On the boundary of Cork and Kerry, amidst sheltered lawns, flower gardens and parkland and bordered by sea, river and mountains, stands Ballylickey House, commanding a magnificent view over Bantry Bay. Built some 300 years ago by Lord Kenmare as a shooting lodge, Ballylickey has been the home of the Graves family for over four generations. Robert Graves, the poet, was an uncle of the present owner.

The house was burnt down in recent years, but was rebuilt incorporating the best of the old features with a new standard of comfort. This elegant residence is exquisitely decorated with many pieces of antique furniture. One of the main features of a stay at Ballylickey is the food, which is superbly prepared and presented, and served with great elegance in the attractive dining room. The bedrooms are luxurious and all have TVs, phones, hairdryers and trouser presses. The suites include a bedroom, drawing room and bathroom. Some of the rooms are in the manor house, and others are delightful garden cottages around the swimming pool and gardens. A restaurant by the pool is open to non residents.

The 4 hectares of grounds include another Georgian home for self-catering, and two rookeries, which are believed to bring a special blessing to a house. There are two golf courses nearby and miles of mountainous coastline. No pets. No smoking in the restaurant. The house is between Bantry and Glengarriff on the N71. Rooms 6 double, 7 suites; 13 en suite

From Bed & Breakfast Ireland, the independent guide to over 400 B&B's throughout Ireland.

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Bed and Breakfast Ireland the comprehensive guide to Irish B and Bs

A best-seller in Ireland and a real insider's guide, Bed and Breakfast Ireland has been continuously in print since 1991. The latest edition has been completely revised and updated. "Bed and Breakfast Ireland" covers more than 400 of Ireland's best bed and breakfast accommodations (b and bs), including guest houses, small hotels, country mansions, private homes, and farmhouses. Each location has been visited by the authors, who provide informative, personal descriptions, as well as logistical information such as rates, addresses, and phone and fax numbers--all accompanied by a selection of helpful maps. This comprehensive and charming guide to Irish B and Bs will help make any holiday in Ireland a trip to remember.
Bed and Breakfast Ireland has been researched and written by Elsie Dillard and Susan Causin, former travel agents with 40 years of experience between them. They divide their time between the Britain, Ireland and the US.

First class guide to Ireland's bed and breakfast lodging

Bed and Breakfast Ireland reviewed in Chicago Tribune
Maybe you'll stay in the place described as a pre-Famine wisteria-covered farmhouse -one of several overnight options in Westport, County Mayo. Or maybe you'll opt for the large Georgian mansion just beyond an iron gateway in Ballymote, County Sligo. Maybe you'll stay in one of the other 400 or so accommodations in this revised and expanded version of the book (Bed and Breakfast Ireland) that first hit the United States in 1991. Only an occasional line drawing interrupts the text; and in the back of the 319 page book, regional maps-which include ferry routes-cover the whole of the Irish Isle, from Derry and Belfast in the north to the Dingle Peninsula and Cork in the south. Each lodging entry ends with the names of the owners, season of operation and number of rooms. This review refers to an earlier edition of Bed and Breakfast Ireland as is the extract above. The latest edition of Dillard and Causin's Bed and Breakfast Ireland contains even more entries.

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