Film producer Hal Roach once mischievously quipped that ‘you know it’s summer in Ireland when the rain gets warmer’.
The capricious weather was a constant subject when I was making ‘Quintessentially Irish’ with Navan-born Pierce Brosnan, a film that is a lush valentine to everything great and Irish.
Here are some of the most spectacular locations encountered while filming it.
THE K CLUB
It is a pleasant 30-minute journey from Dublin Airport to the luxurious hotel The K Club in County Kildare, looking resplendent after an impressive multi-million-pound refurbishment.
Our gorgeous Liffey suite has expansive views overlooking the river where Tiger Woods proudly caught a fish during a stay here.
Hollywood producer Frank Mannion shares some of the most spectacular locations he encountered while filming the documentary Quintessentially Irish in Ireland. The first is The K Club hotel, pictured, in County Kildare
Frank stays at The K Club’s Liffey suite, which he says overlooks ‘the river where Tiger Woods proudly caught a fish during a stay’
The K Club’s spectacular golf course – designed by Arnold Palmer – hosted the Ryder Cup and remains a huge attraction. There’s also a golf simulator, which Matt Damon enjoyed over a few pints of the black stuff (Guinness) while filming the historical epic The Last Duel.
But it’s the spa and elevated dining options that make this the perfect place for a getaway.
The K Club has one of the country’s finest Bordeaux collections, the plush Palmer North restaurant serves a generously portioned venison, the club sandwich in the Henry Bar is top-notch, and breakfast is exquisitely presented in the splendid Barton restaurant.
During his stay at The K Club, Frank takes the ‘scenic’ 16km (9.9-mile) Arthur’s Way heritage trail. Pictured: The Wonderful Barn, a point of interest along the trail
The K Club’s spa and elevated dining options are what make this the perfect place for a getaway, says Frank. Pictured: The Barton restaurant
The K World Golf Club Simulator, enjoyed by Matt Damon
While the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin is Ireland’s most visited attraction, the hotel concierge arranges for us to take the scenic 16km (9.9 mile) Arthur’s Way Heritage Trail, passing the Guinness-owned Leixlip Castle and Ardclough village, birthplace of Guinness founder Arthur Guinness.
BALLYFIN
Then, less than an hour further south is Ballyfin in County Laois.
Quite simply, Ballyfin is Ireland’s most distinguished address and deserves its reputation as the world’s best hotel. It feels like a home and is subtly designed as such.
So many hotels have uncivilised mid-afternoon check-in times. Not Ballyfin.
Its Gourmet Escape package allows guests to arrive from midday and to be welcomed Downton Abbey-style by the friendly staff, including charming general manager Peter White.
Frank describes Ballyfin (pictured) in County Laois as ‘Ireland’s most distinguished address’ and says it ‘deserves its reputation as the world’s best hotel’
Frank stays in the ‘stunning’ Lady Caroline Coote suite, above
Kim Kardashian has stayed twice at Ballyfin, notes Frank, who adds that she ‘surprised guests with her appearance in the State Dining Room’
Ballyfin’s ‘Gourmet Escape package allows guests to arrive from midday’, says Frank. A ‘mouth-watering lunch awaits in the grandeur of the State Dining Room’
Enjoy a complimentary glass of Champagne in the stunning library with its crackling fires, while a mouth-watering lunch awaits amid the grandeur of the State Dining Room, which overlooks a charming Doric Temple cascade.
One of the hotel’s fans is Kim Kardashian. She’s stayed twice and surprised guests with an appearance in the State Dining Room.
George Clooney is also an admirer.
George Clooney stayed at the ‘charming’ Gardener’s Cottage, pictured in the three images above
He booked out the hotel for a Clooney clan gathering and met his Irish cousins, who hail from neighbouring Abbeyleix.
Mr Clooney stayed in the charming two-storey Gardener’s Cottage, overlooking the walled garden and the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
We stay in a stunning suite, the Lady Caroline Coote (formerly her boudoir).
CASHEL PALACE HOTEL
Next stop is the spiritual home of Guinness, the wonderful Cashel Palace Hotel in County Tipperary, formerly an 18th-century mansion owned by the Archbishop of Cashel.
He famously left a £100 legacy to his godson, Arthur Guinness, who used this jackpot to buy a brewery.
The hotel deserves all the accolades it has received under the astute ownership of Susan Magnier (of the horseracing dynasty – the hotel even has an equine concierge).
Frank checks into ‘the wonderful Cashel Palace Hotel’, pictured, which is ‘formerly an 18th-century mansion owned by the Archbishop of Cashel’
Queen Elizabeth II visited the majestic nearby Rock of Cashel
Our stay is made all the more special by its delightfully youthful friendly staff.
It has long been a haven for celebrities, Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor, for instance.
And Queen Elizabeth II visited the majestic nearby Rock of Cashel, which as Ireland.com notes, ‘is home to over 1,000 years of history’.
The website explains that the site is home to a ‘complex of interlocking structures’, including a 13th-century cathedral and the 15th-century Hall of the Vicars Choral – a medieval choir’s residence.
The Rock can be accessed directly by hotel guests through the hotel garden, which features 300-year-old mulberry trees.
LEFT: Be sure to finish off a delicious dinner at the Michelin-starred Bishop’s Buttery restaurant with a decadent whiskey Baba, says Frank. RIGHT: ‘A rejuvenating peat mud bath treatment in the elegant spa is a must’
If that’s too much trouble, book a lovely garden wing superior room overlooking the Rock.
A rejuvenating peat mud bath treatment in the elegant spa is a must – and be sure to finish off a delicious dinner at the Michelin-starred Bishop’s Buttery restaurant with a decadent whiskey Baba.
THE PARK HOTEL KENMARE
The island home of the reclusive Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the remote monastic settlement of Skellig Michael in County Kerry.
A far more hospitable stay in the area is the remarkable Relais et Chateaux property, the Park Hotel Kenmare.
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage have stayed at the Park Hotel Kenmare
This is Ireland’s legendary 41-room Victorian grande dame hotel that had an elegant pandemic makeover.
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage have enjoyed its Kenmare Bay views.
It is hard to leave our sumptuous junior suite, but the luxurious Samas spa, nestled in the woods, is a worthwhile short excursion and gives us an immediate sense of relaxation.
We enjoy a Bushmills whiskey in the stylish cocktail bar, followed by a delicious dinner in the elegant dining room, with its magnificent paintings.
This hotel is a timeless gem with a five-star ethos that effortlessly combines town and country.
Frank enjoys a Bushmills whiskey in the ‘stylish’ cocktail bar, above
The Park Hotel Kenmare is perfectly situated for a drive around the Ring of Kerry (above), a 179km (111-mile) driving route filled with ‘rolling green hills, sparkling lakes and jaw-dropping cliffs’
Kenmare, meanwhile, is a beautiful heritage town on the hotel’s doorstep. It had a cameo in the quirky The Lobster with Colin Farrell.
Pop into Kenmare Cashmere and have a pint of Guinness at Crowleys, both on Henry St.
The Park Hotel Kenmare is also perfectly situated for exploring the underrated Beara Peninsula or for a drive around the Ring of Kerry, a 179km (111-mile) driving route filled with ‘rolling green hills, sparkling lakes and jaw-dropping cliffs’, notes Ireland.com.
SHEEN FALLS LODGE
Our final stop is another stunning Relais et Chateaux property, Sheen Falls Lodge, formerly a 17th-century fishing lodge.
Frank’s final stop is Sheen Falls Lodge (above), a former 17th-century fishing lodge
Pictured: Kenmare Town, located around 1.7 miles (2.7km) from Sheen Falls Lodge
Above is the terrace at the Sheen Bar, overlooking a stream that runs past the hotel
The terrace of the glorious Oscar suite has a ravishing view overlooking a waterfall and a picture-perfect stone-arched bridge.
Afternoon tea in the Sheen Lounge is a delight – and the superb Falls restaurant serves a faultless dinner.
I retire to the cosy library with its log fires and read Ted Murphy’s Kingdom of Wine, which documents Ireland’s little-known contribution to wine. It is so hard to leave this all behind.
The journey to Kerry Airport is spectacular, passing through Killarney National Park, which boasts breathtaking lakes.
‘Afternoon tea in the Sheen Lounge is a delight’ and the ‘superb’ Falls restaurant serves a faultless dinner’. Pictured: The front of the accommodation
Pictured: The Easanna Spa at Sheen Falls Lodge
The terrace of the glorious Oscar suite (pictured) has a ‘ravishing view overlooking the waterfall’
The Oscar suite has a view of this ‘picture-perfect stone-arched bridge’
We stop at the stupendous Ladies View scenic viewpoint, so named after the ladies-in-waiting who accompanied Queen Victoria on her visit to the must-see Muckross House in 1861.
Ireland has always been known as the land of a hundred thousand welcomes, but now it has several world-class hotels and restaurants that ensure that every visitor will be longing to return.
Did I mention that the sun actually shines most of the time? No wonder my Irish eyes are still smiling…
Frank Mannion is an Irish film director and his new film, Quintessentially Irish, with Pierce Brosnan and Jeremy Irons is out now.