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REVIEWSEnniscoe House is a member of Irelands Blue Book and of The Hidden Ireland. We are listed in most of the leading guides including The Good Hotel Guide, Karen Brown’s Guide, The Michelin Guide, Fodor’s, Georgina Campbell’s Guides, Alastairs Sawday’s Special Places to Stay, and Lodgings Ireland . Here are some of our reviews:
In parkland and mature woods on the shores of Lough Conn, Enniscoe can sometimes seem stern and gaunt, as Georgian mansions in the north-west of Ireland tend to be, but this hospitable house has great charm: with family portraits, antique furniture, crackling log fires, warm hospitality and good home cooking, it makes a lovely place to come back to after a day in the rugged countryside. It was built by ancestors of the present owner, Susan Kellett, who settled here in the 1660s, and is a very special place for anglers and other visitors with a natural empathy for the untamed wildness of the area. Large public rooms include a fine drawing room, with a big log fire and plenty of seating, and a more intimate dining room (which can accommodate some extra non-resident guests nevertheless). Susan’s wholesome 5-course dinners change daily and make good use of local produce in dishes like timbales of smoked salmon (from Clarkes of Ballina) with cucumber salad, curried courgette soup and - a delicious house speciality - roast free-range pork with apricot and walnut sauce. Homely desserts to finish (rhubarb and orange crumble, perhaps) and cheeses laid out on the sideboard as they are again next morning, as part of an excellent breakfast. Traditionally furnished bedrooms are large, very comfortable and, like their en-suite bathrooms, regularly refurbished. And there is also much of interest around converted outbuildings at the back of the house, including a genealogy centre (The Mayo North Family History Research Centre, Tel: 096 31809), a small but expanding agricultural museum with working blacksmith, and conference facilities. The house is surrounded by woodlands, where Susan has built a network of paths, and major renovations have recently taken place in the walled gardens, which are open to the public and have tea-rooms and a shop stocking quality “non-tourist” items, collectables, and garden plants.
Enniscoe House is the home of Susan Kellett - a descendant of the original family who settled this estate in the 1670s - her son DJ, and their Labrador Frodo. Staying as her guest gives you a glimpse of what it was like to live in a grand country mansion - the old family furniture, portraits, books, and family memorabilia are yours to enjoy. The lofty rooms are decorated true to the Georgian period and all are in tiptop condition. The three front bedrooms, of grand proportions, are reached by a grand elliptical staircase. Those in the older part of the house are less grand but just as lovely. I particularly enjoyed the old nursery with half-tester and twin beds, and comfortable chintz chairs. Dinners by soft, flickering candlelight at little tables in the large dining room are a real treat. Tucked behind the house, the courtyard buildings house three delightful farmhouse-style self-catering apartments. The Victorian walled garden has been given a new lease of life and the barns display old farm machinery and artifacts. Fishery manager Barry Segrave offers help to anglers fishing Lough Conn (tel: 096-31853, fax: 096-31773). Walk the trails that go through the woodlands past the forestry plantations and along the lake shore. There are great cliffs along the north coast, where the Stone-Age settlements at Céide Fields have been excavated.
Enniscoe House is a listed heritage house and has passed to Susan
Kellett by inheritance. Its elegant plasterwork and elliptical staircase
are renowned. Family portraits, antique furniture, good food and
wine, all contribute to the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. The house
is on the shores of Lough Conn, with attractive views of the lake
across the parkland. The old walled garden is being restored and
another garden produces organically grown vegetables. Outbuildings
contain a small agricultural museum and a genealogy centre that
researches names and families of Mayo origin. The fishery manager
can make all arrangements for trout and salmon fishing in the area;
tuition is a speciality. Three golf courses and riding stables are
within easy reach. The house is a good base for touring Mayo and
Sligo.
Magnificent and magical, this pink-hue, square Georgian mansion is dramatically sited on the shores of Lough Conn under towering Mount Nephin. However, there's nothing intimidating about its interior, even though its well-worn grandeur is steeped in history. Susan Kellett is a descendant of the original family who arrived here in the 1660s, and will give you the story behind the many ancestral portraits staring at you from the calico-flocked library walls. Your jaw may drop at the sight of the magisterial main salon -- a vast room done in stately house ivories and beiges, swathed in period wallpapers and draperies, set with 18th-century breakfronts, gilded French side tables, Chippendale mahogany chairs, gilt-frame paintings, and enough cozy corners to please even a Jane Austen. A maze of quirky corridors and staircases leads to the guest rooms, which are both charming and characterful, with candy-stripe wallpapers, floral drapes on tall sash windows, and massive beds (some four-posters are so high you need a step ladder to get in). The beauty continues outside, as the demesne's 150 acres are crisscrossed with walks and have more than 3 km (2 mi) of peaceful lakeshore. All paths lead to the 5 acres of Victorian gardens, now under restoration. Here you can find historic farm buildings converted into offices housing independent organizations, including a Mayo genealogy center, an antiques shop, and a tearoom. Meals (reserve ahead) include fruits and vegetables grown in the organic garden. There are also four self-catering apartments. The house lies 4½ km (3 mi) south of Crossmolina and 20 km (12½ mi) west of Ballina. All in all, this is a hotel that remains a fabulous destination in itself. Go! |
Georgina
Campbell's Ireland Guide
Karen
Brown's Guides
Lodgings
Ireland
Fodor's
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