Description: Adare, with its thatched roof cottages, lively pubs and antique shops, is claimed to be one of the prettiest villages in Ireland and Adare Manor sits just outside on a 840 acre site. Various houses have been on this site over the centuries but the present building dates from 1832.
The building came about because Lord Dunraven, crippled with gout, was unable to participate in the normal activities of a landed gentleman. His wife, Lady Caroline devised the idea of a new manor house to give him something to do. As it turned out, it was agreat suggestion because building the house provided labour and money for the surrounding villagers during the terrible potato famine that devastated Ireland during the mid-19th century.
The structure is a series of visual allusions to famous Irish and English homes that the Dunravens admired. It is replete with curious eccentricities such as the turreted entrance in one corner, 52 chimneys for each week of the year, 75 fireplaces and 365 leaded glass windows.
The interior space is designed on a grand scale. One of the most impressive areas is the Minstrel’s Gallery inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles and lined on each side by 17th century Flemish choir stalls. The accommodation rooms are all elaborately decorated in stone and timber and many have sweeping views of the adjacent river. Rooms in the main house vary from 270 Euros for a standard room in the off-season to 1200 Euros for the Presidential suite.
The house was converted into a hotel in 1988 after a complete restoration and modernisation. The River Wing and indoor swimming pool was completed in 1889. The Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Golf course opened in 1995. This was the venue for the 2008 Irish Open so it is rated as a fine course. The clubroom has 11 en-suite bedrooms and now 25 two and four bed-roomed townhouses have been added between the Manor and the clubhouse.
Surrounding the Manor house, there are sweeping parklands, cultivated gardens, formal French gardens, magnificent mature trees and the Maigue, one of Ireland’s best trout streams. Naturally activities revolve around golf and fishing but there are opportunities for clay target shooting, archery, falconry, horse riding and garden touring. All these are at extra cost. A round of golf, for instance, is from 140 Euros.
I must confess that I could not get value from Adare Manor. It is magnificent but to fully appreciate it you need to be comfortable in surroundings that I found a little daunting. For those more used to grand interiors and moneyed clientele, it might just be perfect. Certainly many of the other guests seemed to be having a great time and I believe the Manor gets many repeat bookings.
Close