a beautiful space for invigoration and wellbeing or relax in the vitality pool and sauna.
A highlight for many guests is a trip to Ballyfin’s well-stocked Cellar, just around the corner from the Bar. Guided by the expert sommelier, you can personally select your wine so that it is perfectly decanted and ready for you at dinner.
With its elaborate vaults, limestone columns and series of distinctive arched storage bins arranged like over-sized nest boxes, the cellar is a wonderfully atmospheric venue for wine tasting and private dining.
Among the highlights of the cellar is a group of wines from French chateaux with distinctly Irish names like Lynch.
The Irish ‘Wine Geese’ winemakers of Bordeaux, who fled persecution at home, were among the most innovative viticulture pioneers of the eighteenth century and in honour of this Irish contribution to France, wines have been carefully selected for the cellar at Ballyfin from fourteen vineyards established by Irish exiles.
Discreetly hidden away in the former Servants' Hall downstairs, the Cellar Bar is the perfect place to enjoy the convivial hospitality for which Ireland is famed. While the relaxed atmosphere is perfect for a quiet drink the informal setting provides residents with an opportunity to enjoy an alternative dinner experience.
Here the night time menu is a simpler affair – grill style but making excellent use of Ballyfin garden produce as well as fish, fowl and meats from local suppliers.
The change in style from the main floor of the house is reflected in the décor and here there is a chance to admire some of Ballyfin's collection of contemporary Irish art which includes
a major work by Michael Farrell (1940-2000) showing Vincent Van Gogh painting at Arles and a vividly expressionist piece above the bar by Brian Maguire (b. 1951) which contrast with the gentle lyricism of a series of flower pieces by the young Irish artist Michael Canning (b. 1971).
Here you will also find a superb collection of the best of Irish whiskies including single cask Middleton 1996; Inish Turk Beg, only 2,888 bottles produced; twelve-year old Red Breast and seventeen-year old Connemara, single cask.
On a summer’s day the bar opens out onto the former Kitchen Yard, which is now laid out as a courtyard garden.
The gardens yield a wide abundance of fruit, herbs, salads and vegetables throughout the year, which enable the kitchen team to provide the freshest local seasonal produce for the dining room ensuring the finest culinary experiences.
Ballyfin hens provide the hotel with fresh eggs every day for breakfast and the guests are welcome to collect the eggs each morning. The honey is produced by the busy bees and the bee hives can be located near the grotto.
The sausages are a special blend specifically made for Ballyfin by Feighery butchers in the local town of Portlaoise. Feighery's butchers and La Rousse Foods source meats from across Ireland. Trisha Butler and her family provide organic chickens from their farm in Co.
Kilkenny and the free range duck is supplied by Mary and Tony Walsh also in Co. Kilkenny.
Fish is landed from the day boats on the south coast and delivered by the Duncannon Fish Company. Glenilen Farm in Co.
Cork supply the butter and Adrian Meuller makes the seeded sour dough in the local town of Mountmellick.
With these raw materials – the fruit of the Irish soil – something very special is sure to ensue, but the extra magic is applied in the kitchen by the team of chefs.
You can be free to discuss your treatment choices with the reservations team - they will know and understand the treatments and will advise on which experience would best suit your needs. Alternatively you can reserve an amount of time and upon arrival and consultation, your therapist will select treatments for you.
The hotel's team kindly request that you book in advance of arrival to ensure they will have the availability of the therapists and treatment times required.
The gym is fully equipped with the latest cardio vascular machines, audiovisual equipment and free weights. A personal training service is available on request.
The treatment rooms provide an ideal place to unwind, restore and to invigorate the body and mind. The highly trained therapists will ensure you leave feeling revitalised and refreshed.
Feel free to discuss your treatment choices with the reservations team - they will know and understand the treatments and will advise on which experience would best suit your needs.
The vitality pool is equipped with a mixture of air and water based features. The air pad in the centre of the pool floor offers an invigorating air massage while wall mounted hydro jets add vigorous leg and back massage to your experience.
At Ballyfin, stone walls enclose 614 acres of parkland, a lake and ancient woods, delightful garden buildings, follies and grottoes.
The landscape, laid out in the mid-eighteenth century, is among the finest examples in Ireland of the natural style of gardening inspired by ‘Capability’ Brown. There are many highlights that will keep garden lovers and outdoor enthusiasts exploring for days.
These include the medieval-style tower, built as a folly in the 1860's, the walled garden with its formal borders and kitchen gardens, the abundant wildlife to be seen on early morning walks and the restored Edwardian rock garden.
WEDDING VENUE IN THE HEART OF IRELAND
Happily ever after’ begins with a wedding at Ballyfin Demesne. Ballyfin Demesne is an exclusive 5 star wedding venue where there are no interruptions or distractions – just you surrounded by the people you love on your special day.
The beautiful and relaxing surroundings, the privacy, the luxuriously comfortable accommodation, and the fine food and wine that will be provided by the superb chefs and the sommelier, make Ballyfin the perfect place for your perfect day.
Using the most advanced pre-charged air rifles on the 50m range, your instructor will guide you in the skill of precision shooting.
Despite its medieval origins, archery has now been developed into a high-tech and highly competitive sport. Using the very latest equipment guests are taught the skills required to strike gold on the competition shoot.
Ballyfin houses an outstanding collection of paintings which traces the development of Irish art from the mid-seventeenth century to today.
The demesne is a home to Ireland’s historic Science centre, where visitors may travel back to the time to when Birr Castle was a hub of scientific discovery and innovation.
Enjoy a leisurely boat trip on the 28 acre lake or why not let the Butler take you out while you relax and enjoy the scenery. Arrange a Ballyfin picnic and this will be ready for you at a beautiful private location close to the lake.
Among the outdoor activities offered at Ballyfin are coarse fishing on the lake, which has a large stock of roach and pike, croquet, clay pigeon shooting, tennis, archery and falconry.
Experience the beauty and elegance of these majestic birds of prey, get close and be captivated by eagles, hawks, falcons and owls.
A morning or afternoon of fishing on the lake for Pike and Roach. A ghillie and lessons can be arranged if required.
The estate is fabled for its natural and man-made beauties and as the demense is open to residents only, Ballyfin offers a perfect opportunity for rest, tranquility and outdoor activities.
Championship golf is nearby with some of the finest golf courses in Ireland within driving distance of Ballyfin.
The gardens were completed in 1912. They consist of formal gardens, lakes, woodland and architectural features, such as Gothic gates and artificial ruins, embellished with medieval pieces such as the window taken from Aghaboe Abbey.
Ballyfin is shown slightly left of centre at the top of this sixteenth-century map. At this date it was a modest settlement in a forest.
Take a guided tour of the house and learn of the history of the families that lived at Ballyfin, the restoration period and enjoy hearing of the history of each room and the antiques and art.
With 614 acres to explore, horse riding around the demesne is a wonderful experience. The experienced instructors will guide you around the demesne, trekking by the tower and lake, deep into the demesne.
Modelled on the tradition of the Irish county house, Ballyfin is designed for the most discerning guests who want to enjoy a few days of absolute tranquility and to experience the noble tradition of Irish hospitality.
Over the eight centuries of its existence, many additions and alterations have been made to the fabric of the building, making Kilkenny Castle today a complex structure of various architectural styles.
Arrange a Ballyfin picnic in a place of your choice on the demesne. You are spoilt for choice with some excellent locations to choose from, the grotto, temple, by the water cascade, top of the tower, by the lake.
Conceived on a generous scale for receiving guests, Ballyfin combines magnificence and intimacy in its State Rooms. The decoration of these interiors has long been acclaimed as among the finest of the Neoclassical and Empire periods in Ireland.
The Slieve Bloom Mountains are a hill walker’s paradise. There is a wide choice of looped walks and long distance way-marked walks. The challenging slopes of the Slieve Blooms also make the mountains a cyclists paradise.
The Conservatory - hidden behind a bookcase in the Library is a mirrored doorway that opens into the balmy tropical conservatory.
Have you dreamed in starring in your own period drama? With the backdrop of Ballyfin and a stunning collection of period costumes (from the Lyric Opera Company in Chicago - one of the best opera companies in the world) - you now have the opportunity.
The Dining Room - the state dining room is decorated with scagliola columns and overlooks the cascade and pleasure grounds.
The Gold Drawing Room - the grandest and most elegant reception room with many details and decorations in the French empire style.
The Library - the library occupies the entire south front of the house with matching fireplaces and over 5,000 volumes of books.
The Stair Hall - is brought into a room of its own with its cantilevered stair and hung with Coote family portraits
The Van Der Hagen is a more intimate dining room, the walls hung with early 18th century paintings by Van Der Hagen.
The Whispering Room - the first of six reception rooms facing east over the lake.
The Wine Cellar - wonderfully atmospheric with elaborate vaults, limestone columns and a series of distinctive arched storage bins.
Ballyfin Demesne is full of wildlife. Wild birds to name a few are Kestrels, Sparrow hawks, Hen Harriers, Buzzards, long eared Owl, Cuckoo, Pheasants, Kingfishers, Swans, Cootes and Moorhens. Catch a glimpse of a Fox, Deer, Red Squirrel, Mink and Pine Marten.
A highlight for many guests is a trip to Ballyfin’s well-stocked Cellar. Enjoy an evening of wine or whiskey tasting and you can personally select your wine so that it is perfectly decanted and ready for you at dinner.
Ballyfin house has 20 bedrooms accommodating 39 guests. Additional accommodation can also be found in Ballyfin Gate Lodge, with three beautifully appointed bedrooms which can accommodate 5 guests.
The hotel welcomes children of all ages when the house is reserved by one group for exclusive use. For individual reservations the hotel welcomes children over the age of 9 years.
BALLYFIN
County LaoisIreland