Craving an elderflower cordial, a game of croquet, a tramp in the woods? Welcome to Ballyvolane House.
Located in Blackwater Valley of County Cork, the home was once a classic Georgian, built in 1728 for a Lord Chief Justice of Ireland; in the mid-1800s, it was enlarged and renovated in the Italianate style. The latest owner, Justin Green, ran Babington House before returning to his ancestral home, which he runs with his wife, Jenny (both are graduates of hotel school in Switzerland). Over the last few years, the Greens have transformed Ballyvolane into a luxurious six-bedroom accommodation; the perquisites of a stay at Ballyvolane include homegrown food, views from every room, fly fishing on the River Blackwater, homemade elderflower cordial, and occasional tales of intrigue recounted by the Greens. To book, visit Ballyvolane House.
Above: A long gravel drive lined with ancient beech trees leads to Ballyvolane House.
Above: Ballyvolane means “The place of springing heifers,” a testament to the fertility of the land. There are several gardens on the grounds, including formal, semi-formal, and walled.
Above: Dinner at Ballyvolane House is an “informal and relaxed” four-course affair.
Above: The interiors are a traditionally Irish mix: “a little shabby but very stylish,” says Justin Green. During a mid-1980s renovation, the owners removed the carpeting and polished up the wood floors.
Above: The rooms are furnished with antiques and white linens.
Above: Most of the baths feature antique tubs.
Above: An antique enamel pitcher is emblematic of the “tradition in abundance” that Ballyvolane provides.
Above: An arched Palladian doorway with a corniced roof was added in the 1840s, as part of an Italianate makeover.
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