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

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 Ballyhoura and 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 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, Blackwater River fishing, and Suir River 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 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 will allow you to immediately freshen up after a day full of adventures and to hose down any dirty boots or bikes, and there’s no better place to relax than the solar-powered hot tub, which overlooks 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 just 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 weekend bed & breakfast stays in the Cush and Lough Curra rooms are priced at €300.00, with two-night weekend bed & breakfast stays in the Galtee Mor and Temple Hill mountain view rooms priced at €340.00. The optional ‘Cork Shore To Galtee Mor’ tasting experience, which includes a welcome platter on arrival and personalised trail planning is charged at an additional €40.00 per person.

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