Gemma Tiptonon Kilronan Castle in Co Roscommon
THERE HAS BEEN a rash of them appearing all over Ireland, but Roscommon must have been one of the last of the 32 counties without its own luxury five-star hotel (set in either a formerly dilapidated Great House or once-ruined castle).It was the only place where visitors could not yet enjoy the wilds of Ireland from the pampering safety of a luxurious cocoon of well upholstered furniture, enormous fires and fluffy white towels.
All that has changed with the advent of Kilronan Castle. Well, almost changed, for although Kilronan Castle is open for business, it's not quite finished - yet.
We were in Boyle for work, and not knowing Roscommon as well as we might, decided to stay on to rectify that. Roscommon is one of those counties that you think might be great but you forget to stop in (unless, of course, you live there).
It can be a bit chicken and egg with hotels: do you build them to make people come, or because people are already coming and go on to stay elsewhere? But the arrival of Kilronan Castle on the scene should change that. Having said that, it has to be a nerve- wracking time for anyone in the hospitality industry at the moment, let alone someone with a new venture like this.
On our way over from Dublin, we stopped for a break in Roosky, in a bar where an almost-empty crème de menthe bottle sat, and the barman finished his paper before fetching my pot of tea (only €1.75).
We hadn't yet crossed the Shannon, but already we were in a different world. This feeling continued as we turned off to the kind of winding lanes that make a journey feel pleasurably longer (even though it is only about 15 minutes from either Boyle or Carrick-on-Shannon).
Large castle gates, slightly shocking in their newness, greet you at the foot of an avenue leading through woodland to the castle and the lake. Both are gorgeous and will be even more so when the new wing (styled after the castle) is completed, and the gardens, being landscaped by Diarmuid Gavin, are finished.
There will also be a Nick Faldo golf course for those so inclined. For now, guests check into one of the 18 rooms in the old castle. This place was once Castle Tennison, a Gothic Revival pile built in the 1880s by the Earl of Kingston, who was said to have very expensive tastes.
By the time the present owners (the Hanley Group, who have also developed Lough Rynn as a sister hotel in Mohill, Leitrim) came to it, it was just a skeleton.
The renovation and restoration in the castle part is rather wonderful, completed to that right point where restraint would be boring, but more would be overdone.
On a snooping tour (and the staff are happy to bring you) we discovered the beginnings of a cellar bar that also manages to have glorious windows onto the lake, a library, and a wine cellar. There will also (of course) be a spa. So is it fair to review a hotel before it is completed? Obviously you only get part of the picture, but if they are open to paying guests it seems only fair to let people know what they are in for.
At Kilronan, you're in for incredibly comfy beds, a beautiful setting in a genuinely unspoiled part of Ireland, extremely friendly and helpful staff. There's also the dining experience in the Douglas Hyde Restaurant, where head chef Pavel Maslov does things with local ingredients that the First President of Ireland wouldn't have ever dreamed of... The downsides are that there are the inevitable signs of construction work going on, and even in the completed sections, some of the finishing touches aren't yet in place.
Yes, there were lovely Damana products in the bathroom, but the bathrobes were being delivered "next week". Everything (except the golf course) is due to be finished by September.
None of this mattered in the end, because the highlight of our stay was a totally unexpected treat. After our dinner, we found the bar taken over by a launch of the O'Carolan Summer School and Harp Festival, held every year in nearby Keadue (July 27th-August 2nd).
Cathy Martin and Ann Marie Benson were playing their harps in such a way as to make you forgive and forget all the cheesy nonsense that has given the instrument a bad name. We'd missed the full session but the girls were joined by more musicians, and we sipped our champagne and decided that this mingling of the new Ireland with the old was something to be delighted in, and cherished." We sipped champagne and decided that this mingling of the new Ireland with the old was something to be delighted in
• WhereKilronan Castle, Ballyfarnon, Co Roscommon (071-9647771, www.kilronancastle.ie).
• WhatNew five-star castle hotel in parkland by a lake.
• RoomsCastle has 18 rooms, and new building has 66. When complete, guests will pay a supplement for castle rooms, so enjoy them now. Best rates currently €109 for the room only, but €119 per person will get you dinner and breakfast.
• Restaurant and barRestaurant and bar Bar food in the cosy bar, with lovely windows to the lake. Ask for the romantic side of the room in the restaurant for even more loveliness.
• AcessSteps up to the castle, but the new wing will be wheelchair accessible and some bedrooms will be, too.
• Child-friendlinessChildren welcome, especially when playing the harp. However, ambiance of castle feels like a romantic getaway.
• AmenitiesSpa will be ready in September and the gold course is due to be finished next year.