Luxurious Low-impact Guesthouse, Barnahown, Opens Its Doors In Mitchelstown

press release

Room with a view. Pic: Kirsty Lyons

Luxurious Low-impact Guesthouse, Barnahown, Opens Its Doors In Mitchelstown

Offering Galtee Mountain Views Plus A Host Of Outdoor Adventures And Experiences

Barnahown, a luxurious new low-impact 4-bedroom Irish guesthouse near Mitchelstown in Co. Cork has opened its doors, offering Galtee mountain views, creature comforts aplenty, and access to a multitude of local wellness, adventure-based, and food-focused experiences.

The sensitively renovated and lovingly-restored 1800's farmhouse provides the

ideal base from which to discover the Munster Vales region, an area of outstanding natural beauty which is home to the Galtees - Ireland’s highest inland mountain range and one the country's most diverse hiking landscapes, with almost 30 kilometres of picturesque walking trails to explore.

Low-Impact Ethos:

Barnahown, whose journey from concept through to launch will feature in the latest series of RTÉ’s ‘At Your Service’ - the popular TV show hosted by John and Francis Brennan - when it airs this autumn, is powered by PV (photovoltaic) panels and is insulated to an A-rated level of energy efficiency. 

The guesthouse’s strong connections to the local community, the establishment of wildlife-friendly hedging on-site, and the chemical-free growing of produce in its kitchen garden, are all ways it actively lessens its impact on the environment. 

Mindful water usage, the avoidance of single use packaging, on-site composting, and the minimising of food waste are other key areas that owner, Ciara O’Brien, pays close attention to.

Barnahown Luxury Galtee Adventures:

Through Barnahown’s bespoke concierge service, Ciara, a Mitchelstown native and outdoor enthusiast who can count summiting Kilimanjaro among her many accomplishments, enables solo travellers and groups to book and enjoy a number of diverse daily excursions.

These include the likes of forest bathing, Ballyhoura mountain biking, tours of Mitchelstown Cave, River Blackwater fishing, and River Suir kayaking.

Creature Comforts:

When guests return to their base in Mitchelstown after a busy day immersing themselves in nature or taking in the town’s rich culture and renowned Georgian architecture, Barnahown, which also welcomes dogs to stay, will provide them with a luxurious home away from home. 

Every detail has been carefully considered. The twenty years that Ciara spent working at home and abroad for large multinationals, most recently with Google, means that she experienced her fair share of hotels, guesthouses, and Airbnb’s during her corporate career. This invaluable knowledge of a guest's particular requirements and the little quirks and luxuries that make their stay as memorable as possible has helped inform every creature comfort she offers at Barnahown.

Those wanting to fully immerse themselves in the local food culture can kick off their stay in style by enjoying a curated ‘Cork Shore To Galtee Mor’ tasting platter on check-in that includes either a glass of Irish bubbly in the form of Killahora Orchards’ Fine Perry - a favourite of Ciara’s - or a craft beer from Mitchelstown’s own Eight Degrees Brewing.

Barnahown’s fast charging EV stations will give you peace of mind and take the stress out of having to keep your electric car battery topped up during your stay, while high-speed broadband will keep you connected and enable you to easily share all of your highlights.

Convenient outdoor showers allow you to immediately freshen up after a day full of adventures, with a separate area to hose down any dirty boots or bikes, and there’s no better place to relax than the solar-powered hot tub overlooking the hills and wildflower meadows. An idyllic spot in which to sit back, relax, and savour sunset and the surrounding birdsong.

And if all of that wasn't enough, an honesty bar stocked with tipples from Ireland's top artisan drinks producers including Valentia Island Vermouth, Five Farms’ Irish Cream Liqueur, and Wicklow Way Wines will provide the perfect toast to your day.

When you rise the following morning, a breakfast showcasing free-range eggs from Barnahown’s hens served alongside foods from across the region that are all grown and produced within a 20 kilometre radius will provide all the nourishment you need to fuel an action-packed day ahead.

Local Golden Vale artisan producers, O’Callaghan’s Café & Delicatessen, Horgan’s Delicatessen, Praline Pastry & Chocolate Shop (all based in Mitchelstown), The Apple Farm in Cahir, West Cork Coffee, Cotter's Farm, The Merry Mill, and Galtee Honey are all proudly showcased on the breakfast menu.

Guest Rooms:

Ciara’s regenerative approach to the works undertaken on-site, including lime rendered exterior walls and 1800’s limestone lovingly restored by local craftspeople, combined with a light mid-century aesthetic, provide space for Barnown’s guests to appreciate the bones of the original house.

All four of Barnahown’s faithfully restored rooms - Cush, Lough Curra, Galtee Mor, and Temple Hill - are named after some of her favourite Galtees hikes.

Cush and Lough Curra are furnished with king-sized beds and come with their own en-suite bathroom, while those staying in Galtee Mor and Temple Hill have the added luxury of being able to enjoy the mountain views to the rear of the guesthouse from the comfort of super king-sized beds.

The furniture across all four bedrooms is handmade by local craftspeople and, as it strives to be as low impact as possible from the get-go, all of the eco-friendly Irish-made toiletries found in Barnahown’s en suite bathrooms are refillable, with no single use products provided.

In-keeping with Barnahown’s environmental commitments, minimum two nights stays are standard.

Two night bed & breakfast stays in the Cush and Lough Curra rooms are priced at €300.00 each, with two night bed & breakfast stays in the Galtee Mor and Temple Hill mountain view rooms priced at €340.00 each. 

The ‘Taste The Galtees’ weekend package, which includes the addition of the ‘Cork Shore To Galtee Mor’ tasting platter on arrival and personalised trail planning, is priced at an extra €40.00 per person and must be booked in advance.

Book your Barnahown adventure online via their website, www.barnahown.com. 

Commenting on the opening of Barnahown, owner, Ciara O’Brien, said: I'm really proud of the work we have done to bring Barnahown back to life and I'm looking forward to helping guests discover the unique features and workmanship of this special house. 

I would like guests staying here to experience the best of a true B&B; meeting the owner on arrival and sharing the story of the place with them, putting together bespoke itineraries for each individual based on their interests and my love of the local area, and wrapping up each day with specially curated food and drinks from my favourite local suppliers.

Exploring new and less visited areas can sometimes be a challenge without the 'well trodden path' to follow, so my goal is to help guests have a truly one-off experience and do it in a low-impact way that benefits the natural environment and the local community.”