Picture the scene. Mellow tunes are flowing through the house. The outdoor table is lit up with lanterns and draped bulbs. You’re adding wildflowers to the simple tablescape. A car pulls up and excitement bubbles up as the last pair of your small group of friends arrive for your first weekend away in many months. They are laughing with their Driver Guide who collected them from their home a few hours earlier and ensured they arrive feeling refreshed, even before they settle in the idyllic base. Bags are dropped, toasts raised and glasses are clinked. An air of contentment settles around the table. We’ve made it.
This is a year when reconnecting with friends and family has added meaning after a long period apart. We seamlessly arrange these celebrations so that you and your select few can delight in the ease of letting someone else take care of all the details. That, surely, is luxury. And you deserve it.
Contact us now to discuss the details or read on for a sample of a few of the special properties we can arrange for you. We also arrange full-services, five-star private rentals. Read about them here.
Walden Lakehouse, Westmeath
Have you ever thought about running away to live in the woods to live a life of quiet luxury? If so, we’ve found you the perfect cabin hideaway. Walden Lakehouse is a lovingly restored cabin hunkering on the shores of Lough Ree in County Westmeath, a treasure trove of mid-century pieces and cosy textiles.
Interior designer Egon Walesch and his architect-trained partner Richard Goodwin spent four years to plan the restoration and the result shows that every moment was worthwhile.
Immersed in lush woodland, Walden Lakehouse is a cool, calm and eclectic self-catering retreat offering luxury and privacy in a secret spot on Ireland’s longest river. This cabin blends authentic mid-century finds with contemporary comfort and a restorative nature. It sleeps up to four people.
Best for: restorative woodland living.
Lost Cottage, Kerry
Set between emerald green farmland and cloud-shrouded mountains in Co Kerry, beneath its red iron roof, Lost Cottage is paradise. The red-ironed roofed cottage was transformed from a ruined cottage to a luxury self-catering hideaway.
Set within 85 acres, you can watch the morning sun from the master bed or settled into an armchair by the log fire to enjoy the dramatic views over Caragh lake. This is a pared back space, where minimalist interiors offer a stylish refuge from the elements. The bathroom has a glass roof, rain shower and sunken tub. Set in Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, bathers are guaranteed a dazzling show. It is truly a refuge far from the hum of urban life.
Best for: Retreat and reconnection.
Drumhalla House, Donegal
Drumhalla House enjoys a secluded location on the shores of Lough Swilly in Co Donegal.
The house and grounds have been beautifully restored to offer luxury self-catering holiday accommodation with up to 11 bedrooms across two houses. Over 200 years old, the estate was originally built by Dr Knox of Llifford. The 46 acres of woodland and landscaped gardens create a peaceful, secluded setting for Drumhalla House. An added bonus is the secluded Kinnegar Beach that can be accessed from a path and gateway in the gardens.
Best for: Secluded celebration setting.
Trinity Island, Cavan
If buying a private island isn’t on your agenda, how about renting one? Trinity Island, near Killeshandra in Co Cavan, offers a luxury rental that includes an eco-friendly self-catering lodge, which sleeps six, and 60 hectares of lush countryside on a tranquil private island.
Trinity Island Lodge offers total isolation and beautiful surroundings on the banks of Lough Oughter. The island is surrounded by 5km of lakeshore walkways often visited by a variety of local wildlife.
Originally, a stone granary the building was converted into a lodge that maintains the natural beauty of the stonework and the surrounding landscape. It provides a relaxed base from which to unplug from the world and pass the time fishing, canoeing and boating. The sauna and jacuzzi bath allow for evening pampering before curling up by the wood-burning fire with a book.
Best for: Island isolation.
Ballilogue, Kilkenny
Ballilogue is a series of lovingly restored buildings dating back to 1700 which have been stylishly refurbished close to the pretty village of Inistioge, Co Kilkenny. Irish designer Patrick McCarthy transformed the Clochán, a small cluster of ancient stone buildings, to give them new life as a home away from home for visitors.
It’s the perfect setting for a family reunion, a wedding, or even a film. The buildings are framed around a central courtyard with contemporary modernist light-filled interiors, planted walled gardens and the glass atrium overlooking the Kilkenny countryside.
“It reminds me of those hilltop ‘borgos’ or villages you come across in the Tuscan countryside. Except Ballilogue is very much Irish, a gathering of stone barns, farmhouses, cottages and gardens, with the oldest building dating back to pre-famine times,” writes Forbes magazine.
Best for: Tuscan vibe in Irish countryside.
