Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [181]
Kilgraney Country House ( 059-977 5283; http://indigo.ie/~kilgrany; s/d from €100/130; Mar-Nov; ) The River Barrow burbles down the shallow valley from this six-room Georgian manor. The owners, veteran travellers, have created a fabulous interior with artefacts collected from far-away places like the Philippines. Unwind in the spa, the herb gardens (above) or over a six-course meal (€48 to €56). It’s off the R705 halfway between Borris and Bagenalstown.
M O’Shea ( 059-977 3106; Main St) Surprises abound in this warren of rooms that combines a general store, modern grocery store and old-fashioned pub where spare parts and bits of machinery still hang from the ceiling.
Getting There & Away
Borris is on the east-west R702, which links the N9 with the N11 in County Wexford.
Six trains a day travel between Carlow town and Bagenalstown (14 min; €7) en route to/from Kilkenny (18 min; €7).
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DETOUR: CLONEGAL
The minute village of Clonegal is the southern terminus of Ireland’s inaugural long-distance walking trail, the Wicklow Way. Non-hikers can reach it by driving along a series of sign-posted winding local roads 5km east of Kildavin and the N80.
Accessed by a long driveway off the main street, Huntington Castle ( 053-937 7552; Clonegal; castle & gardens tour adult/concession €7/5; 2-6pm Jun-Aug, by appt rest of yr) is a spooky, dusty old keep built in 1625 by the Durdin-Robertson family, who still own it and live here today. The family conduct hour-long tours of the property, which, they claim, is haunted by two ghosts: Bishop Leslie (a former bishop of Limerick) and Ailish O’Flaherty (the granddaughter of Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen). Descending to the castle’s basement brings you to the Temple of Isis, where the Fellowship of Isis, worshipping the ancient Egyptian goddess, was founded by the family in 1963.
A traditional stop for Wicklow Way walkers, Osborne’s pub ( 054-77359; Main St) is also slightly eerie thanks to its bar made from coffin lids.
Sha-Roe Bistro ( 053-937 5636; Main St; mains €18-26.50; lunch Sun, dinner Wed-Sat), tucked inside an 18th-century building, serves standout contemporary cuisine like potato, parmesan and herb gnocchi with roast butternut squash, followed by desserts like a fig tarte tatin with toffee ice cream, or Irish cheeses with rhubarb chutney and homemade crackers. The menu lists local suppliers who provide ingredients fresh from the surrounding orchards and farms. Book at least two weeks ahead.
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MT LEINSTER
To reach this mighty mountain Click here from Borris, follow the Mt Leinster Scenic Drive signposts 13km towards Bunclody in County Wexford. The last few kilometres are on narrow, exposed roads with steep fall-offs. It takes a good two hours on foot or 20 minutes by car. On the northern slopes of Mt Leinster, the tiny village of Kildavin is the starting point of the South Leinster Way.
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ST MULLINS
Tranquil little St Mullins sits 6km downstream from Graiguenamanagh in County Kilkenny. The village is the maternal home of Michael Flatley of Riverdance fame. Sure enough, the river snakes through here in the shadow of Brandon Hill, as does the River Barrow towpath Click here. From the river, a trail winds uphill to the ruined hulk of an old monastery surrounded by the graves of 1798 rebels. A 9th-century Celtic cross, badly worn down over the centuries, still stands beside the monastery. Nearby, St Moling’s Well is a holy well that seems to attract spare change.
Overlooking the weir at the river’s edge, Martin and Emer O’Brien have eschewed corporate life to convert St Mullins’ Old Grain Store ( 051-424 4440; www.oldgrainstorecottages.ie, Old Grain Store, St Mullins; cottages €300-480 per week; cafe opening hr vary) into a fabulous cafe serving Irish-roasted coffee, and three self-catering cottages sleeping two to four people, set in the coach house, the forge