Top choice in The Midlands
Set in secluded woods, Roundwood has six bedrooms in its main building, a stately 18th-century Palladian villa, and another four rooms in the original, 17th-century 'yellow house', plus two self-catering cottages (only one of which has wi-fi). Convivial communal dinners (three-/five-course menus €45/60) provide the chance to try local specialities like roast lamb with wild blueberry sauce.
Kids aged under four stay free; those aged from five to 12 pay €25 per night.
Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve
3.72 MILES
A 2300-hectare nature reserve with a mountain range in the middle, full of walking and biking trails. A visit to Slieve Bloom is the perfect excuse to…
28.03 MILES
Gloriously placed overlooking the River Shannon, 7km northeast of Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland’s most important ancient monastic cities…
28.13 MILES
Ireland's second-largest medieval cathedral (after St Patrick's in Dublin) has a long and fascinating history. The first monastery was built here in the…
28.68 MILES
Rising above the River Nore, Kilkenny Castle is one of Ireland's most visited heritage sites. Stronghold of the powerful Butler family, it has a history…
16.79 MILES
It's easy to spend half a day exploring the attractions and gardens of Birr Castle demesne. The castle dates from 1620 and is a private home, but during…
20.6 MILES
Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless…
15.79 MILES
Much of County Offaly's once-extensive boglands were stripped of peat for electricity generation during the 20th century. Now Lough Boora, 17km north of…
14.8 MILES
The neoclassical, copper-domed Emo Court was designed in 1790 by James Gandon, architect of Dublin's Custom House. Originally the country seat of the…
1. Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve
3.72 MILES
A 2300-hectare nature reserve with a mountain range in the middle, full of walking and biking trails. A visit to Slieve Bloom is the perfect excuse to…
8.69 MILES
The sandstone shaft of the 9th-century Kinnitty High Cross from the Augustinian Abbey now stands in the grounds of the Kinnitty Castle Hotel. Adam and Eve…
9.27 MILES
Look out for the unexpected 10m-high stone pyramid in the village graveyard behind St Finian's Church. In the 1830s Richard Bernard commissioned this…
10.2 MILES
For an insight into the town's Quaker and industrial heritage, visit Mountmellick Museum, where you can also see a display of superbly subtle Mountmellick…
5. Abbeyleix Heritage House & Museum
10.83 MILES
An old 19th-century school building houses this museum detailing Abbeyleix' rich history. One room looks at the town's carpet-making legacy – the Turkish…
10.9 MILES
Built in 1836 by Viscount de Vesci as a market house, this landmark building was restored by the council in 2009 and now houses the town library and an…
11.08 MILES
The unadorned stone Donaghmore Workhouse, 19km west of Durrow, was a last resort for the destitute in the 1850s – one of 130 workhouses in the country at…
11.73 MILES
Leap Castle is reputedly one of the most haunted castles in Europe. Originally an O'Carroll family residence, the 1514-built castle was the scene of many…