Temple House
Balymote, County Sligo

Temple House is approached through an impressive gateway bordered by white iron railings. The drive meanders through parkland to this large Georgian mansion. It is set in 400 hectares of farmland and woodland, and there is a large garden where organic vegetables are grown for the evening meal.

The estate has been in the Perceval family since 1665, the present house having been redesigned and refurnished in 1864. The entrance through a portico leads to a large entry hall with tiled floor and shooting gear. This in turn leads to a second, larger hall, off which is an enormous dining room and three sitting rooms, all with open fires. The larger room has lovely views over the garden to the lake and ruins of a castle built by the Knights Templar in 1200. The enormous bedrooms are furnished with antiques and family portraits. Some have original bathroom fittings, curtains and carpets, etc., which consequently are faded and worn, but this all lends charm and atmosphere to the house.

The Percevals are very friendly people. Mrs Perceval does all the cooking and Mr Perceval runs the farm, which is stocked with sheep, Kerry cattle and poultry, providing the kitchen with fresh meat, bacon, eggs, vegetables and fruit. Almost everything is home-grown and home-made, including yoghurt, jams and cream cheese. Evening meals, if pre-arranged, are served at 7:30 p.m. Please note Mr Perceval is chemically sensitive, so guests are asked to avoid all perfumed products.

OWNER Mrs D. Perceval
OPEN April - November
ROOMS 3 double, 1 twin, 1 single; 4 en suite

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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.
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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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