A piece of history
I LOVE arriving into a destination at night. From the brash lights of a big city to the glowing windows of a little B&B stashed away in the Irish countryside, there’s just something about the darkness that injects excitement, atmosphere and anticipation into an arrival.
And that’s exactly my first experience of Coopershill. A three-storey Georgian pile lurking in the wilds of County Sligo, I reach it via a long, rain-soaked country road, rattling over cattle grills, headlights illuminating the bejewelled eyes of deer in the venison farm alongside.
When the nocturnal spectre of the house itself emerges, Simon O’Hara — the seventh generation to tend the family home — greets me with a torch, takes my suitcase from the boot, and leads me into a hallway crammed with antique chairs, oils and an imperious stags’ head.
Coopershill dates from 1774, and it wears every minute of its history. There’s no effort to bring a modern accent to the interiors — pikes, antlers, decorative China and gilded mirrors clutter the walls. Ancient oils hang from brass picture rails. When my feet stir under the dinner table, ancient silverware rattles on the service board at the other side of the room.
If you’d prefer a dip in the pool to admiring the plasterwork, you’ll be better off elsewhere. If you like the sound of a Blue Book property that trades traffic and TV for “the wind in the ancient trees, bird song, and the clink of ice in your Gin & Tonic”, on the other hand, it could be just the ticket.
There are eight bedrooms at Coopershill, and mine is anchored by a big old bed with a canopy overhead, sash windows watching over mature woodland and the kitchen garden outside, and thankfully, a thick duvet to keep out the early morning chills. Small floral prints, frilly lace, an antique dresser and a vase of wild flowers complete the gentrified, country feel.
The bathroom is a large en suite dominated by a standalone iron bathtub and a brass-piped shower that could take a starring role in a museum of Victoriana. It’s a super fitting, with a showerhead the size of a dinner plate — though it does take some fiddling to get the temperature right, and water does spit out over the curtain onto my head. It’s worth it.
Dinner is served at a beautiful old table by the fire in the dining room. Coopershill runs a deer farm, so it’s not surprising to see medallions of venison in a creamy juniper sauce as a main course. Dessert is a sugary apple crumble with homemade ice-cream, and there’s a cheese board laden with Wexford cheddar, Cashel blue, Irish brie and sweet pear chutney afterwards.
As is de rigueur these days, Coopershill is gung-ho on fresh, local ingredients — sourced from local farmers, fishermen in Killybegs, and its own fruit and vegetable gardens. Cut crystal wine glasses, white bone-handled cutlery and silver salt-and-pepper shakers all add to the old-world elegance.
Breakfast is served in the same room, where I dip into a sideboard with a small selection of cereals (in their boxes, strangely) a fresh fruit salad, local muesli, and some homemade yoghurt and breads. Hot options include a porridge that has been stewing overnight in the Aga, or a traditional breakfast with a twist… in the shape of some spicy venison sausages.
Coopershill lies at the heart of a 500-acre estate near Riverstown, so there’s an abundance of country and forest walks on the doorstep. Alice the spaniel can accompany you for a stroll, if you wish, and you’ll have no trouble spotting the herds of fallow deer. There’s a croquet lawn, all-weather tennis court and trout fishing on the River Arrow, too.
After a couple of hours in the great outdoors, you can pitch back up at the house for afternoon tea, or collapse in front of the drawing room fire with a book. The flames here are fed with wind-blown timber, and the saggy old couches are just right for curling up on and tucking your feet away under a cushion or two.
Remote it may be, but Coopershill is just a half-hour drive from Sligo — so there’s no shortage of things to do. If you like cooking, check out a course at Source Sligo (sourcesligo.ie; €40pp). Or you could explore the region’s links with the Yeats family — ending up at the Model Gallery (themodel.ie; free), where a Jack and John B Yeats exhibition opens on May 12.
Golf, fishing and horse-riding are other activities easily arranged in these parts, but I’d skip them all in favour of an hour or two in the surf. The water is freezing, yep. But once you take your first spill into the Atlantic at Enniscrone or Strandhill, the blood quickly gets up. Beginner lessons start from around €30pp, including boards, wetsuits and instruction (isasurf.ie).
For more to see and do in Sligo, see discoverireland.ie/sligo.
Coopershill is currently offering two nights’ B&B and one four-course dinner for €239pp. An Easter special adds a gourmet picnic for €249pp. Contact 071 916-5108 or coopershill.com .
ANYTHING TO ADD
Arriving by night may be high on atmosphere, but in the cold light of day, a couple of quibbles keep Coopershill from reaching the heights of Ballyvolane, Ballymaloe or Kilgraney — to my mind the standard-setters for luxury country houses in Ireland.
The kitchen is very visible as you approach the front of the house, for instance. Working rooms are best kept out of sight in period properties, I think, as their mod-cons and workaday aura can spoil the grand illusion of being a guest at a country house.
Characterful as the décor is, it errs on the fusty and cluttered side too, and I found my room a bit chilly on arrival. That was quickly taken care of, however, and Coopershill also offers a turn-down service, an unusual and welcome touch in this kind of property.
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