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Hotel Reviews Ireland,
The Old Schoolhouse, Blackwater, Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland.

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You are here : Home > South West > Ballyvolane House Cork

BALLYVOLANE HOUSE

Fermoy
Co Cork


www.ballyvolanehouse.ie
Ballyvolanehouse enquiries
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  • Historic Family Owned Country House.
  • Cosy luxury and fabulously romantic hide-away.
  • Outstanding food all locally sourced.

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 HOUSE

I 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 HOUSE

When 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

What’s to do in the Area?

It is possible to just totally relax beside the open log fires and enjoy a drink from the Honesty Bar, but there are plenty of activity choices too.

As mentioned, the area is perfect for walking and there are maps with routes around the estate including the gardens and woodland and streams and rivers. If you want to go further afield, there are suggested walks around the greater Ballyvolane locality ranging from an hour and half to three hour duration.

The beautiful Blackwater Valley, with its many gardens and historic sites is well worth visiting. Blarney Castle, Cobh, Cork City, Fota Wildlife Park and the Rock of Cashel are just some of the attractions easily visited from Ballyvolane.
There are also horse-riding facilities, hill walking, cycling and sea fishing facilities as well as popular Farmer’s Markets nearby.

Golf is also very accessible from Ballyvolane with twenty-three different golf-courses available within an hour’s drive from the house.
Cork city is less than a half-hour drive away and is excellent for shopping, theatres etc. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Kinsale is famous for its variety of top-class restaurants and interesting craft shops. The famous Ring of Kerry is less than a couple of hours drive away.

Finally, fishing is probably one of the most popular activities at Ballyvolane. With over six miles of privately-managed salmon fishing on the renowned River Blackwater there are a wide variety of sprint and summer beats. Ghillies (guides) who will also give one-to-one tuition, are available if pre-booked. There are also three stocked trout lakes on the estate.



 
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