Weekend break: Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Dublin

Rita de Brún is impressed by the four star Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, which has been lovingly refurbished recently.

PERCHED on the terrace of our suite on the top floor of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Dublin all we could hear was birdsong; the faint flapping of wings that signalled the seabirds that soared past the turrets in pairs.

Inside, it was the little touches that showed the pride with which exemplary service is provided: the quality of the bedding, the stem of flawless, perfectly ripe red berries that crowned the succulent strawberries atop the brimming fruit bowl, the homely flask of tea and plate of wholesome cookies, that could only have been delivered by the kindest and most thoughtful of fairies, to surprise and delight us on our return after a long night of revelling.

The weekend at Fitzpatrick Castle came at a time when a series of events — including the death of my 14-year-old golden-retriever — had left me feeling flat and jaded. But my spirits lifted when the Englishman and I walked into the foyer of the 18th century hotel that was once known as Killiney Castle.

There’s an upbeat, feel-good buzz about the place. It begins with the wave of heat that emanates from the enormous log-fire you see as you walk through the front door, and slowly builds through warm welcomes and firm handshakes.

It persists against a backdrop of comings and goings of well-heeled guests and busy bustling of immaculately attired staff.

It’s a combination that manifests in a feeling that all is well.

First off we headed to the Library Bar where we had good coffee and delicious cakes which arrived on a vintage three-tier cake-stand.

The Englishman, tucking into his second ‘really good’ pastry, remarked that the décor, with its leather furniture and dark wood, was the sort of place in which Marlon Brando might sip fine brandy, while playing Don Vito Corleone.

If the Library Bar has a Godfather feel to it, then the Royal Suite, with its eternal elegance and pale gold, period sofas, has that of Grace of Monaco.

Located on a fifth floor corner, it boasts panoramic views across Dublin Bay and two sets of French windows that lead to a lengthy veranda that breezily whispers ‘party’.

Of course, this could only have pleased the suite’s previous occupants which include veteran entertainers such as Van Morrison, Burt Lancaster, Donald Sutherland, John Cleese, Chris O’Dowd and Paul Rudd.

The TVs in the suite were the sort that were popular long before flat screens were invented. But we didn’t mind, not only because they complimented the distinct style of the globe drinks cabinet, but because what Fitzpatrick Castle doesn’t have in modern technology, it has in old-world charm and exemplary service.

Both come courtesy of the owner, the dynamo that is Eithne Fitzpatrick Scott-Lennon; whose late father purchased the hotel she fondly refers to as ‘the lady on the hill,’ in 1971.

Today, she and her family are fiercely committed to maintaining its hard-won, 4 star status.

Thanks to the refinancing arrangement she successfully completed last year, the hotel is now on a solid financial footing, so much so that €500,000 was invested in refurbishments over the past 10 months, with similar expenditure planned in the coming year.

It Ethna is passionate about the hotel’s survival, she’s equally ardent in her commitment to her staff. Her value for them is not misplaced. Seán Dempsey, the chef her late father ‘stole’ from London’s Dorchester Hotel when he bought the place 44 years ago, is still working his magic in their kitchens today.

Having tasted his cooking many times over the years, I can only say, having sampled it again at PJ’s Restaurant on the Saturday night of our stay, that this man’s food is nothing short of sublime.

Of course it’s best enjoyed after a day exploring the locality, and what a locality that is. For sure, you may spy Josh Hartnett browsing in the art gallery, Robert Fisk walking past Finnegan’s bar, or The Edge dining in Ragazzi’s, but there’s more to the area than its famous residents.

There’s a real sense of community, one that’s every bit as rich as the raw beauty of the view from the Vico Road or the thrill you feel when bottlenosed dolphins deign to show themselves in Bulloch Harbour.

There’s a wealth of culture, as wonderful local storyteller and artist Brighid McLaughlin will explain, if you arrange to visit her at Biddy’s Cottage.

We did that, then visited Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre where we saw period-costume-clad, bow-and-arrow- armed actors, feigning bloodletting and hedgehog pie baking, and gleaned many interesting facts.

Who knew that Hamlet’s cliffs of Elsinore were based on stories about Dalkey’s cliffs, related by John Dowland, an Irish loot player in the King of Denmark’s court and a close friend of William Shakespeare?

Supersaturated with culture, we returned to the hotel where we agreed, that having been used by the Black & Tans and the IRA in the Irish Civil War, then torched by Free State troops, Fitzpatrick Castle is not only no slouch on the history front, but a splendid old lady indeed.

Getting there

Nine miles from Dublin city-centre. Dublin Airport is easily accessible via the Aircoach terminus at the hotel.

The bottom line

Dinner B&B for two costs from €149, with upgrades to the Royal Suite from €50 (Tel: [phone])

www.fitzpatrickcastle.com

www.dalkeycastle.com

Biddy’s Cottage Tel: [phone]