Travel review: What it's like to stay and dine at Fernhill House in West Cork

The popular Clonakilty property was just announced as one of the new members to join the prestigious Ireland's Blue Book collection of Irish boutique properties and country house hotels

Mon, 21 Nov, 2022 - 15:40

Tom Breathnach

Fernhill House is putting the green in Ireland’s Blue Book.

The popular Clonakilty property which places a strong focus on sustainability was just announced as one of the new members to join the prestigious collection of Irish boutique properties and country house hotels.

To experience how it shapes up against the group’s lofty standards, this week I headed down west to visit the property where I met Michael O’Neill, the fourth generation of the family to own and manage this true hospitality find.

“We are just delighted and honoured to become an Ireland’s Blue Book member,” Michael told me as we strolled around their impressive gardens, created by Chelsea Flower Shower gold medalist, Mary Reynolds.

“It’s a huge achievement for us and a testament to our team and all the hard work over the years. I obviously grew up in a country house myself here at Fernhill and I’ve always had such a love for heritage properties and country house hotels, so it’s great to be in such a prestigious company with all the great names in the Blue Book collection”

Fernhill is joined by new fellow members, Perryville House in Kinsale, Tubbrid Castle in Kilkenny, The Lansdowne in Kenmare and The Old Inn in Co Down, bringing a record 63 members to the group which was first founded in 1974.

Michael is hoping their addition will add a further boost to visitors to his neck of West Cork.

“We’re really excited to welcome new guests to Fernhill, whether they’ll stay just one night or hopefully a few nights so they can not only dine with us but also eat out at some of the other great restaurants in Clonakilty and support more businesses in the area and beyond.”

Rooms at Fernhill are very much on Blue Book brand and my superior room had a luxury, rustic quality embellished by a thoughtful botanical theme inspired by the hotel’s strong grá for nature and sustainability. From €159 per night, it represents great value in the current climate, too.

That value follows through to the hotel’s evening dining menu where I enjoyed a delicious spread of local seasonal fare from a seafood brulée with gluten-free Clonakilty garlic brioche to a delicious short rib on a bed. It was melt-in-your mouth but not hole-in-your-pocket pricing too; €48, for three superb courses and a glass of wine, was pricing I’d not seen in similar establishments all year.

As for bookings, they’re already looking bright following the hotel’s good news.

“We’re definitely seeing a bump in interest and bookings since the announcement,” Michael says.

“We’re one of the top 10 rated hotels in Ireland on Tripadvisor so we already have a great reputation but we’re hoping our membership of the Blue Book will even encourage more people to enjoy a visit down in this beautiful part of West Cork.”

Details: Fernhill rates start from €139 and you’ll find even more bang for your Ireland’s Blue Book buck by booking longer stays. Note, Fernhill is a popular wedding venue so leisure guests are advised to book mid-week.