Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [180]
Reached by a long, stately driveway through sheep-flecked paddocks off the N80 on the northern edge of town, Ballykealey Manor Hotel ( 059-915 9288; www.ballykealeymanorhotel.com; Ballon; s/d from €90/150, cottages $300; restaurant lunch Sun year-round, dinner Thu-Sat Mar-Oct, Fri & Sat Nov-Feb, hotel & restaurant closed Tue-Thu winter; ) is an 1830s-built pastiche of Tudor and Gothic detail. The stone manor’s 12 antique-filled rooms include a bridal suite with a four-poster bed and sunken bathroom. On the grounds, 15 townhouse-style cottages (one of which has wheelchair access) sleep up to five people and are equipped with stainless-steel kitchens. The manor’s former library now houses a high-end restaurant, the Oak Room, which also welcomes nonguests (five-course menu €55).
If strolling around Altamont Gardens has left you peckish, pop into the Forge Restaurant ( 059-915 9939; Kilbride Cross, Ballon; dishes €5-11; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun), where Mary Jordan cooks up steaming soups (served on a wooden bread board) and hot lunches, as well as baked goods to take away, and also sells local art and crafts. There’s often a wait for a table at weekends, but hang in there.
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BORRIS & AROUND
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This seemingly untouched hillside Georgian village has a dramatic mountain backdrop and traditional main street. A huge stone railway viaduct on the edge of town has been disused since the line closures of the 1950s.
Borris is full of character, with plenty of atmospheric bars hosting summertime trad music.
Sights & Activities
Borris is a starting point for the 13km Mt Leinster Scenic Drive (it can also be walked) and is also on the South Leinster Way (Click here). Alternatively, there’s a lovely 10km walk along the River Barrow towpath to picturesque Graiguenamanagh (County Kilkenny) and on to St Mullins.
To the south of town, quad bikes can be rented from Country Quads ( 059-972 4624; www.countryquads.net; Maloney’s Farm, Tinnecarrig, Borris; per hr adult €50, child €32-40; by appointment), which also has a fun computer-simulated indoor shooting range (€100 per group per hour) where you can fend off attacking bears, flying pheasants and more.
Continuing south, Carrigleade Golf Course ( 059-972 4370; carrigleade@gmail.com; Carrigleade; green fees weekday/weekend €10/12) is a wonderfully informal 18-hole golf course in a beautiful country setting with mountain views.
Heading north from Borris, the R705 follows the scenic River Barrow Valley 12km to Bagenalstown, the new home of the successful microbrewery Carlow Brewing Company ( 059-913 4356; www.carlowbrewing.com; Royal Oak Rd, Bagenalstown; tours €8 by reservation). Its award-winning O’Hara’s Irish Stout bursts with flavour and certainly holds its own against that other Irish stout.
Also in Bagenalstown, Kilgraney House Herb Gardens ( 059-977 5283; www.kilgraneyhouse.com; admission €6; 2-5pm Thu-Sun Apr-Sep) boasts a heady cocktail of medicinal and kitchen plants.
Sleeping & Eating
Step House Hotel ( 059-977 3209; www.stephousehotel.ie; 66 Main St; s/d from €65/130; restaurant dinner; ) Right in the centre of town, this Georgian home has undergone a stunning makeover in elegant shades of pistachio green. Its 23 rooms all boast balconies with picture-perfect garden views framed by Mt Leinster. In the house’s old kitchens, tables in the Cellar Restaurant are tucked in romantic corners beneath vaulted ceilings. Classy fare ranges from grilled Ardsallagh goat’s cheese to roast cushion of venison with chocolate fig purée (mains €26 to €30).
Lorum Old Rectory ( 059-977 5282; www.lorum.com; s/d from €95/150; Mar-Nov; ) Halfway between Borris and Bagenalstown off the R705, this historic manor house sits on a prominent knoll east of the road. The gardens stretch in all directions, offering peaceful