Dublin
The Merrion
Four Georgian townhouses opposite Government Buildings, with a remarkable collection of Irish art and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud under the same roof.
10 nights · sample itinerary
Five of Ireland's finest houses, a private champagne tasting at the Burren Smokehouse and a helicopter north to the weavers of Donegal.
Dublin · Ballyfin · Kenmare · Adare · The Burren · Cong · Ardara
the journey
This is Ireland at its most generous. You’ll stay in five of the country’s great houses, from a Georgian townhouse in Dublin to an 800-year-old castle on the shores of Lough Corrib, with a private driver-guide taking care of every road in between.
What makes it special are the people you’ll meet along the way. Peter and Birgitta Curtin open the doors of the Burren Smokehouse for a private tasting with champagne and Atlantic seafood, and a helicopter takes you north to Donegal to watch tweed being woven at Triona in Ardara.
The pace is unhurried, with two or three nights in most places, so there’s time for long lunches, walks in the grounds and the conversations that make Ireland what it is.
the route
day by day
A suggested pace. Every day can be changed, slowed down or swapped to suit you.
You'll be met on arrival and driven to The Merrion, four restored Georgian townhouses facing Government Buildings. Spend the next day with a private historian guide: the Book of Kells and the Long Room at Trinity College, the squares and doorways of Georgian Dublin, and time in the National Gallery before dinner.
Signature momentA private walking tour of Georgian Dublin and Trinity College with a historian guide.
OvernightThe Merrion, Dublin
Drive west into the quiet heart of Ireland to Ballyfin, a Regency mansion restored over nine years and now one of the country's most celebrated hotels. The afternoon is yours: falconry in the parkland, a row on the lake, or a walk up to the tower for views across the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Signature momentA falconry display in the grounds, followed by dinner in the Regency dining room.
OvernightBallyfin Demesne, County Laois
Head south-west, stopping at the Rock of Cashel on the way, to Sheen Falls Lodge on the edge of Kenmare Bay. Your second day is spent exploring Kerry with your driver-guide, either around the Beara Peninsula or, between May and September, by boat to Skellig Michael, where monks lived on a rock in the Atlantic more than a thousand years ago.
Signature momentA boat trip to Skellig Michael (May to September, weather permitting), or a private cruise on Kenmare Bay.
OvernightSheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare
Drive through Killarney National Park and on to Adare Manor, a Gothic Revival house set in 840 acres beside the village of Adare. Play the championship course that hosts the Ryder Cup in 2027, try falconry or archery in the grounds, or simply enjoy the spa. Dinner in The Oak Room is a highlight.
Signature momentA round on the Adare Manor golf course, or a private falconry experience in the grounds.
OvernightAdare Manor, County Limerick
Travel north into the limestone landscape of the Burren. At the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna, owners Peter and Birgitta Curtin welcome you for a private tour of the smokehouse followed by champagne and a tasting of their smoked Atlantic salmon and seafood. Afterwards, see the Cliffs of Moher before continuing to Ashford Castle.
Signature momentA private tour and seafood and champagne tasting hosted by Peter and Birgitta Curtin.
OvernightAshford Castle, County Mayo
Take a lesson at Ireland's School of Falconry in the castle woods, then head out on Lough Corrib by boat. In the afternoon, drive through the lakes and mountains of Connemara to Kylemore Abbey and its walled Victorian garden.
Signature momentA hawk walk through the woods with Ireland's School of Falconry.
OvernightAshford Castle, County Mayo
Fly north along the Atlantic coast to Donegal, a county known for its tweed. At Triona Design in Ardara, see how the cloth is woven on the loom and enjoy a private shopping experience, then take in the sea cliffs of Slieve League before flying back to Ashford for your final evening.
Signature momentA private weaving demonstration and shopping experience at Triona in Ardara.
OvernightAshford Castle, County Mayo
Your driver will take you to Shannon or Ireland West Airport Knock for your flight home, or we can arrange a helicopter transfer to Dublin.
where you’ll stay
Chosen for the welcome as much as the setting. We can suggest alternatives at every stop.
Dublin
Four Georgian townhouses opposite Government Buildings, with a remarkable collection of Irish art and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud under the same roof.
County Laois
A Regency mansion with just 20 rooms, set in 614 acres of parkland with a lake, a grotto and a tower.
Kenmare, County Kerry
A peaceful hotel where the Sheen River meets Kenmare Bay, and a perfect base for Kerry.
County Limerick
A Gothic Revival manor with a Michelin-starred restaurant, a La Mer spa and the course chosen for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
Cong, County Mayo
An 800-year-old castle on Lough Corrib, with 350 acres of woodland, falconry and boating on the lake.
signature experiences
A private tour with owners Peter and Birgitta Curtin, then champagne with smoked salmon and Atlantic seafood.
Fly north by helicopter to see weavers at the loom in Ardara, with a private shopping experience.
Walk through the woods at Ashford Castle with a Harris hawk on your glove.
Cross to the monastic island off the Kerry coast by boat (May to September, weather permitting).
See Ireland's most famous manuscript and the Long Room with a private historian guide.
Play the course chosen to host the 2027 Ryder Cup.
the details
make it yours
Ireland works all year round. May, June and September bring long days and fewer visitors than July and August, while autumn and winter are quieter and cosier, with open fires in the great houses and Christmas at Ashford Castle or Adare Manor. Boats to Skellig Michael run from mid-May to the end of September, so outside those months we'll arrange a private cruise on Kenmare Bay or a day on the Beara Peninsula instead. Short winter days also make the Donegal helicopter day more weather-dependent, so we plan it with a road alternative.
No. A private driver-guide is with you throughout, so you can relax and enjoy the scenery. Some guests like to drive for part of the trip, and we can arrange that too.
We'll keep an eye on the forecast and move the Donegal day if we need to. If flying isn't possible, your driver can take you by road instead, which is about three hours each way.
Yes. We'd suggest two nights in Dublin, then Adare and Ashford Castle, keeping the Burren Smokehouse and Donegal days. Ten nights gives a more relaxed pace.
Mild and changeable at any time of year. Pack layers and a good waterproof, and expect sunshine and showers in the same afternoon.
make it yours
Tell us when you'd like to travel and what you enjoy most, and we'll shape this journey around you.
Start a conversationDiscreet. Personal. No obligation.
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