Stay at Ireland's Best B&B

SPRINGVIEW Farmhouse has been named ‘B&B of the Year’ by B&B Ireland, the representative body for the Irish bed and breakfast sector. The Kilkenny farmhouse features in Irish Ferries’ B&B programme, and can be packaged with ferry crossings for a great-value short break or as part of a touring holiday.

“It may only have three guest bedrooms, but Eileen Joyce has given hundreds of our travellers a warm welcome over the years and we congratulate her on the award,” says Ann Pye, holidays manager at Irish Ferries.

Springview Farmhouse is at the heart of the family’s mixed farm in beautiful, rural County Kilkenny. Bedrooms are furnished in traditional style, as befits the house’s early 19th century origins. Eileen welcomes guests with fresh-baked scones on arrival and serves a ‘full Irish’ breakfast each morning.

The B&B is no more than half an hour’s drive from fabulous Kilkenny city to the east – with its castle and cobbled streets as well as a host of good cafes and restaurants – and the same distance from medieval Fethard and the impressive Rock of Cashel.

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Wolsey Lodges adds to its collection

NINE B&B properties – from Scotland to Cornwall – have been added to the Wolsey Lodge collection this year, with more in the pipeline. 

The properties include: two manor houses; a former residence of the 9th Duke of Athol; an original Somerset Long House; a former bakery; a rectory and a Victorian keeper's cottage; a Georgian Grade II listed townhouse; and an Edwardian country house. All have either en suite or private bathrooms.

‘Wolsey Lodges is the forerunner in terms of luxury B&B,’ says Robin Clough, chairman of the not-for-profit marketing organization. ‘We were founded almost 35 years ago and have long been one of the best-kept secrets of the travelling cognoscenti. We have always had the strong ethos that the welcome received by guests is one that a friend would receive, and a stay that charms and exceeds expectations.’

The group’s B&Bs are vetted and inspected carefully to ensure they meet exacting standards, says Mr Clough. ‘There has always been something rather special about the type of guest who enjoys staying at Wolsey Lodges and this takes Wolsey Lodges into a different league from most B&B organizations.

 www.wolseylodges.com

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Picture Credit: www.wolseylodges.com

Cardigan Castle re-opens after £12 million make-over

CARDIGAN CASTLE is to re-open next month (April) after a £12 million restoration programme.

The 900-year-old Norman castle by the River Teifi, was abandoned in the late 1990s. It was bought by the local council which, in 2003 devised a rescue plan involving the help of volunteers. Restoration began in 2011.

The castle has restored gardens, an orchard, a space for live music and an education and visitors’ centre … and there is accommodation for B&B and self-catering guests.

‘It is hoped the castle will become one of West Wales’ top tourist destinations, attracting at least 33,000 visitors in the first year and bringing significant economic benefit to Cardigan and the wider area,’ said a spokesperson for the Cadwgan Building Preservation Trust.

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Picture Credit: Cardigan Castle - "Bridge Street from Teifi Wharf"  " by E Gammie via Wikimedia Commons