Dublin was the first stop on my most recent trip to Ireland, giving me a chance to stay at The Merrion hotel.  The hotel is in a great location – a few doors down from the National Gallery and a short walk from the shops and pubs surrounding St. Stephen’s Green.  The hotel was created from three adjoining Georgian townhouses, and the elegance of the original buildings translates beautifully into The Merrion.  After settling in at the hotel, I ventured out into Dublin.  Everyone seemed to be out and about despite surprisingly cold weather and even a little snow, and there were flowers to be seen everywhere.  After braving the cold in the city, it was lovely to return to tea at The Merrion.  Over tea, I was able to reconnect with Katie Farrell, the Sales Manager at the hotel, whom I had not seen since travel week in Las Vegas, and Gavin Powers the Assistant Hotel Manager, who was extremely instrumental in setting up some special activities for clients of mine who are visiting this June.  While I sat talking with them by a turf fire, I looked out onto the courtyard garden, which was beautiful with a dusting of snow.  Presiding over the garden is a single statue of James Joyce, reminding one of Dublin’s rich literary tradition.  Dinner that night was at a nearby pub, Matt the Thresher, where I was again fortunate enough to be seated next to the fireplace.  Like everything I experienced in Dublin, the atmosphere at the pub was warm and inviting – and I had a great meal besides.  Unfortunately, I had only one day in Dublin before I needed to head southwest.

The car I rented in Dublin had enormous yellow arrows on the windshield reminding me and other non-UK drivers to stay on the left side of the road.  Although I have visited the UK more times than I can count, this was the first time I opted to drive myself, and I have to admit it took a little getting used to.  I would not recommend doing it alone, however.  If at all possible, bring a navigator to help you through the twists and turns.  Between the map, the GPS, and the voice in my head singing “to the left, to the left,” I was able to avoid sheep, cows, oncoming trucks that seemed impossibly wide for Ireland’s narrow roads, and too many wrong turns!  I made it from Dublin to Laois a little later than I had hoped but otherwise without incident, and I was rewarded with a stay at the incomparable Ballyfin. 

I arrived at Ballyfin after a long drive in a cold rain.  How wonderful to pull up to the main house and see Lionel, a member of the hotel staff, waiting with umbrella, eager to usher me into the warmth of the main house.  Once inside, I was immediately shown a blazing fire in the library and in the house’s main living room, two spots ideal for afternoon tea.  I changed quickly in my room – a beautiful suite overlooking the front of the house and the lake – and opted for a restorative tea in the library.  Sitting there by the fire as tea and cookies and scones were served, I felt a deep sense of contentment.  At Ballyfin, I was treated like a long-awaited friend, and within a few minutes, I felt completely at home.  Although the main house is grand, there are only fifteen guest rooms within it, ensuring quiet and lots of personal attention.  The estate itself is as well cared for as its guests, and the love and attention with which the house was restored – a process that took over nine years – is evident in every detail from the delicately inlaid floors to the plasterwork on the ceilings.  Rolls of antique wallpapers were purchased from auctions, gilt was painstakingly restored on surfaces, and modern amenities were blended seamlessly and artfully into the period décor.  Now that the restoration is over, the estate’s staff continues to look after Ballyfin with the same devotion and sense of purpose, welcoming guests to the magnificent property.  The grounds of the estate are spectacular as well, and although I visited on what felt like the coldest day of year, it was a joy to wander the paths along the estate, passing by gorgeous stone follies, Ballyfin lake, and some stone ruins farther out on the 600-acre property.  I was well equipped for wandering, having been carefully wrapped in a tartan blanket by Lionel and provided a golf buggy that afforded some protection from the wind.  Returning to the main house (where tea was once again waiting for me in front of the library fire) I wanted to stay forever!  I was not surprised to learn that many guests spend three or four days at the estate without ever venturing off the property – content with exploring the grounds on foot, by golf buggy, or on horseback – or indulging in fishing, falconry, reading, sitting by the fire, or in the estate’s first-rate spa.  The dining room offers yet another reason not to venture out.  Ballyfin takes cuisine very seriously, and the chef, French-born, Jean Michel Chevet, seems well on his way to garnering some Michelin stars for the property.  The atmosphere at Ballyfin is one of warmth, familiarity, relaxation, and thoughtful comfort.  Now that I have experienced Ballyfin, I will not be able to stay away for long.