3 days ago
The perfect staycation for families off the beaten track with cosy cabins & relaxing activities just 2.5 hrs from Dublin
A SUIR THING The perfect staycation for families off the beaten track with cosy cabins & relaxing activities just 2.5 hrs from Dublin
SUMMER for parents means keeping the kids busy and active to avoid the dreaded words 'I'm bored'.
So I was delighted to get a weekend away for some dad and kid bonding with my three little ones — Feidhlim, 9, Grace, 7, and Hamish, 4, to Waterford.
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Fern Lodge is the perfect balance of comfort, charm and sustainable luxury
Credit: PR Handout
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Peter Doyle went for a bath session designed to help participants replenish their mental and physical health
Credit: PR Handout
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Its menu offers a variety of options, from homemade baked white beans to chocolate-covered pancakes
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There are also outdoor yoga classes and art workshops to choose from
Any parents wanting a hassle-free stay in palatial surroundings should look no further than the delightful eco-friendly Forest Cabins at the Mount Congreve Estate.
As my kids said, the cabins were just like real-life fairy cottages, so this added to the magic.
Nestled just outside the charming village of Kilmeaden, Mount Congreve is a magnificent 18th century stately home, designed by renowned Irish architect John Roberts.
Six generations of the Congreve family lived there since 1760. In 2011, the mansion and grounds on the bank of the River Suir were left in trust to the Irish State.
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Mount Congreve has now been transformed into the perfect destination for fans of the great outdoors who love nothing more than waking up to the sound of birdsong outside their window, but who cherish their home-comforts, too.
And thankfully for me and my clan, with its small collection of cozy and luxurious eco-friendly cabins located in a quiet, leafy corner of the country pile, it is the ideal destination for families looking for a couple of peaceful nights away from the hustle and bustle.
Rambling through woods along 16 kilometres of tranquil walkways, only stopping to put your feet up in the stunning four-acre walled garden, is a highly enjoyable way to build up appetites.
There are outdoor yoga classes and art workshops for anyone who wants to stretch their limbs — and minds — further.
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Unfortunately for us, the heavens opened the minute we landed there and it rained all weekend so the outdoor yoga was off the mat for us — something my kids didn't seem to mind!
The estate is also home to one of the world's largest plant collections, lovingly maintained by the expert ground staff.
SPLENDID WALKS
During the spring and early summer, the gardens are awash with sweeps of azaleas, camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons, while in late summer visitors can enjoy the breathtaking sight of more than 90 different varieties of hydrangeas.
At the entrance to the woodland garden, over 50 varieties of pieris, from salmon-pink to fire-red, are on display.
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Splendid walks along the banks of the Suir allow you to recharge the batteries with the family.
A visit to Mount Congreve's Secret Garden Shop is highly recommended. Alongside the main house, the shop is stocked with a dazzling array of stylish items from Irish homeware specialists Foxford, and provides some much-needed retail therapy for those whose lungs are filled to bursting with fresh air.
One of the most intriguing — and relaxing — activities is forest bathing with lifestyle medicine expert and GP Dr Mark Rowe.
The sessions are designed to help participants replenish their mental and physical health while being 'bathed' in the sights and sounds of the natural world.
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Although off the beaten track, Mount Congreve is only 7km from Waterford and easily accessible via the M9 motorway and the N25.
CHARMING LODGE
After a leisurely two-and-a-half-hour spin from Dublin, which included one pit-stop, it felt like we were in the opening scene from To The Manor Born as we drove along the wide and spacious driveway towards the main house.
For younger readers, To The Manor Born was a 1970s sitcom set in an English country mansion very similar to Mount Congreve.
Our base for the next two nights was the superbly crafted Fern Lodge, which along with all the other cottages on site, was built to provide guests with the perfect balance of comfort, charm and sustainable luxury.
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The lodge was a real home from home and equipped with bunk beds for the kids and a large comfy double for the parents — with luxurious duvets in both rooms — and an elegant and modern shower room.
The state-of-the-art kitchenette includes cookware, enamel tableware, a kettle, toaster, Nespresso machine, microwave, a two-burner electric hot plate and a mini fridge with a small icebox.
MOUNT CONGREVE ESTATE, WATERFORD
A FAMILY Cabin at Mount Congreve comfortably sleeps two adults and two children and costs €195 per night.
Bookings are for a minimum of two nights.
The Gate Lodge, which sleeps four, is €279 per night with no minimum stay.
See for more details.
There is also a communal charcoal BBQ area available for al fresco dining, and a magnificent whirlpool on the outdoor decking, which was for the grown-ups only.
After quickly exploring our surroundings, it was time for something to eat at the award-winning Stables Cafe. Head chef Jean-Baptiste Dubois has created a menu that celebrates seasonal and homegrown produce and includes fruits, vegetables and herbs sourced from Mount Congreve's specially created kitchen gardens.
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For lunch, the kids all went for homemade tomato soup in a cup, served with a slice of farmhouse brown bread, along with a doorstep-sized sourdough cheese toastie.
The adults chose the beetroot and goats cheese salad, which was a delightful combination of toasted chia seeds, candied walnuts, goats cheese, roasted and picked beetroot, and beetroot crisps.
We were only too happy to return to the Stables the next day for breakfast, where the children enjoyed pancakes with chocolate.
The more mature palates were tempted by the vegetarian garden breakfast of homemade baked cannellini beans, mushroom stuffed with roast pepper quinoa, root veg lox, rocket and sunflower seed pesto, tomato chutney and sourdough toast.
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FUN ACTIVITIES
In between walking, exploring and eating, we also visited Waterford city, where the kids were literally bowled over by the family entertainment centre Active. It boasts a multitude of indoor activities including 10-pin bowling, soft-play areas, climbing walls, and inflatable soccer arenas.
At the nearby Waterford Suir Valley Railway in Kilmeadan, visitors can relive the golden age of rail travel with journeys on the now-abandoned Waterford Dungarvan narrow-gauge line — a must for kids of all ages.
The Waterford Viking walking tour is also highly entertaining as actors in period costume breathe fresh life into the fascinating history of Ireland's oldest city.
Enough there to keep dad, and the little ones, entertained and never feeling bored all weekend.
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