Posted by PAT on February 01, 2007 at 16:35:06:
In Reply to: Traveling to Cork... where to stay posted by Bridget on February 01, 2007 at 10:40:00:
: Hello Pat~
: Was told of your helpful site by a friend whom you helped. He said you suggested staying at a 'mannerhouse' but I have not found any such listings. My family is planning an August trip with four adults and five teenage children. We will be visiting Cork and have a bit of driving to do. Want to see Courtmacsherry, Kinsale, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Bay. (Also could visit family near Dublin but it looks like a long train ride from Cork.)
: Would you suggest we stay in one location or break up the trip staying in two locations?
: Appreciate your help!
Dear Bridget,
Thanks for logging on to my web site, and thanks to your friend for recommending me.
First of all, the term you are seeking is "Manor House," and it usually indicates a grand 18th or 19th century house that was the focal point of a manor or large estate. Many have been restored and refurbished and are today used as country house hotels. Many of them are members of an organization known as Ireland's Blue Book (www.irelandsbluebook.com). Browse on the web site to get the feel of what a manor house is like.
In addition, there is a group of hotels that market themselves as "Manor House Hotels" (www.cmvhotels.com). These would not all be manor houses in the strictest sense (a lot are much more modern), but take a look at this web site too.
In addition, there are also some grand manor houses that have been converted into 5-star hotels such as the Park Hotel, Kenmare (www.parkkenmare.com) and Adare Manor at Adare (www.adaremanor.com).
Since you are traveling to Ireland in August (the peak of the high season), it is important that you make your reservations soon as many of the more ppular places will book out fast.
A lot will depend on how much time you will have in Ireland and what kind of budget you have. Most of the manor houses are expensive, especially since you need 3 to 5 rooms.
Once we know how long you have, then you can also decide how to schedule your trip. For instance, if you have 10 days, then you could go to the three areas you name (Cork, Kerry, Dublin). You could start in Dublin and spend a couple of days there. Then spend 4 days each in Cork (preferably Kinsale where there would be lots for the teens to do), and Killarney or Dingle (also full of activities for young people). As you will see, some manor houses are also castles - that would be cool for teens.
If budget is a factor, then you can rent a house or cottage and cook all your own meals. If you decide to rent a house or cottage, then rentals would be from Sat-Sat, so you could start in Dublin on a Wed. or Thurs. and then fly or drive to Cork/Kerry for a week at a self-catering house. However if your budget can stand it, staying in two or three manor houses would be a real treat.
Get back to me with your length of stay and your budget intentions, and we can move onward.
PAT