GEMMA TIPTONstays at Kilgraney Country House, Co Carlow
WE ARRIVED at Kilgraney Country House and Herb Gardens hungry. It was one of those travelling-timing things where you are never quite in the right place to eat when food is available. We left at 11am and arrived to visit a friend at 2pm – and so by the time we got to Kilgraney it was 6pm, and we had been subsisting on biscuits.
Kilgraney, in Co Carlow, is one of those places that you hear people say great things about, and which you intend to visit from year to year but never do. Well, I think you should – but I also think you should make sure you have lunch first.
We got there in gloomy rain to find a friendly welcome and a hand bringing our bags up to the African room. There are six rooms and two courtyard suites, and all are individually and idiosyncratically decorated. The African room, which was just the right side of tribal, had gorgeous views, a large bed and a bathroom complete with Aromatherapy Associates goodies.
“Would you like tea or coffee?” asked Martin, one of the proprietors. “We’d love a drink,” we replied. “And maybe a sandwich,” I added. There was a pause. “You see, we missed lunch, and . . .” The pause lengthened. “Perhaps a bit of bread?” The bread, it seemed, was for dinner, but when I suggested that I would be happy to have my dinner bread now, rather than later, we were all smiles again.
A gin and tonic by a turf fire, accompanied by brown bread and butter, restored my good mood, and we ended up forgoing our planned walk around the gardens, instead sipping and chatting until dinner time.
Dinner, which is always at 8pm, is a set menu with a choice of main course. It was one of the best dinners I can remember having. Anywhere. The wine list isn’t fantastic, but as we got through a series of small and delicious dishes, such as meltingly light souffle, goat’s-cheese quiche and white-tea sorbet, we were happy we had eaten only a couple of slices of bread beforehand, so as not to spoil our appetites.
We finished our meal and drank our wine under the watchful gaze of several cherubs, although we couldn’t quite decide whether they were charming or sinister.
The house is Georgian, and has been restored and furnished by Martin and Bryan, who also do the cooking, in addition to working as furniture and product designers, respectively.
Waking next morning to the peace of a country morning, we discovered that the water pressure in the shower wasn’t fantastic, but breakfast was incredible. Again, a series of little dishes left us happy but not overly full, and we walked off our pancakes, fruit and baked spinach and eggs with a stroll around the herb gardens.
There is a garden trail around Co Carlow, and Kilgraney is on the itinerary. Here, the herb gardens are laid out as medicinal gardens, with individual beds for herbs to treat different ailments. Herbs and vegetables from the gardens find their way to the dinner table here, too. The two hectares of gardens roll towards the Barrow Valley.
The spa, which is open to guests at the weekend, is a cool and relaxing spot, with its own outdoor hot tub. A coffee shop will be opening soon, for visitors to the gardens.
A further snoop around the house revealed an eclectic selection of furniture, from Irish antiques to dusty rose leather sofas to free-standing stainless-steel-framed mirrors and an enormous marble table. It is a combination that works well, and the mood manages to combine a sense of fun with elegance. This non-smoking house has a couple of rules that might disrupt the laid-back feel: a note in the bedroom informs guests that all public areas close at 1am and that no alcohol may be brought to the bedrooms. So no late-night champagne in bed, then, unless you fancy the extra frisson that breaking the rules can add to proceedings.
Our initial “we want bread” glitch notwithstanding, our hosts couldn’t do enough to make our stay comfortable and pleasurable – even to the point of letting me use their office internet.
We stayed only one night, but I left with a sense that another night or two would have seen me slip happily into Kilgraney’s ways of doing things (drinks at seven, dinner at eight, bed by one). It would have let us explore Carlow’s gorgeous gardens, take longer walks along the Barrow Valley, sample more fantastic food and almost certainly become hooked on their fabulous breakfasts. I would definitely go again.
WhereKilgraney Country House and Herb Gardens, Co Carlow, 059-9775283, www.kilgraneyhouse.com.
WhatGeorgian country house and spa. Open from March to November.
RoomsSix rooms, all en suite, and two courtyard suites.
Best ratesFrom €85pps in Church room to €140pps in courtyard suites; includes breakfast. Weekend package of two nights, with dinner one night, from €190 per person sharing.
Restaurant and barMulberry dining room, also communal dining room (check availability), no bar, but pre-dinner drinks in drawing room from 7pm.
Child friendlinessNot suitable for children under 12.
AmenitiesAromaSpa (open weekends), croquet lawn, herb gardens, local walks. Golf, horse riding and fishing are all nearby and can be arranged for you.