Off-Season IrelandNotebook No 7July 2024
Ashford or Dromoland, when the fires are lit all day.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
We have found few international holidays quite like Christmas spent in an Irish country house. These estates, including the grand Ashford and Dromoland, offer a full-board experience during the festive period. Securing a reservation at Ballyfin provides you with this same deep level of service.
West Cork in February
The minimum stay of three nights allows guests to settle into a rhythm of gentle indulgence. Our days typically involve an afternoon spent walking the property. Formal dining follows in the evenings, with large fires casting a rich light through the long afternoons.
This December indulgence offers a pace of life more serene than New York, with temperatures milder than Aspen, and a caliber of service surpassing either.
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.