‘Utter comfort – a fire lit after breakfast in the drawing room, drinks from the bar when needed.’ An endorsement from a regular visitor, following another stay at this family-run hotel. A wisteria-draped Georgian house grafted on to what remains of a 15th-century castle, it began life in 1964 as a restaurant, opened by a farmer’s wife, the late Myrtle Allen, and has blossomed to include a kitchen shop, café, events venue, cookery school and more. ‘Still great’, it ‘gets all the important things right’, report other return visitors in 2019. Main house rooms have an understated elegance, some lovely views across fields. There are newer garden rooms at the back, with river views; and further accommodation in a farm building. All have fresh-cut flowers, paintings and ceramics by Irish artists. At dinner, Dervilla O’Flynn’s menus showcase all that is local or home grown and raised. Perhaps Ballymaloe Farm pork braised in Normandy cider sauce, glazed apples, Ballyhoura mushrooms; ‘superb beef cooked rare as requested’. ‘The breakfast cold table is outstanding, with lots of home-grown compotes, honeycomb, porridge and so on. Cooked things as you would expect in Ireland.’ (RP)