Adare Castle is located right next to the hotel, but it is only accessible with guided tours.

Then there is the Franciscan Friary, which is located on the golf course. I somehow didn't get there and didn't ask at the hotel. I also didn't want to mess with golfers, who are often a special bunch, and that can be dangerous in combination with me.

During our search, however, I ventured into the golf course parking lot. Well, I think the signs say it all.

Lady President.....


OK, enough gossip. Let's go to the graveyard, with the church ruins as usual.

In the evening, we didn't feel like having a big dinner, so we ordered room service. It was a bit limited in the room, but it was okay.
The food was OK: a bowl, a soup, and a veggie burger.

The next day, it was time to say goodbye to Adare Manor. On the way to Bakkyfin, we stopped at Roscrea Castle. The castle dates back to the 13th century.





Unfortunately, the next tour didn't start for another two hours, so we couldn't go inside the castle. But there was still Damer House to visit.

Inside, on the first floor, there is a small art exhibition and a few historical artifacts on display.









There is a small but very beautiful garden behind the house.

It is a relatively new church with an adjoining cemetery, fairly unspectacular.





The most interesting feature is the portal of the old church, which now serves as the entrance gate.




Opposite is The Black Mills with its tower.


Streetart

Chapel in the front yard.

Ballyfin had been on my list for a long time; it has a legendary reputation on Flyertalk. It's quite a drive to get there; you could even say it's in the middle of nowhere. Once you've passed the exit, it's still quite a drive to the entrance.

You have to ring the bell at the gate, which was really stupid. EVERY TIME, the response was: �Please repeat.� I could have said everything the first time, and I was about to. But then they probably would have understood me. Can't they use a camera to look and remember the cars? Suddenly, the chatty guys from Adare seemed really great to me.
Once you had passed through the gate, you had to drive quite a distance to get to the house. It's a huge estate. But finally we arrived at the manor house.

On the day of arrival, lunch was included in our rate, so we were taken straight to the glass house where it is served. A quick glance at the rooms revealed that this is a special hotel, but more on that later. First, let's talk about lunch.
The room is very nice.



You eat from Bernardaud tableware (see France report), so I got myself some plates like that too. But first, let's take a look at the menu.


Bread


Ballyfin Summer Garden Salad

Buffalo Burrata - Green Apple, Beetroot, Walnuts, Cherry Tomato

Pan Fried Dalmon - Pomme Puree, Seasonal Vegetables, Lemon Butter Sauce


Selection of Sorbets & Ice-Cream

Everything was neat and tidy, a good start into the stay.

After lunch, we first take a look at the house from the outside.






But now to the entrance.

The public spaces at Ballyfin are undoubtedly something very special. First, you enter a welcoming lobby.




Then you come to the actual reception area, which is more like a living room. The room is known for its acoustics. If you whisper in one corner, you can hear it perfectly in the other.



The following staircase is decorated in a pretty turquoise color.

Pre-dinner drinks were always served in the next room in the evening. The ceiling was particularly beautiful.









From there, it branched off into four rooms. Coming from the stairwell, the restaurant was on the right.


On the left is the ladies' salon.




And straight ahead was the rotunda, where cakes were displayed during the day.





Behind it was the library, where there was a lot to discover.

















Finally, let's take another look at the conservatory.

There are also several rooms in the basement, but not all of the stairs leading down there are glamorous.

The large ballroom, which I don't find particularly attractive.

The bar, which is also used as a casual restaurant.

The wine cellar.


Hallway.

Decorative window

But now to the room. My Harper voucher was for a junior suite, and I ultimately decided against paying for an upgrade. I chose the Little Library because it is quite large at over 60 square meters. When we arrived, we were told we would be getting the Butler Room.
In the end, it wasn't such a bad thing, as the Butler Room is located in the main building, while the Little Library is in a side wing. The ceilings are much lower there.
Here is some information about the room:



The room itself was actually quite nicely furnished, but a little small for me. Especially for prices above �2,000, it should be a little more spacious.










I liked the bathroom better; it was quite large and nicely furnished.

Not a fan of that bathtub, but that's neither here not there.

The TV however... in this day and age, something like that in a room for such money... rather would have not had a TV at all.

There is a reason I choosed this picture That�s often the problem if it was build in a cupboard. Frankly we didn�t use it. The tub wasn�t that bad in my eyes, but that�s a question of taste.