Spring into an Irish Farmhouse Holiday

February 20, 2018

Spring is a lovely time of year for an Irish Farmhouse holiday. From February to April on a working farm there is always new life making an appearance. The fields are filled with new born lambs and when staying on a farm you have the chance to get close and personal with these cuties.

Enjoy a variety of farm activities from collecting eggs to help feeding the new farm animals or simply pull on your walking boots and make the most Ireland’s green pastures and beautiful scenery.

You can look forward to delicious home cooking with many farmhouses using vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat from their own working farms. Your host can take you on a guided tour to see the crops and explain the cultivating process.

Take time to relax and unwind in a peaceful, natural and unique cultural environment. A farmhouse B&B makes the perfect base for exploring Ireland’s beautiful countryside, majestic mountains, woodland and coastline walks.

Farmstay holidays are great value for money with B&B stays at affordable prices. B&B hosts provide an excellent service with a great choice of breakfast including their famous Full Irish Breakfast!

Tags: bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, Farmhouse B&B Hosts, Farmhouse B&B stay, Farmhouse home-baking, Farmstay B&B Holidays

Ireland’s Natural Beauty

November 4, 2015

Ireland’s Natural Beauty

The first thing that you will notice when you arrive in Ireland is its stunning natural beauty. The Irish countryside really does offer forty shades of green and an abundance of exceptional landscapes. Having recently returned from a trip abroad, the first thing that hit me was the beautiful lush green fields that surrounded me as I travelled down the road and I realised how much I had missed Ireland’s natural beauty.

Beautiful Places

The one thing that we take for granted living in Ireland is its jaw-dropping beauty. It is home to natural phenomenon that you just won’t see anywhere else in the world! Locations throughout Ireland such as the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, The Burren in County Clare, Sliabh Liag Cliffs in County Donegal, The Copper Coast in County Waterford, the Wicklow Mountains National Park, and the Beara Peninsula in County Cork will astound you and as far as these magnificent places go, the list is endless. The Wild Atlantic Way on the West Coast of Ireland is the longest defined driving route in the world. It spans nine counties and is truly breath-taking with so much to see and do.

The Great Outdoors!

In Ireland, you are spoilt for choice, from beautiful landscapes that are perfect for outdoor adventures such as walking, cycling, golf and horse-riding, to a coastline made for surfing, sailing, fishing and more. There are mountains to climb and parklands and woodlands to explore, all offering something that little bit special. Ireland has no less than six National Parks including, Killarney National Park known as the “Jewel in Kerry’s Crown”. This park alone is famed for its beauty and is home to Macgillycuddy Reeks (Ireland’s highest mountain range), Ross Castle, Muckross Waterfall and the Lakes of Killarney.

Accommodation

Farmhouse bed and breakfasts are located across Ireland and offer modern and comfortable accommodation, yet retain the old traditions that make them so unique. You have the option of taking part in farming activities or to just sit back and enjoy the tranquillity and peace of your beautiful surroundings. They are the perfect base for exploring Ireland’s undeniable natural beauty.

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Tags: B&B accommodation, Beautiful Places, bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, Ireland's Natural Beauty, Ireland's top attractions, the great outdoors, Wild Atlantic Way

B&B Hosts

October 8, 2015

From their idyllic locations to their excellent facilities, there are so many reasons for choosing to stay in an Irish Farmhouse bed and breakfast during your stay in Ireland. However, it is without doubt that the B&B hosts are what make your vacation that extra bit special. They go above and beyond to ensure that their guests have the best experience possible!

Warm Welcome

From the moment you arrive at your chosen B&B, your hosts are on hand to welcome you into their home. They treat their guests as if they are a member of their own family, making sure that you are comfortable and settled at all times. On arrival, you are greeted with tea/coffee and delicious home-baking. Its little gestures like these that can make a big difference to the enjoyment of your holiday!

Home-baking

As well as their warmth and friendliness, B&B hosts are excellent cooks and bakers! When staying in one of our homes, you can look forward to a mouth-watering full Irish breakfast after a comfortable night’s sleep. Hosts are more than happy to cater for any dietary requirements and will ensure that you are completely looked after for your entire stay. Their fresh home-baking is also a real treat, such as delicious scones with jam and cream!

Hints and Tips

Your B&B hosts can lend a hand when planning your itineraries, as they will have a wealth of local knowledge. From the best sights to see, to the tastiest places to dine, they have all the hints and tips you need to ensure you don’t miss out. Hosts are also a great help when organising activities, as they can provide you with any necessary contacts or information.

Authentic Irish Experience

Overall, the B&B host is a very important factor in an authentic Irish holiday experience. From giving you an insight into their traditions and culture, to helping you get to grips with the locality, they make your stay an unforgettable one. When you choose to stay in an Irish bed and breakfast, you arrive as a stranger, but leave as a friend.

Book your stay now!

Tags: B&B hosts in Ireland, bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, bed and breakfast hosts, Irish Farmhouse B&B hosts

Carrot Cake Recipe

June 10, 2015

Nobody goes hungry in an Irish Farmhouse bed and breakfast! It’s a lovely start to any holiday to be met with fresh home-made treats on arrival at your chosen Farmhouse B&B. This carrot cake recipe was kindly given to me by one of our Farmhouse B&B homes that’s located along the Wild Atlantic Way. Why not try to make it at home? I think you’ll agree that it’s delicious…

Ingredients

butter for greasing
115g/4 oz self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
175g/6 oz soft brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5tbsp sunflower oil
175g/6 oz grated carrots
1 banana, chopped
25g/1 oz chopped toasted mixed nuts

Frosting

3 tbsp butter, softened
3tbsp cream cheese
175g/6 oz icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp orange juice
grated rind ½ orange
walnut halves or pieces, to decorate

Method

1. Grease an 18-cm/7-inch square cake tin with butter and line with baking parchment. Sift the flour, salt, allspice and nutmeg into a bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, then stir in the eggs and oil. Add the carrots, banana and chopped mixed nuts and mix together well.
2. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface. Transfer to a preheated oven, 190˚C/375˚F, and bake for 55 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool. When cool enough to handle, turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the frosting, put the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, orange juice and orange rind into a bowl and beat together until creamy. Spread the frosting over the top of the cold cake, then use a fork to make shallow wavy lines in the frosting. Scatter over the walnuts, cut the cake into bars and serve.

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Tags: bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, Farmhouse recipes, Farmstay B&Bs, Irish Farmhouse holidays

Irish Farmhouse Brown Bread Recipe

April 9, 2015

Irish Farmhouse B&Bs include home-cooking and baking as part of the farm-stay experience for their guests. Traditional Irish brown bread is delicious and bed and breakfasts in Ireland tend to serve it with breakfast in the mornings or complementary along with tea/coffee on arrival. Real butter and home-made jam on a slice of Irish brown bread is a tasty treat that everyone should try!

This is a great brown bread recipe that you could try yourself at home.

Ingredients

12 ozs extra coarse brown wheaten meal
8 ozs plain strong white flour
3 handfuls of bran
2 handfuls of wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
11/4 – 11/2 pints of fresh milk
1 dessertspoon treacle
1 dessertspoon oil
1 level teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat oven to 240C/475F.
Prepare 2 x 2lb loaf tins greased.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
Add treacle and oil to lesser amount of milk and stir into dry mix.
The mixture at this stage should be soft and moist. If too dry add some more milk, but do not make it too wet.
Spoon mixture into the prepared tins and smooth tops, making a slight hollow along the centre of each.
Sprinkle with bran or sesame seeds.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 150C/300F and continue to bake for a further 30 minutes.
Remove bread from oven and turn loaves out onto a wire rack to cool.

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Tags: bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, Farmhouse home-cooking, Farmhouse recipes, Vacations to Ireland

The Wild Atlantic Way

March 25, 2015

The Wild Atlantic Way coastal route on the west coast of Ireland has all the ingredients that make for a fantastic holiday experience. 2,400km of beautiful unspoilt natural landscapes that will, without doubt, take your breath away!

Counties

The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest defined coastal driving route in the world. The spectacular Atlantic coastline encompasses the counties of Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Cork, each one offering unique experiences. The route is well signposted and can be joined at any point. You don’t have to complete it all in one vacation, in fact, it’s best to break your journey up into sections and spend a few days exploring each location.

Céad mile Fáilte

Farmhouse B&Bs make ideal accommodation bases and will definitely add to your Wild Atlantic Way adventure. You’ll receive a warm Céad Míle Failte and you’ll experience the true meaning of Irish hospitality. Relax and enjoy tranquil surroundings with hosts that will make sure you have everything you need. They’ll guide you on the must-see sights that make the Wild Atlantic Way so special, from the most famous landmarks including the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry and the Sliabh Liag Cliffs in Donegal to the lesser known hidden gems that don’t appear in the official guide books.

See and Do

No matter where you decide to base yourself along the route, there will be plenty of sites to see, historical ruins, castles, secluded beaches and scenic harbours that will have you reaching for your camera. You will love the friendly towns and villages along the way, with charming restaurants and quaint pubs where fresh seafood is a specialty on the menu. The west coast of Ireland is a haven for outdoor leisure pursuits, so whatever your passion, from walking and cycling, to sailing and golf, your interests will be catered for.

Tags: B&BS in Ireland, bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, Coastal drives in Ireland, coastal routes, Farmhouse B&B Hosts, Holidays to Ireland, Vacations to Ireland, West of Ireland

Irish Breakfast Scones

March 11, 2015

Your taste-buds are in for a real treat when you stay at an Irish Farmhouse B&B. Our B&B hosts are renowned for their cooking skills, so you’ll be enjoying delicious Irish home-cooking throughout your stay. Ard na Greine B&B, one of our bed and breakfast homes has kindly shared a recipe for Irish Breakfast Scones for you to try at home.

Ingredients

1 lb self-raising flour
4 ozs butter
2 ozs caster sugar
2 eggs – whisked
1 cup of milk – approximately

Method

1. Sieve dry ingredients into a bowl.
2. Rub in the butter.
3. Make a well in the center
4. Add the whisked eggs and milk into the mixture.
5. Mix to a loose dough.
6. Keep a little of the egg mixture for brushing over the scones.
7. Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly.
8. Shape into a round about 1″ thick.
9. Cut out scones, put on a baking try and brush with the remaining egg mixture.
10. Bake in a hot oven – 200C / 400F / Gas 6 for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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Tags: bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, bed and breakfasts Ireland, Farmhouse B&B Hosts, Farmhouse home-cooking, Irish Farmhouse holidays