The Drawing Room HourNotebook No 80November 2025
Antrim in October, the gas lamps and a peat fire.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
The Antrim coast in October invites a brisk chill as dusk settles. Just inland, at The Bushmills Inn, a particular warmth emerges each evening when the gaslights ignite. This soft illumination spreads through the drawing rooms and library, crafting an atmosphere we truly appreciate.
Adare
From the quiet spaces beyond the bar, the gentle hiss of those gas lamps maintains a soft cadence. This sound combines with the earthy smell of peat burning in the hearth. It is a scent that evokes not only the inn’s fires, but also the distillery a brief walk down the road.
This is a northern hotel that draws us across the entire island.
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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.