Hotel review: Almost 60 years since its first guests, Ballymaloe ‘has a tricky balance to strike’

Fern Allen is in the dining room at Ballymaloe, telling an affectionate story about her mother’s decision to open the house to guests. It was 1964, and Myrtle Allen’s ad in the Irish Examiner invited readers to ‘Dine in a Country House’. They had to call to find out where it was.

Decades later, with generations of chefs, hoteliers and foodie-preneurs influenced by the ideas, personalities, cookery school and books Ballymaloe has gone on to spawn, Myrtle’s ‘madness’ feels like a spark of magic.

It’s not the trend-setter it once was. Its candlelit dining room, occasional stuffiness and high prices won’t appeal to all. But Ballymaloe is an iconic stay that remains full of ideas. Visit today, and you’ll find new wooden floors upcycling Jameson whiskey barrels, a snug new guest bar set in a nook by the castle turret, power drawn from solar panels and a biomass boiler, and ambitious future plans.

Almost 60 years since that ad, I checked in again.

The rating: 8/10

Arrival & location

Ballymaloe sits a half-hour east of Cork city in Shanagarry and 10 minutes from Ballycotton, the coastal village where much of its mouthwatering seafood is sourced. Seeing the storied house from the road gives me tingles, though I’m a bit confused by the parking barrier outside the shop. But I skip by, taking my wheelie case through the car park and into a hall refreshed by a new bright new blue stair runner.

Check in is at a small desk in a slightly cramped space between the hall and conservatory, but is beautifully executed with warm chats, Wi-Fi info and tweaks to my dinner plans all dealt with within a few minutes. A country house tradition is honoured too, with an offer of tea, coffee and a generous slice of homemade cake. 7.5/10

Service & style

Sense of place and heritage hang a little heavy at times, but uniformed staff wear their training lightly and, as you settle in, Ballymaloe’s atmosphere starts to feel natural.

“Can I get you more of anything?” is a common refrain, as are intuitive touches like an offer to keep an unfinished glass of wine in a cooler for a later course, or the smile and reply when guests wonder how to tackle the famous dessert trolley: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Maps of the 300-acre grounds are available — as are wellies, picnics (€25pp) and guided garden walks. There’s a tennis court, exhibitions and shows at its grainstore (prices vary; ballymaloegrainstore.com), and an outdoor pool is heated in summer by the biomass boiler. An ‘eco-spa’ is also in the works.

Don’t miss Fern’s history tour (Thursdays and Sundays; 10.30am). It’s a gorgeously personal take, with childhood tales like climbing the turret “if you didn’t want to go to bed” threaded through her insights into its art, history and the creative energy that marked Myrtle and Ivan Allen as pioneers of Irish country house hospitality: “My dad would be farming during the day and he’d come home and get changed and be host and sommelier... even though he didn’t know what a sommelier was.” 8.5/10

The rooms

There are no TVs or tea and coffee-making facilities in Ballymaloe’s rooms. Surprised? I am at first. Then I get transfixed by the greenfinches and blue tits plucking at a peanut feeder inches from my window. And the fresh coffee and chunk of cake from room service (€7 tray charge) is a far cry from what I’d whip up with a fun-sized kettle.

Thirty-three rooms are individualistic little essays in country luxury, all of a piece but differing a fair bit in shape, size and the tone set by their headboard patterns, strokable throws and various antiques. You’ll find fluffy robes, handmade soap, bottles of well water and high-thread-count sheets, though floral patterns can at times feel twee, and the Bosch CD player in my room has had its day. But they’re very, very comfy.

Upstairs Heritage Rooms feature the original castle walls; a 16 sq m Cosy Classic is suitable for solos; and Myrtle and Ivan’s Allen Flat has now been adapted into a new bedroom. Pick of the bunch, I think, are the ground-floor Heritage Rooms opening onto the gardens. 8/10

Food & drink

Ballymaloe is a byword for Irish country house cuisine, having showcased low food miles and local producers long before it was fashionable. Breakfast, Sunday lunch and chef Dervilla O’Flynn’s five-course dinner menu (€95pp) all carry the torch. The latter bursts with Irish ingredients, from Ballycotton Farm pork to Galtee Mountain venison, Young Buck or Gubbeen on the cheese plate, and lashings of garden goodies; fresh sea kale is served on my visit.

The aura feels formal (I’m glad I brought a jacket), servers wear their knowledge lightly, and though portions are small, extra helpings are offered. My Rossmore Gigas oysters are deliciously light and squishy, pinging off an apple mignonette. Ballycotton lobster riffs really well with a blood orange and fennel salad. Two pieces of monkfish served with red pepper beurre blanc, however, taste a bit bland and look anaemic to me - sitting as they do alongside the sauce and beneath criss-crossing kale.

But boy does it get the basics right — I couldn’t let go of the spuds, bread or butter. 7.5/10

The bottom line

If there’s ever a Hall of Fame for Irish hospitality, this will be its first inductee. But Ballymaloe has a tricky balance to strike between its traditions and the fast-changing worlds of tastes and travel. I found a little less fustiness and formality than I expected; a little more fresh thinking, sustainability and fun. It must feel like madness driving a family legend forward, but Ballymaloe still has the magic.

Insider tips

Got a Blue Book voucher? Ballymaloe is a founding member. Use it to pay and you’ll receive an extra, such as a complimentary room upgrade, subject to availability. “We love Ireland's Blue Book voucher guests,” they say.

Work up an appetite at the Ballycotton Cliff Walk, a short coastal stretch just 10 minutes away by car.

Rates

B&B starts from around €365 per room (a Cosy Classic midweek starts from €310). Pól was a guest of the hotel. ballymaloe.ie