A swan sanctuary is the only way to describe the idyllic Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath, the birds are so numerous. Irish Country Living made the family-owned Bloomfield House Hotel, which beautifully nestles the banks of the lake, our base to explore the Hidden Heartlands. And we found that a two-night stay was simply not enough time to explore all this area has to offer.
Book everything
Hotel highlights for Irish Country Living, who had four kids in tow, was the great food, excellent, helpful staff and a superb leisure center with a huge range of machines and free weights for a hotel gym. Unfortunately, as with all hotels, COVID-19 does mean that some things are not open, such as jacuzzis and steam rooms. The hotel has procedures in place for the swimming pool and spa limiting numbers as appropriate so booking is essential. If swimming is the first thing that your kids will want to do on arrival, ring ahead to put your name down.
One of the follies at Belvedere House Gardens & Park.
After check-in and a hearty lunch, we made our way across to Belvedere House Gardens & Park which is a stone’s throw from the hotel. Do not rush this one. It is a special place. Follies with backstories, playgrounds, ziplines and swings, woodland walks and the lake shore. But it was the walled garden leading to the most amazing fairy garden we have ever seen (we have seen a lot of fairy gardens with kids five, six, seven and nine). The house itself is currently closed but it is still well worth the ticket price at €6.40 for adults and €3.20 for four to 16 year olds, under threes go free.
With a babysitter organised by the hotel, Irish Country Living took advantage of the spa. The tranquility of the relaxation area was ever more enjoyable knowing that there was a playground for the kids to amuse themselves in and that food was being ordered to the room. The kids club opened a few days after our departure and this will provide further breathing space for tired parents. (Treatment price: vitamin E facial, €80).
There are a number of different bedroom options from the standard to executive suites with fantastic views of the parkland to the presidential suites. Irish Country Living stayed in adjoining rooms which comfortably slept two adults and four children. Currently they are offering a summer staycation package of two nights B&B, ice cream cones with passes to Belvedere House Gardens & Park and a spa voucher for €198.
For more information contact 044-934 0894, email info@bloomfieldhouse.com or visit www.bloomfieldhousehotel.ie
Irish Country Living visited the following destinations prior to restrictions put in place in counties Kildare, Offaly and Laois en route to Mullingar, our first stop was the Tullamore D.E.W. visitor centre.
Tickets for all three tours at the Tullamore D.E.W. visitor centre are currently discounted.
Tickets are currently discounted for all three tours if you book online. We chose the Curious Taster’s Journey (€14.45, usually €17, children free). The tour was guided by a human person which we find preferable to an audio tour as the human person is more receptive to questions. And lots of questions were asked, which gave our guide the opportunity to show how knowledgeable she was on everything from the characters involved in the history of the product to the whiskey making process. All tours conclude with a tasting so a designated driver is probably the best way for real connoisseurs to enjoy this one.
What did we learn?
1 After a sojourn of 60 years, Tullamore D.E.W. is once again being brewed in the town of its birth following completion in 2014 of a new state of the art distillery.
2 One-third of the investment in this new distillery went into simply stabilising the building on the bog.
3 No other country in the world can put “pot-still” on the label of their whiskey as Ireland has a patent on that particular process.
4 Tullamore D.E.W. uses 100% Irish wheat sourced from local farmers. Our guide explained: “It doesn’t say it on the bottle in case, God forbid, it can’t be sourced for whatever reason.”
From Tullamore, we travelled out to the home of the “Clara jug” and the Clara Bog Nature reserve. Unfortunately the visitor centre is currently closed, but the boardwalk is open (and free). Home to hundreds of plant and animal species, with many rare plants totally unique to this site, it is the finest remaining example of a raised bog in Ireland today. Although a road and peat extraction has seen it shrink over the last 200 years, the decline has been halted and it is now protected.
Wooden walkway in the bog of Clara.
The boardwalk provides easy access for all ages and the four information boards give a snappy overview of what you are looking at. No sign of Shane Lowry or the aforementioned jug though.
On route to Bloomfield House, we passed Killbeggan racetrack, and although racing was going ahead on the day, a trip to the track is not possible with the current restrictions. One to note for the next trip.
Read more
Meet me in Munster
Advertorial: the summer of the staycation
Staycations: Northern Ireland travel
A swan sanctuary is the only way to describe the idyllic Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath, the birds are so numerous. Irish Country Living made the family-owned Bloomfield House Hotel, which beautifully nestles the banks of the lake, our base to explore the Hidden Heartlands. And we found that a two-night stay was simply not enough time to explore all this area has to offer.
Book everything
Hotel highlights for Irish Country Living, who had four kids in tow, was the great food, excellent, helpful staff and a superb leisure center with a huge range of machines and free weights for a hotel gym. Unfortunately, as with all hotels, COVID-19 does mean that some things are not open, such as jacuzzis and steam rooms. The hotel has procedures in place for the swimming pool and spa limiting numbers as appropriate so booking is essential. If swimming is the first thing that your kids will want to do on arrival, ring ahead to put your name down.
One of the follies at Belvedere House Gardens & Park.
After check-in and a hearty lunch, we made our way across to Belvedere House Gardens & Park which is a stone’s throw from the hotel. Do not rush this one. It is a special place. Follies with backstories, playgrounds, ziplines and swings, woodland walks and the lake shore. But it was the walled garden leading to the most amazing fairy garden we have ever seen (we have seen a lot of fairy gardens with kids five, six, seven and nine). The house itself is currently closed but it is still well worth the ticket price at €6.40 for adults and €3.20 for four to 16 year olds, under threes go free.
With a babysitter organised by the hotel, Irish Country Living took advantage of the spa. The tranquility of the relaxation area was ever more enjoyable knowing that there was a playground for the kids to amuse themselves in and that food was being ordered to the room. The kids club opened a few days after our departure and this will provide further breathing space for tired parents. (Treatment price: vitamin E facial, €80).
There are a number of different bedroom options from the standard to executive suites with fantastic views of the parkland to the presidential suites. Irish Country Living stayed in adjoining rooms which comfortably slept two adults and four children. Currently they are offering a summer staycation package of two nights B&B, ice cream cones with passes to Belvedere House Gardens & Park and a spa voucher for €198.
For more information contact 044-934 0894, email info@bloomfieldhouse.com or visit www.bloomfieldhousehotel.ie
Irish Country Living visited the following destinations prior to restrictions put in place in counties Kildare, Offaly and Laois en route to Mullingar, our first stop was the Tullamore D.E.W. visitor centre.
Tickets for all three tours at the Tullamore D.E.W. visitor centre are currently discounted.
Tickets are currently discounted for all three tours if you book online. We chose the Curious Taster’s Journey (€14.45, usually €17, children free). The tour was guided by a human person which we find preferable to an audio tour as the human person is more receptive to questions. And lots of questions were asked, which gave our guide the opportunity to show how knowledgeable she was on everything from the characters involved in the history of the product to the whiskey making process. All tours conclude with a tasting so a designated driver is probably the best way for real connoisseurs to enjoy this one.
What did we learn?
1 After a sojourn of 60 years, Tullamore D.E.W. is once again being brewed in the town of its birth following completion in 2014 of a new state of the art distillery.
2 One-third of the investment in this new distillery went into simply stabilising the building on the bog.
3 No other country in the world can put “pot-still” on the label of their whiskey as Ireland has a patent on that particular process.
4 Tullamore D.E.W. uses 100% Irish wheat sourced from local farmers. Our guide explained: “It doesn’t say it on the bottle in case, God forbid, it can’t be sourced for whatever reason.”
From Tullamore, we travelled out to the home of the “Clara jug” and the Clara Bog Nature reserve. Unfortunately the visitor centre is currently closed, but the boardwalk is open (and free). Home to hundreds of plant and animal species, with many rare plants totally unique to this site, it is the finest remaining example of a raised bog in Ireland today. Although a road and peat extraction has seen it shrink over the last 200 years, the decline has been halted and it is now protected.
Wooden walkway in the bog of Clara.
The boardwalk provides easy access for all ages and the four information boards give a snappy overview of what you are looking at. No sign of Shane Lowry or the aforementioned jug though.
On route to Bloomfield House, we passed Killbeggan racetrack, and although racing was going ahead on the day, a trip to the track is not possible with the current restrictions. One to note for the next trip.
Read more
Meet me in Munster
Advertorial: the summer of the staycation
Staycations: Northern Ireland travel
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