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Irish Examiner
14-06-2025
- Irish Examiner
North Cork: Nature, history and hospitality on a trip through The Good Country
It takes ten minutes to pack my overnight bag and swimming gear. I then stuff a few snacks into my handbag, fill a water bottle, and jump into the car. With my teenage son as a travelling companion – he packs in less than two minutes - we hit the road to North Cork. Along the way, we enjoy blue skies and high temperatures, bringing nature out in all its blooming glory – drifts of hawthorn and flamboyant horse chestnut trees in full spring swagger. We pulled into Ballyhass Adventure Park outside Mallow in under an hour. The place is a hive of activity, with adults and children moving in all directions. Wild and wonderful activities include a giant aquapark, axe throwing, cliff climbing, kayaking, and wakeboarding. It radiates positivity here, largely thanks to the upbeat and helpful staff. An aerial view of Ballyhass Adventure Park, Mallow, Co Cork We are booked in for a wood-fired sauna. A quick change into our swimsuits in a welcome, if rustic, changing room, and we are ready to go. The heat inside our Hobbit-style hut is like nothing I've ever experienced - a scorching 100°F and climbing. We tough it out for all of three minutes. My teenager walks straight down to the water's edge and jumps in. I take the scenic route via a ladder, submerging myself in the freezing water one slow step at a time. When I look over my shoulder to find a patient queue, it is now or never to make the final plunge. The benefits are immediate — every cell tingles, my head clears, and every worry vanishes. A sauna at Ballyhass Adventure Park We complete two more rounds of savage heat, followed by cold immersion, and our time is up. We belt up the road to the highly recommended Thatch and Thyme restaurant in Kildorrery, run by owner and cook Joanne McEldowney. It is peak lunchtime, so have a wait before our food arrives, but every bite and spoonful is worth it. My spinach and basil soup is a joy — packed with flavour and satisfying goodness. The always-hungry teenager orders the classic BLT toasted sandwich, which comes with a large side serving of salad. I watch in quiet amazement as he horses into the salad – a first. When I comment on his breakthrough, he shrugs and says it tastes good. Doneraile Court, Doneraile, Co Cork Doneraile Court With full bellies and a 2.30pm appointment at Doneraile Court and Estate, we are met by over 400 acres of bucolic landscaped gardens punctuated by shrubs and trees. Head guide Mary Leamy takes us on an extended tour of the house in which generations of the St Leger family lived from the 1600s to 1969. Her free-flowing knowledge of the Georgian-style house is impressive as she reveals, room by room, its layered history. Duhallow Hunt and Whalebone display Doneraile House, second floor. Picture Clare Keogh Elizabeth St Leger, believed to be the world's first Lady Freemason, looms large in the estate's history. It's believed that in 1712, while still a teenager, she fell asleep reading in the library and, upon waking, overheard a Freemason's meeting in the adjacent room. She attempted to leave unnoticed but was spotted by the butler. After a heated debate, the Freemasons, which included her father and brothers, decided to initiate her. Elizabeth fully embraced the opportunity, going on to become a Master Mason. In the drawing room, with the original 1870s floor-to-ceiling mirror still in place, it is moving to see a photograph of the last St Leger to live in the house, Mary, Lady Doneraile, taken in the same room. Munster Plantation Room; Walter and Elizabeth Raleigh, Doneraile House. Picture Clare Keogh She looks lost in the grand room built for another era. The estate was sold to the Land Commission in 1969. History was not on her side. We stay almost three enchanted hours — you would easily need a day to explore the depths of the house and grounds —but we are on a tight schedule. Grub's up at Ciara O'Brien's Barnahown B&B, Mitchelstown Barnahown B&B Our next stop is the new Barnahown B&B in Mitchelstown, run by entrepreneurial Ciara O'Brien. The makeover from a hollowed-out house to a fully functioning business was featured on RTÉ's At Your Service, presented by hoteliers Francis and John Brennan. The remodelled house looks better in real life, with the imposing Galtee Mountains playing a showstopping role. O'Brien is rightly proud of its high-quality finish. Two singles at Ciara O'Brien's Barnahown B&B, Mitchelstown. Our boutique-style bedroom, located at the rear of the house, offers an elevated view of the mountains. The mattresses are 'princess and the pea' high, and the bed linen is to five-star hotel standard. The room and the en suite are spotless. Though small, every nook and cranny earns its space with cleverly designed fittings and furniture. We unpack and change for dinner at the Market Place in Mitchelstown, a short drive away by car. We are so hungry, we would have happily eaten the menu for starters. My son orders prawn pil pil (again, a first), which arrived on a smoking-hot griddle. My tomato and red pepper soup is light and brimming with flavour. We follow with a melting butter chicken masala for him and a herb-crusted seabass dish, served with a chorizo tomato sauce and greens, which had just the right bite. Portions are generous, so we skip desserts, delicious as they sound. Our food arrived promptly, and owner John O'Connor and staff offered a relaxed service with plenty of easy conversation. With the blazing sun setting, we walk the town's historic streets, making our way to the limestone-cut buildings dating from the 18th century. The frozen-in-time Georgian quarter, set around King's Square, looked familiar – it featured in RTÉ's DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland in 2022, when six houses were upgraded for families seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine. We sleep like royalty and - blame the fresh mountain air - wake ready for breakfast. My son asks for the 'full Irish' and locally sourced perfection arrives on a plate. Of particular note are the moist scrambled eggs. I opt for a lighter breakfast, consisting of natural yogurt with berries, granola, porridge, and gluten-free bread. Adding an unexpected but welcome kick, tiny bowls of peanut butter (Harry's) and a cashew and chilli crush (Rivesci), both pack a big taste punch. Earl Grey tea comes in a large pot, followed by a cafetière of coffee—abundance from start to finish. Annes Grove house and gardens, Castletownroche Annes Grove Gardens I drop the well-fed teen off at the bus stop so he can meet up with friends in the city as planned. Next on the agenda is a visit to Castletownroche to explore the historic Annes Grove Gardens, which have been home to the Annesley family since the 1600s, until it was gifted to the State in 2015. The 30-acre gardens found a new splendour under Richard Arthur Grove Annesley, who took over in 1892. He was deeply influenced by Irish-born gardener and writer William Robinson, who rejected neat Victorian landscaping, prioritising natural lines instead. To realise this 'let them be' vision, plant hunter Frank Kingdon-Ward travelled extensively, gathering exotic plants from Tibet, Burma and Bhutan for Annes Grove. The layered, wild setting, with flowers, shrubs and trees tumbling down to the Awbeg river is the remarkable and enduring result. Though the look is wild, every plant has its place in the tapestry, framing views and offering glimpses of what lies beyond the line of sight. Hellebores at Annes Grove Gardens Some of the spectacular flowering shrubs dating back to the Robinsonian era include Cornus kousa (east Asia), Eucryphia (South America), and Hoheria (New Zealand). The garden is in blousy bloom and with riotous colours — hydrangeas, wisteria, and rhododendrons. A personal favourite is the Siberian crab apple trees in full white flower, abundant and glorious. Head OPW guide Aileen Spitere rattles off their common names with ease, as if referring to extended family members—Mrs. G.W. Leak, Chorus Girls, and Chilean Fire Tree. My trip coincides with an open-air performance from the Verdant Troupe. While site foreman and horticulturist Colm O'Shea brings us on an intriguing tour of the gardens, the reenactors seamlessly interject, playing characters who had previously lived on the grounds. Among a disparate cast, we met Richard and Hilda Grove Annesley, cook Molly O'Reilly, stable hand Daly and novelist Elizabeth Bowen. A delightful experience, bringing history to life. (The next tour is on Saturday, October, 5.) Lough Gur, Co Limerick Lough Gur I have one final destination on my agenda: a trip to the mystical Lough Gur in Co Limerick. (Unfortunately, there is not enough time to call into the highly rated Juniper for lunch in Mallow.) It's one of the country's most significant architectural sites, with evidence of settled human habitation dating to 3,800 BCE. Now a protected wildlife sanctuary, the calm waters and scenic setting radiate serenity. The site has proven to be a portal into our ancient past for archaeologists, who have uncovered ancient dwellings and other artefacts. And in a case of history meeting mythology, the lake and surrounding area are ribboned in folklore, many of which are about the 14th-century Third Earl of Desmond, known locally as Geároid Iarla. It is said he gained his power of sorcery from his mother, the Celtic goddess Áine, a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who was renowned for her power over crops and animals. I am met by Brian Collopy, the operations manager of Lough Gur Visitor Centre, a few miles away at the Grange Stone Circle. With a background in folklore, he is well placed to understand the significance of the 113-stone circle, pointing out how it draws people of all creeds and ages. The summer solstice celebration typically draws an eclectic crowd, from local farmers to pagan spiritualists and drumming dancers, he tells me. Grange Stone Circle, Lough Gur, Co Limerick The stones resemble giant jagged teeth. The largest one, Rannach Chruim Duibh (Dark Stoop), stands over four meters in height (about 2.5m above and 1.5m below soil level) and weighs a hefty 40 tons. We walk to the monumental stone-lined entrance – it faces the rising sun on the summer solstice - two centurion portal stones, around 2m (6.5 ft) high, guard both sides of the entrance. The imposing entrance is matched by two majestic stones on the southwest side, whose sloping sides form a V-shape. The discovery of carvings on a nearby stone in 2022 suggests it's aligned with sunrise at the solstice. Collopy is a walking and talking encyclopedia about the area, moving seamlessly from local folklore to ancient history. The place begs for more time and conversation, but I have to turn the car around and head home. By the time I roll into my driveway, I've clocked up some 270km— a road trip that has revealed new and intriguing parts of the country all within shouting distance. Escape Notes Ballyhass Adventure Centre: Doneraile Court: Annes Grove Gardens: Lough Gur: Barnahown B&B: Irene was a guest of Fáilte Ireland. For more things to do in North Cork, see
Western Telegraph
11-06-2025
- General
- Western Telegraph
Georgian former minister's Solva home is on the market
According to the listing, the Georgian-style property was constructed for the minister of the neighbouring chapel using Middle Mill granite, as noted in the local Pevsner Guide. It retains original period features, including stripped pine flooring and decorative cornicing, and has been 'sympathetically upgraded and refurbished over recent years.' The interior layout includes an entrance hall, two reception rooms, a dining room, and a kitchen that leads to a storage area and a downstairs WC. The living room (Image: West Wales Properties) Four bedrooms are located on the first floor, with the main bedroom served by an en-suite shower room. There is also a family bathroom. Sash windows are fitted throughout, and the property is heated by oil-fired central heating. Outside, the house has a walled garden laid to lawn, featuring a well and a patio seating area accessible from the kitchen. An enclosed courtyard at the front is described as 'a lovely place to sit of a morning'. One of the bedrooms (Image: West Wales Properties) High-speed fibre broadband is installed, which the listing says provides good broadband speed. The house is in the hamlet of Caerfarchell, a conservation area about two and a half miles from both St Davids and Solva. The area is close to the old St Davids Airfield, which is used for walking. The property is freehold and connected to mains drainage, electricity, and water. Council tax band is G.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Keep it down – the president is talking to Xi': The golf club acting as Trump's summer White House
On a hot summer's day in August 2019 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, members lounging by the pool were startled by an unusual announcement. 'Can you please keep the noise down because the president is talking to President Xi [Jinping] of China?' a club worker said through a megaphone. 'It was a phone call, not a visit, but it was pretty funny,' recalls one Bedminster member, speaking on condition of anonymity. Now that Trump is in the first summer of his second presidential term, expect more surprise diplomatic moments from Bedminster – dubbed the 'Summer White House' thanks to the president's habit of spending weekends and much of August at his plush, Georgian-style, 500-acre estate, one of his three official presidential residences. The Trump Organisation owns 15 golf clubs, but in summertime Bedminster becomes the crown jewel of the president's real estate empire, eclipsing Mar-a-Lago until September. 'It's his happy place,' the member added. 'He's always relaxed. Even at Mar-a-Lago there are wealthy 'Never-Trump' spies and enemies [conservatives backing anti-Trump Republicans]; at Bedminster, you get none of that. Everybody is known.' 'Occasionally Trump will put on a show – in his last visit to Bedminster before Covid, he landed by helicopter 10ft from the pool and everyone watched him arrive. But mostly the calmness couldn't be more different from all the drama in DC.' Trump bought the club in 2002 from National Fairways, a golf course developer that had acquired it from another colourful, scandal-ridden businessman, John DeLorean, when it was still known as Lamington Farm. He has long had a soft spot for Bedminster, a rural town in New Jersey's Somerset Hills – the most popular fox-hunting area on the East Coast. According to the Wall Street Journal, Christopher 'Kip' Forbes, son of the late entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes, once overheard Trump arguing with a Pan Am executive at a party at the Forbes estate in Bedminster in 1987 over who had the biggest plane. Today, his Bedminster club boasts a helipad, swimming pool, tennis courts, a spa and yoga centre and pickleball courts, alongside two 18-hole golf courses renowned for their spotless greens and manicured fairways. 'Whatever you think of how Trump runs a country, he knows how to run a club,' the member says. 'The main people running Bedminster have been there for over a decade.' While Trump's White House has hardly been short of acrimonious personnel exits and political drama, 'at Bedminster he doesn't fire people.' (Bedminster general manager David Schutzenhofer has been at the club since 2006; director of golf Mickie Gallagher joined the same year.) The president stays in a cottage next to the club's pool, which contains an office and a second-floor balcony and porch. Don Jr also has a cottage there, as do Eric and Lara Trump, and Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner – who married at the location in 2009. All are expected to stay there this summer. Ivanka and Jared Kushner's cottage at Bedminster It was to Bedminster that Donald Trump returned in July 2023 – receiving a hero's welcome after pleading not guilty at a Miami federal court to 37 charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents – and it was Bedminster where he stayed the night after he was shot in the right ear at a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. The club also features in the president's social media posts. A video of him playing a round at Bedminster with American golfing star Bryson DeChambeau garnered 15 million views on YouTube in the run-up to last year's presidential election, while a recent fake video of him hitting persistent critic Bruce Springsteen with a golf ball has racked up 81.9 million views on X. In reality, Mr Trump tends to play golf at Bedminster with a core group of around two dozen friends. One of them is Tom Bennison, a sports business executive. 'He uses golf in his position as president of the United States the same way he did as a businessman – as a relationship-building tool,' Bennison tells The Telegraph. 'I've played with him when it's been with friends of his, and it's like any other round of golf with three buddies who talk a lot about sports.' 'And then I've played with him when he has been with people in the political circle, congressmen or senators. He plays really fast. A round of golf with the president takes between two and a half hours and two hours 45 minutes because he's trying to get every minute out of every day that he possibly can.' Criticism that Trump spends too much time golfing at the expense of his presidential duties is wrong, according to Republican strategist Matt Parker, co-presenter of the Golf & Politics podcast. 'One of the first weekends after the inauguration, he was playing at Trump International West Palm Beach,' Parker says. 'When he teed off, he was working on a trade deal, and by the sixth hole the trade deal was done. Between shots, he's making phone calls and sending messages.' 'Nobody has had as big an impact on the game of golf as a president than Donald Trump,' Parker adds. 'He loves the game, and with his single-digit handicap he's arguably the most talented golfer we've ever had in the White House.' Rich Levine, another golfing pal of Trump's, told the Golf & Politics podcast that Trump is a most congenial club owner: 'He'll never criticise anyone… he is so positive to every member, every employee. [He] will tell you that you played great golf, even though you played terrible that day.' Yet beneath the surface bonhomie, Bedminster is a factional court where today's Republican politicians rise and fall. Betsy DeVos, US secretary of education in the first Trump administration, recalled how he chose the venue as the backdrop for assembling his cabinet. 'Apparently the president-elect had decided it made for better theater [sic] for his visitors to greet him on the [Bedminster] front steps,' she wrote in her memoir Hostages No More, adding: 'Trump had commandeered the clubhouse at Bedminster to have his meetings with potential cabinet secretaries […] Mitt Romney was in an interview when I arrived. James Mattis, Trump's future secretary of defense [sic], was in the green room.' One member says that Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary and architect of his controversial tariff agenda, endeared himself to Trump by being an active presence at Bedminster. Conversely, Jeff Sessions, Trump's attorney general between 2017 and 2018, made a less favourable impression. 'When Jeff Sessions showed up at Bedminster, he was like a deer in headlights,' the member added. 'It's not the main reason he fell out of favour with Trump, but it didn't help that he looked way over his head and was never seen at Bedminster again.' Critics of Trump say he treats Bedminster primarily as another moneymaking venture. Initiation fees are reportedly $350,000. 'If one person joins as a member, he's covered most of his property taxes!' says Pulitzer Prize-winning Trump biographer David Cay Johnston. 'Trump loses money with his British golf courses, so clubs like Bedminster become a further extension of anything he can do that will bring in money.' Eyebrows have also been raised over the club quite literally being a cash cow, qualifying for agricultural tax breaks by harvesting hay and maintaining a small herd of goats. Then there are the allegations from celebrities that Trump cheats at golf, frequently deploying mulligans (a rule allowing a player to retake a shot). Rocker Alice Cooper told Q Magazine in 2012: 'The worst celebrity golf cheat? I played with Donald Trump once. That's all I'm going to say.' Actor Samuel L Jackson said in 2016: 'We clearly saw him hook a ball into a lake at Trump National [Bedminster] and his caddy told him he found it!' Sportswriter Rick Reilly recounted a tale about Trump allegedly declaring himself the winner of a Bedminster tournament in his 2019 book Commander in Cheat: 'Trump happened to walk into the Bedminster clubhouse just as a worker was putting up the name of the newly crowned senior club championship winner on a wooden plaque. Trump had been out of town and hadn't played in the tournament, but when he saw the player's name, he stopped the employee. 'Hey, I beat that guy all the time [Trump said]. Put my name up there instead […] I would've beaten him.'' However, Trump's friends refute suggestions of foul play. 'He's 100 per cent a gentleman,' says Tom Bennison. 'I've played over 125 rounds of golf with him, and I've never personally witnessed any of that.' Yet Trump's devotion to Bedminster cannot be questioned. 'This is my real group,' Politico reported the president saying in leaked remarks to club members at a Bedminster cocktail reception in November 2016. 'These are the people that came here in the beginning, when nobody knew what this monster was gonna turn out to be.' Ivana Trump, his late first wife, is buried in a private plot on the club's estate. According to David Cay Johnston: 'Donald Trump's assertion is that he too will be buried at Bedminster. It's really his refuge.' One outstanding ambition for the president is for the National Golf Club Bedminster to host a PGA Championship. The club has hosted two LIV Golf tournaments – the controversial Saudi-backed breakaway championship – but plans to hold the 2022 PGA Championship there were scrapped after the January 6 storming of the US Capitol. Members say the president's family has since attempted to mend fences with the PGA. And given the way Donald Trump has confounded his critics over the past decade, who would bet against Bedminster? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Leader Live
02-06-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
507-acre historic Conwy estate on market for £4.5million
The Garthewin Estate, located in the village of Llanfair Talhaiarn above the Elwy River Valley, is on the market with a guide price of £4.5million. The estate, which is on the market with Fisher German, is steeped in history and includes an 11-bedroom Grade II*-listed hall with an adjoining flat, as well as five secondary residential properties, a farmhouse, extensive outbuildings, stabling and a private theatre. The estate includes extensive outbuildings, stabling and a private 'theatre' (Image: Fisher German) It also includes a Grade II-listed chapel featuring a bell tower, altar and stained-glass windows. The charming 507-acre country estate sits in a tremendous setting (Image: Fisher German) The estate's extensive grounds feature formal gardens, agricultural land and forestry, providing potential for diverse usage or income-generating opportunities subject to planning. The ground floor includes a noteworthy drawing room (Image: Fisher German) The property also offers an immediate income from its cottages and farmstead, as well as its farmland and woodland. The Garthewin Estate was the family home of Robert Wynne and his successors who lived in the area for at least eleven centuries (Image: Fisher German) Michael Harris, Partner at Fisher German, said: 'This is an incredibly rare opportunity to purchase a stunning estate spanning more than 500 acres which enjoys good connections to the commercial centres of the North West. The outbuildings comprise a clock tower, shippon, stables, a theatre, cart shed and stores. (Image: Fisher German) 'The Grade II-listed hall is an important 18th century Welsh country house, retaining fine external character and good interior detailing, while the extensive grounds provide a wealth of potential income-generating opportunities such as an equestrian centre, country retreat or glamping, subject to planning.' The Garthewin Estate extends to approximately 205.39 hectares (507.53 acres) (Image: Fisher German) Further details about the property can be found by visiting: The Garthewin Estate was the family home of Robert Wynne and his successors who lived in the area for at least eleven centuries. The Wynne family's stewardship ended in 1996 when the current owner acquired the property as a principal residence. The first written records refer to the house in the 14th century. The Elizabethan house which replaced it was knocked down, as was the Jacobean house which came next. Garthewin was the ancestral home of the Wynne family for over a millennium. The current Georgian-style hall, designed in 1767 by Joseph Turner of Chester, was later enhanced by Clough Williams-Ellis, the visionary behind Portmeirion. A striking tower was added in 1870 to house the estate's grand ballroom, today the principal reception room.
Wales Online
02-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Conwy mansion house estate in same family for hundreds of years is on the market
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A famous Welsh estate that spent hundreds of years in the same family has come on the market. The Garthewin Estate, located near the village of Llanfair Talhaiarn, spans more than 500 acres. It was the family home of Robert Wynne - with his family having a 1,000 link to this area. The first written records refer to the house in the 14th century. The Elizabethan house which replaced it was knocked down, as was the Jacobean house which came next. The current Georgian-style hall, designed in 1767 by Joseph Turner of Chester, was later enhanced by Clough Williams-Ellis, the visionary behind Portmeirion. A striking tower was added in 1870 to house the estate's grand ballroom, today the principal reception room. The Wynne family's stewardship ended in 1996, when descendant Menna MacBain sold the estate when it finally became too expensive for the family to run. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community The current owner acquired the property as a principal residence. They have now placed it on the market with Fisher German, at a guide price of £4,500,000. The estate includes the 11-bedroom Grade II-Listed hall with an adjoining flat, as well as five secondary residential properties, a farmhouse, extensive outbuildings, stabling and a private theatre. (Image: Fisher German) It also has a Grade II-listed chapel featuring a bell tower, altar and stained-glass windows. The estate's extensive grounds feature formal gardens, agricultural land and forestry, providing potential for diverse usage or income-generating opportunities subject to planning. The property also offers an immediate income from its cottages and farmstead, as well as its farmland and woodland. (Image: Fisher German) Michael Harris, Partner at Fisher German, said: 'This is an incredibly rare opportunity to purchase a stunning estate spanning more than 500 acres which enjoys good connections to the commercial centres of the North West. 'The Grade II-listed hall is an important 18 th century Welsh country house, retaining fine external character and good interior detailing, while the extensive grounds provide a wealth of potential income-generating opportunities such as an equestrian centre, country retreat or glamping, subject to planning.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
