Patsey Murphyvisits Rathsallagh House Hotel, Co Wicklow
'LIKE AUGUSTA without the azaleas" is how one pundit described the 18-hole parkland golf course at Rathsallagh, the much-lauded four-star country house outside Dunlavin, on the Wicklow-Kildare border. All I know is that my colleague and his foursome teed off at 2pm and were only strolling around to the 18th sometime after 6.30pm. Nice work if you can get it. It's a long course, par 72, set in 210 hectares (530 acres) of rolling woodland with magnificent trees, some tricky.
The clubhouse is said to be one of most welcoming in the country, courtesy of the O'Flynns, père et fils, with wood burning in the hearth and tables indoors and out overlooking the distant hills. But we opted to dine in the main house, where Kay O'Flynn's cooking is what originally put Rathsallagh on the map. The dining room was full, with one table of 15 dentists, one man solo, a father and four teenagers, several couples and a giggle of women who arrived a day early for a wedding.
The vegetarian in our midst had a quail's-egg amuse-bouche followed by an immense rocket, pear, walnut and Cashel Blue salad followed by black-bean soup followed by a croustade of roast vegetables followed by a hot Valrhona chocolate fondant. His good wife had a smattering of terrine followed by scallops followed by carrot and orange sorbet followed by duck followed by spiced-bread ice cream. You get the picture. We cleaned our plates. €65 a head. I had Wicklow lamb. Le golfeur chose a Pic St Loup from Domaine de l'Hortus, in Languedoc, from an interesting wine list that included a good many under €30. Service was charming and efficient, though we still managed to be second-last out. The dentists outstayed us.
The 29 bedrooms are all different. The newer rooms overlooking the walled gardens or paddock are very spacious and bright, many with French doors leading outside. The rooms in the old house (converted Queen Anne stables) are creakier but charming, with cushioned window seats and chintz tie-backs and ginormous beds. The en-suites, some with steps, are rooms in themselves - mine had two chairs within - and are well stocked with Gilchrist & Soames toiletries, sewing kits, shoe shiners and more. The rooms come with fresh flowers, a cafetiere, tea maker, iron, safe, DVD player, TV, bottled water, pad and pencil, magazines and copious reading material about the history of the estate, its amenities and local or nearby attractions. Indeed, there is a list of 102 things to do while at Rathsallagh, including in-house beauty treatments and local walks. You can ask to have your bath drawn with added fairy lights, or book a golf lesson or arrange to stalk a deer.
It's a good place to have breakfast in bed. On the other hand, the buffet beckons with bells on: there's kedgeree! Ham on the bone! One of those old-fashioned toasting machines! Delicious breads, jams, stewed and fresh fruits, yogurt, cereals, creamy or saintly made-with-water porridge, cured meats, black and white pudding, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, fresh juices, yada yada yada . . . and eggs cooked to order. A selection of newspapers and a view overlooking the garden. And you expect us to leave? Well, yes, because a wedding is arriving at noon.
Rathsallagh has won plaudits as a wedding venue; Gay Byrne's daughter Suzy is quoted as saying, rightly, that it is as close to homeliness as you will find. "We were not herded into a function room. Rathsallagh was ours for the day, where after the meal our family and friends felt at home, and either chatted by the fire, or drank at the bar, or danced the night away."
So on a bright spring morning full of promise we left, as another wedding approached, the staff cool as cucumbers. But first we headed for the golf club. One good local citizen was arranging a classic to benefit Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Teenagers still on their Easter break were there for lessons. The resident pro is Brendan McDaid, whose academy provides classes for all levels.
It's a social hub of sorts, Rathsallagh, and if you're lucky you'll find yourself there at least once, for a wedding, for the food, for the golf or for an experience, extravagant but unpretentious, of what we imagine to be the best of Irish hospitality." If you're lucky you'll find yourself at Rathsallagh at least once, for an experience of what we imagine to be the best of Irish hospitality
WhereRathsallagh House Hotel and Golf Club, Dunlavin, Co Wicklow, 045-403112, www.rathsallagh.com.
AmbienceChintzy, comfortable, creaky in parts, relaxing, old charm.
Rooms29 en-suite rooms, in both original house and ivy-covered new additions. Banqueting facilities.
Best rateMidweek spring special €229 per person sharing for two nights' B&B, one six-course dinner, plus massage or round of golf. Rates from €150 B&B.
Child-friendliness"We regret that we cannot cater for children under 12."
Amenities18-hole parkland golf course, golf academy, driving range, pitch and putt, tennis, cycling, deer-stalking, fishing, clay-pigeon shooting, jacuzzi, steam room, in-house treatments.
RestaurantLegendary breakfasts include ham on the bone. Afternoon tea. Six-course dinners formal but unpretentious (€65 a head). Bar food in golf club.
BarKitchen Bar in main house has well-used piano, log fire and a wealth of old horsey and golf photos. Clubhouse has bar food and fire.
AccessTwo garden suites wheelchair accessible. A lot of potentially difficult gravel pathways.