Come back to Martina and John Sheedy’s small hotel, after a windswept walk in ‘wonderful’ Burren countryside, to enjoy a quiet drink by the fire or in the sunroom overlooking the rose garden – it’s the small touches that make the place. The hotel has been in the family for four generations; today, ‘the combination of Martina’s warm welcome and John’s cooking is formidable’. Large, traditionally furnished bedrooms in the 18th-century country house are supplied with fine toiletries, up-to-date magazines and home-made cookies. For extra space, book a junior suite with a generous sitting area. No newcomer to sustainable food, the chef/patron has been using local suppliers in his kitchen for more than 30 years. Among his Irish dishes grounded in classical French techniques: pork belly, cauliflower purée, apple coulis; seared scallops, lentils. At a buffet-free breakfast, ‘the hosts offer something a little different (although if you want a traditional Irish fried breakfast, you won’t find a better one)’. There are pancakes, bagels with St Tola goat’s cheese, organic porridge with Baileys; jams, marmalade and breads are all home made. More reports, please.