The Club House Hotel is like stepping through the wardrobe at Narnia
As Ireland enjoyed a mini-heatwave during the last weekend in June, we headed for the Medieval City for a stay in the Club House Hotel (www.clubhousehotel.com) on Lower Patrick Street, which has just unveiled 25 refurbished luxury guestrooms as part of a stunning €2.5 million renovation.
This hotel dates all the way back to 1797, starting out as a local foxhunting club, before being given the title of 'hotel' in 1817.
Run by Kilkenny couple, Ian Brennan and Joanna Hannick, the new wing of second generation Brennan family hotel is like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. While the main part of the Georgian townhouse is dated, in the best possible way as it retains all the charm and features — including stained glass windows and ornate architraves — of its 18th century origins, the refurbished rooms bring this hotel into the 21st century. The decor is modern yet warm, with striking pops of green and blue in the bedroom and bathroom. And a collection of photography by renowned artist Patrick McDonald adorns the walls, showcasing beloved Kilkenny streetscapes and landmarks.
Location, location, location, though, is everything — and when it comes to the Club House, you are never more than a five-minute walk in any direction from all of the famous Kilkenny landmarks, including Kilkenny Castle and taking in Ireland's Medieval Mile, which stretches from the castle to St Canice's Cathedral.
Throw a stone from the front door of the hotel and you will hit The Box Office at Zuni, a gorgeous cocktail bar where the cocktails are only matched by the soft remixed versions of all your favourite songs playing out all night.
Following dinner in Victor's Bar & Restaurant in the Club House, where the friendly staff and sumptuous chocolate brownie dessert will have to fight it out for 'highlight' of our stay, pop over to The Box Office for a delicious nightcap.
Owner and managing director of the Club House Ian Brennan has worked in the hotel for over 20 years and has great plans to continue the hotel's historic legacy.
'Now we are the custodians of this fabulous Georgian building, and we want to see it live on in full glory for future generations to enjoy,' he says.
'We've been helping people celebrate the important milestones for 50 years and it's our responsibility to carry on that legacy and make sure The Club House Hotel continues to be a place where memories are made and tradition lives on.'
In Kilkenny, there's churches as far as the eye can see but to see all of the city St Canice's Cathedral (www.stcanicescathedral.ie) is a must-visit. As well as offering a terrific guided or self-guided history tour, this cathedral boasts a round tower which is just one of a handful in Ireland which are open to the public for climbing.
121 steps takes you to the top of the 100ft tower for epic views over the entire city which was teeming with people on the weekend we visited, as an electric atmosphere filled the place.
And while there is the Kilkenny Farmers Market which takes place every Saturday on The Parade, showcasing local produce from 10am to 3.30pm and which comes highly recommended, there wasn't anything out-of-the-ordinary happening, just a glorious weekend of unexpected sunshine.
What's seldom is wonderful, as they say, and in Ireland, a bit of warm weather is enough to get us outdoors, enjoying the craic.
And nowhere was the craic being enjoyed than at the new Valley of Roses flagship store (www.valleyofroses.ie) on Rose Inn Street, which was officially opened just one day before our visit.
The name of this store, an artisanal perfume boutique, has a double meaning. Of course, it sits nicely on the street of the same name, which is a happy coincidence, but its owner, Andriana Tsankova, is also a native of Bulgaria, which is famed for its rose water and oil. This writer has long been a fan of Bulgarian Rose, with its deep aroma perfect for perfumery while Bulgarian Rose Water, from the Rose Valley of Bulgaria, boasts anti-ageing qualities I swear by.
Andriana's Valley of Roses, though, offers much more than traditional rose smells — the store offers over 400 bottled scents inspired by iconic brands. And it seems everyone in Kilkenny got the memo as the new, and might I add stunning, premises was packed throughout the day.
As we enjoyed a mixology workshop, Andriana told us: 'The new premises is more than a perfume boutique, it's an experience', and she isn't wrong as together we created our very own one-of-a-kind signature scent.
That was a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon and in complete contrast to how we spent Sunday afternoon — whizzing over lakes on Ireland's longest zipline and navigating an aerial adventure course at Castlecomer Discovery Park (www.discoverypark.ie), just 20 minutes outside of Kilkenny city and little over an hour's drive from Dublin.
Castlecomer is a real crowdpleaser, for all ages. Younger kids will love the Junior Woodland Adventure Course and water sports, including pedal boats and canoeing, while older teens and tweens will adore the thrilling Skywalk Challenge.
Parents who aren't brave enough to try this can chill out and enjoy a bite to eat in the gorgeous courtyard and adjoining restaurant or do a bit of shopping in one of the quaint on-site shops.
You could spend a full day here, no matter how active you are will to get, and not get bored. We spent five hours here and only got through The Skywalk Challenge, zipline and archery zone.
Which gives us a great excuse to return to the Marble City before summer's end!
– Escape to The Club House Hotel in Kilkenny. Getaways start from €127 for a single and €165 for a twin or double room per night, with air conditioning and plentiful on-site parking. For more information, see www.clubhousehotel.com.
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