For a pre-festive Break in Dublin: The Wilder Townhouse
Have you booked tickets for Moulin Rouge The Musical at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and need a central base? Try The Wilder Townhouse – it’s brimming with character, gorgeous artworks and supremely comfortable rooms, where the turndown service is noteworthy (and includes a basket of treats), as is the breakfast buffet in the Garden Room (worthy of its Michelin Key). The Festive Warm Up package, from €279 per night, is ideal for anyone looking to soak up the capital’s seasonal atmosphere and enjoy superlative service. thewilder.ie
For Christmas Crafts: Ballymaloe House, Co Cork
With more than 200 exhibitors, Ballymaloe Craft Fair straddles two weekends in November (14th-16th and 21st-23rd) and always provides inspiration for thoughtful Irish-made gifts, from ceramics and jewellery to art and decorations. Festive music and great food are further highlights as is a Brickx Club Lego workshop for children to enjoy while adults browse the wares. Free parking is available on-site, as is a free shuttle bus from Midleton to Ballycotton. Afterwards, visit the Salty Dog cafe and restaurant on the pier in Ballycotton. The cosy pub has live music every Saturday and six guest rooms upstairs offering a boutique hotel experience. saltydogballycotton.ie
For a slow escape: Ballynahinch Castle, Connemara
There’s nowhere better than Ballynahinch Castle to embrace the idea of a slow Christmas. With 700 acres of woodland and riverside trails and a walled garden to explore and an outdoor sauna overlooking the estate, it serves up a mindful setting. Inside, cosy reading nooks and dining options delight as do the chintzy Bryan O’Sullivan-designed rooms. From €315 per room per night. ballynahinch-castle.com
For a shopping trip to Dublin: Stauntons on the Green
One of my favourite boutique hotels is Stauntons on the Green, where an original stained-glass window by Harry Clarke never fails to mesmerise, and its beautifully restored Georgian rooms are the epitome of comfort. Book the Stylish Stay, which includes a trio of treats, including a €50 gift voucher to spend in Brown Thomas, seasonal afternoon tea and complimentary entry to MoLI – the Museum of Literature. While there, take time to watch a film installation about Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis – one of the greatest love letters ever written. From €273 per room midweek; stauntonsonthegreen.ie
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For a Family Santa Sleepover: Lough Erne Resort, Co Fermanagh
The Fermanagh Lakelands are magical whatever season you visit, but on frosty days the Marble Arch Caves come into their own, as does climbing Cuilcagh mountain’s Stairway to Heaven. Stay at Lough Erne Resort where accommodation includes turret-style self-catering lodges, comfortable guest rooms and luxurious suites overlooking the shimmering lake, surrounded by twinkling trees adorned with festive lights.
Its Family Santa Sleepover is available on selected dates throughout November and December and offers a chance to explore the resort’s 600 acres and facilities (golf course, leisure club and Thai Spa). Dinner in the Loughside Bar & Grill is included, as is a meeting with Santa. Prices start from £479 for two adults and one child staying in a room, and from £620 for two adults and two children staying in a Resort lodge. lougherneresort.com.
For a gourmet Christmas: Virginia Park Lodge, Co Cavan
If you’ve harboured notions of having a private chef cater at Christmas, then look no further than the Ultimate Christmas Experience at chef Richard Corrigan’s charming country house hotel, Virginia Park Lodge, where he’s hosting an intimate house party for 14 guests. This begins on Christmas Eve with mulled wine, mince pies, carols and an oyster shucking class before supper.
Christmas Day is a leisurely affair with a champagne breakfast, followed by the option of watching some classic films in the cinema, going for a traditional Christmas swim at Lough Ramor or working up an appetite for Festive High Tea by exploring the woodland walks and riverside views on this 100-acre estate. The finale is a posh cheese and terrine trolley, with entertainment around the bar. No one leaves on St Stephen’s Day without gourmet presents and provisions. From €2,600; virginiaparklodge.com
For Christmas Shopping in Belfast: The Moxy Belfast
Affordable, fun and stylish has always been the ethos of Moxy Hotels, and a recent addition to its portfolio is the Moxy Belfast City on Clarence Street, close to Victoria Square Shopping Centre as well as the bars, restaurants and nightlife of the city’s Cathedral Quarter. When guests check in at Bar Moxy they receive a complimentary drink, while the lively communal spaces embrace a grab-and-go concept where guests can pick up something to eat or “plug and play” at communal tables. Still valid is the opening offer of 20 per cent off any stay with breakfast when booked directly on the hotel’s website, valid until January 31st, 2026. marriott.com
For rustic luxury: Delphi Lodge, Co Galway
Delphi Lodge exudes rustic luxury with its log fires, reception rooms, 13 bedrooms, a snooker room and grand diningroom. During the Christmas season, it transforms into an exclusive festive retreat, which can be booked from December 23rd to 26th on a full-board basis. This includes a champagne reception in the piano room, communal dining around the magnificent oak table in the diningroom and a classic buffet lunch on St Stephen’s Day, with music in the drawingroom. From €2,800. delphilodge.ie
For a Twixmas break: Native, west Cork
West Cork has its very own seasonal traditions, from live cribs to placing red candles in windows to welcome visitors on Christmas Eve before a late supper of stockfish and potatoes. There are also interesting community initiatives such as the #12WalksforChristmas. As a location, it has always attracted those in search of a slower rhythm of celebration, a time steeped in memory and meaning. Stay in the Native Guesthouse, (€250 per night) in the village of Ballydehob, a design-led real escape with three en-suite bedrooms and two Garden suites, as well as a landscaped sauna.
Hosts will recommend food outings, sea-swim spots, and relaxing winter walks. These elements work together to ensure a relaxing stay and focus the mind on the year ahead. Pre-Christmas, Native will be hosting A Winter Festive Feast with Mark Jennings, founder of the original Pilgrim’s restaurant in Roscarberry. Two weekend packages include welcome pizza and pet nat, a guided rewilding walk, Festive Feast, sauna and cold plunge, and other treats, December 12th-14th and December 19th-21st. native.ie/events
For dressing up: Dromoland Castle, Co Clare
If you can’t dress up at Christmas, when can you? On the three-night Christmas at the Castle break at Dromoland Castle, Co Clare, guests should pack for swish cocktail receptions, elegant dinners and lavish lunches in the exquisite Earl of Thomond Restaurant. There’s also the chance to join fellow guests at the Limerick Races on St Stephen’s Day, or enjoy a private falconry session. You’ll need your walking or cycling gear too for exploring the grounds. As part of this year’s programme, guests will also receive a complimentary family portrait, professionally captured on the grand staircase of Dromoland Castle. A ball gown would look fabulous for that. dromoland.ie
For a festive afternoon tea: The Westbury, Dublin
For many Dubliners, The Westbury has always served as the perfect conduit for a Christmas get together with friends and family, whether it’s a fun lunch at Balfe’s or drinks in The Sidecar. Especially popular is Afternoon Tea in The Gallery (€79), a swish setting for present swapping. For an even more sparkling occasion add an optional glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV Champagne, €102 per person.
Make sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment; sittings are available from 12.30pm to 5.30pm. Don’t leave without visiting the hotel’s popup Christmas shop from which I’ve amassed quite a collection of its pretty art deco champagne coupes. The signature Donegal Turf candle – a smoky, serene fragrance with notes of cedarwood and whiskey – is a fail-safe present to have under the tree. doylecollection.com
For a pet-friendly stay: Mount Congreve Estate, Co Waterford
From the end of November, the historic house and gardens of Mount Congreve Estate is the setting for an atmospheric Winter Market, which runs until December 23rd. Other highlights of the estate’s Christmas programme include candle-making, festive wreath-making and calligraphy workshops, in addition to a special visit with Santa Claus in the east wing of the house (Mrs Clause and few elves will be in attendance too), not to mention festive afternoon teas served in Stables Café.
Families can book Christmas stays from December 12th until January 4th in one of its pretty pet-friendly Gate Lodges, Forest Eco Cabins or the Courtyard Suite. One lodge even has a dedicated Dog Room, complete with beds, bowls, and toys from Irish maker Country Pet. Two-night minimum stays apply midweek; during the festive period there is a five-day minimum stay.
One of the benefits of staying on the estate is private access to the gardens after hours in addition to the Silver Exhibition in the Large Drawing Rooms. Bicycles are also provided – perfect for exploring the Waterford Greenway. From €399 per night based on a Couples Cabin or from €435 per night based on a Family Cabin. mountcongreve.com
For Christmas in a Castle: Lough Eske Castle, Co Donegal
At Lough Eske Castle, Co Donegal, guests can choose between two-night and four-night Festive packages, from €845 per person. Highlights include Christmas Eve dinner in Cedars Restaurant or the Gallery Bar, followed by a lavish buffet lunch in the Castle Ballroom on Christmas Day. There’s also a special Children’s package which includes horse-drawn carriage rides, fairy trails and a visit from Santa and his helpers. Given the setting, guests have ample space to stretch their legs with a leisurely walk or bike ride through the countryside. lougheskecastlehotel.com
Hotel shopping
Hotel boutiques are often the places to find unusual gifts and interesting collaborations – none more so than The Boutique at Cashel Palace, Co Tipperary, where John Hanly wraps, Memo Irish Leather toiletries, Westman Atelier beauty products and equestrian-inspired pieces from B Draddy are some of the tempting offerings. Preppy LL Bean tote bags make a great gift too. cashelpalacehotel.ie
At Ashford Castle, Co Mayo, Mrs Teas has always been the place to find gorgeous gifts, from heritage Irish brands such as Dubarry, Madigan cashmere and Magee 1866 to Foxford. Silk pyjamas and quilted dog coats for winter walks are best-sellers, as is chocolate from Paula Pastry. ashfordcastle.com
Charlotte & Co Boutique at Dromoland Castle, Co Clare, honours the hotel’s historic connection to the textile industry, where the fashion-conscious will love items from Irish brands such as Colin Burke, Cleo Prickett, and Aoife Lifestyle. I particularly like the Tidings silk scarves. dromoland.ie
Artist Nesta Fitzgerald has just completed the posh Christmas cards for Ballyfin Demesne, Co Laois. Should you wish to have a similar customised card, for personal or corporate use, she is taking orders. nestafitzgerald.com
