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BALLYVOLANE HOUSE ,Castlelyons,Fermoy,Co. Cork.Ballyvolane House Enquiries www.ballyvolanehouse.ie I had the most wonderful stay at Ballyvolane House recently and left feeling that I had experienced real Irish hospitality as it always should be. Unfortunately, the norm does not usually measure up to anything like the warm welcome, fabulous food, cosy log-fires and comfortable luxury that permeates the air around Ballyvolane House. The existing house was built in 1728 on the site of even older building, and when entering the gates there is some fascinating history of the house, including tales of murder, robbery and hanging! Nothing as gruesome met me on arrival, but rather young children playing in the grounds and gardens lined with beautiful old beach and oak trees. While sipping a cup of tea in the lounge I got chatting to two fellow guests who were celebrating their wedding anniversary and joined them in a glass of champagne. I was at home immediately. ACCOMMODATION AT BALLYVOLANE HOUSEI had heard that this fabulous old country house has just six guest bedrooms, and was delighted with mine. Big comfortable bed with electric blanket, very pretty curtains, lots of lamps, antique furniture, desk and television and the most amazing bathroom ever! Antique free-standing bath looking out over the gardens, plants, candles, big fluffy towels and all the little extras that top hotels are renowned for. And then some, how many bathrooms have you stayed in that have a stag’s head on the wall? This was comfort, history and character all rolled into a unique accommodation experience.DINING AT BALLYVOLANE HOUSEWhen it comes to dinner at Ballyvolane House you can either opt for joining the other guests at a large mahogany table with glass candelabras, or taking a quiet table on your own. I opted for the former and it was just like being at a dinner party with really satisfying tasty country cooking. All vegetables are from the walled garden and we enjoyed delicious Jerusalem artichoke soup, followed by roast Brill and bowels of steaming vegetables including creamy mash with knobs of melting butter, braised leeks and buttered carrots. After that was a wonderful apple crumble with home-made ice-cream. I then had a selection of artisan cheeses from the locality. The wine list is very well stocked with New and Old World favourites and a number of unusual varieties, I was pleased to see they have a good half-bottle list too.Breakfast can be taken any time until noon, and with free-range eggs from the estate and home made breads and preserves, it was faultless. Justin and Jenny Green have years of professional experience in international hotels and now they run this country house with a blend of professionalism and charm that makes each guest feel very welcome in their home. Justin’s father served us breakfast, and he also attends to the wonderful old walled garden where all the vegetables come from. I went for a stroll around the grounds the following morning, and while it was a cold and frosty morning, the birds were chirping away and it was easy to see why walking is so popular among guests here. This is a perfect place if you want a peaceful or romantic get-away; you could go on your own and feel comfortable and welcome; or you could bring friends and go trout or salmon fishing; of course if you wanted a really special location, you could have your wedding here. There are lots more reasons to stay at Ballyvolane, I would highly recommend it. www.ballyvolanehouse.ie Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites |
