Visit Kinnitty Offaly Ireland
Visit the picturesque village of Kinnitty [Kinnity] which is located at the crossroads of Ireland midway between Dublin in the east Galway on the west coast, Belfast in the north and Cork in the south. It’s central location makes it the ideal base to explore Ireland. In less than 2 hours from Kinnitty you can be in the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, The Rock of Cashel, Cork, Sligo or Kilkenny.
Variously spelled in ancient documents as Cinneity, Kennettys, Killenitty and in Gaelic Cinneitigh, it is thought to have derived its name from the head of St Ita.
Some time after the plantation of Offaly in 1619 Kinnitty came in to the possession of the Winter family. The present Castle, Kinnitty Castle was built in 1811 by the Bernard family and was called Castle Bernard. It was around the Bernard family estates that the present village grew from a mere 5 houses at the end of the 18th century to its peak of 98 houses in 1841. It now has just 128.
Kinnitty Castle has been transformed into a Castle Hotel and is well known for romantic fairy tale weddings. As well as having the wonderful Kinnitty Castle Hotel with it’s fine restaurants and bars the village has two quaint pubs, a village grocery shop, a cafe, mountain biking centre, 2 churches, children’s playground, a hurling pitch and it’s very own Kinnitty Pyramid which you can see from Ardmore Country House.
There are many great reasons to visit Kinnitty. Being situated at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains it is an ideal base for walking, cycling, mountain biking or horse-riding. The Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike trails starts in the village. There are loop walking trails at Kinnitty trail head just south of the village of Kinnitty on the R420 and an Eco walk loop trail at Knockbarron Wood. The Slieve Bloom Way long distance trail can be accessed from Kinnitty.
Ardmore Country House is located on the edge of the village and enjoys wonderful views through the large picture windows of the magical Slieve Bloom Mountains and the Pyramid at the rear of the Church of Ireland.
The picturesque village nestles at the foot of Knocknamann which is on the western slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. Knocknamann is the site where the Festival of Bealtaine was held in pre-christian times. The Slieve Bloom Mountains are steeped in history and folklore, from megalithic times though Ireland’s golden era of Saints & Scholars to more modern history of settlement and conflict of the O’Carrolls. According to legend the Slieve Bloom Mountains was home to Fionn Mac Cumhaill where as a child he lived with his mother for the first 7 years of his life.
Kinnitty Pyramid, the only one of its kind in Ireland, is situated at he rear of the Church of Ireland in the village and is visible from Ardmore House bed and breakfast. It stands 30 feet in height and was built as a crypt by Lt. Col Richard Wesley Bernard for his family on his return from Egypt in the mid 1800’s. Building began in 1830 and was completed in 1834. It is permanently sealed now. The doors are 3 inches in width and made of steel that lead down 5 steps to the inside tomb.It is the resting place of 6 members of the Bernard familly of Kinnitty (Kinity) Castle or Castle Bernard. The first was Mary Bernard and the last burial took place in 1907.
Leap Castle Ireland’s most haunted castle is just 6 miles from Ardmore House Kinnitty on the R421, It was a former castle of the O@ Carroll Clan.
Three miles from Kinnitty is the lovely village of Cadamstown one of a necklace of lovely villages that dots the lowlands of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The Silver River Nature/Eco Trail, which starts from here, is a geological reserve of great beauty and botanical interest. We will give detailed maps to walk the trail.
Other attractions within an hours drive of Kinnitty are Clonmacnoise, Athlone Castle, the Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny city. If you are exploring the rugged west coast of Ireland and wild Atlantic Way, why not stop a night or two to experience the contrast. Kinnitty is far removed from the commercialism of busy resorts like Killarney, Dingle, Galway or indeed Dublin, still retaining a charm and pace more reminiscent of Ireland of the past than that of today.
We are delighted to be ranked in the top 10% of hotels worldwide on Trip Advisor and receive the Traveller’s Choice Award 2020
This place is magic! Chris is amazing, knowledgeable and fun. We were only here for one night and wish we had stayed for more. It was clean,... read more cozy and perfect. We compared every other stay to this one and Ardmore Country House was our favorite. Rooms were clean, super comfy and well equipped. Breakfast was delish and great brown bread!! We went to the local pub and had an super fun night - Thanks Chris for joining us and for the laughs and for all the recommendations that we used on the rest of our trip.
Myself and 2 friends stayed 6 days in this lovely home. We were impressed the moment we arrived. Our room was roomy, even with 3 beds, lovely antiques, beds and... read more pillows were super comfy, and I am picky! The host, Chris,is so welcoming and agreeable, and a wonderful cook. Breakfast was delightful, homemade scones, bread, jams and each dish we tried was perfect. An easy walk to Catholic Church, Post offce, pub, just a lovely village. Chris is very knowledgeable about the area and made great recommendations for us. We used this as a base and drove all over Ireland from here each day. We felt it was a great central location. We will definitely stay here again when we go to Ireland next time. We were upstairs with beautiful views of the mountains in this lovely rural setting. Thanks again to Chris for our memorable first stay in Ireland!!
This place is magic! Chris is amazing, knowledgeable and fun. We were only here for one night and wish we had stayed for more. It was clean,... read more cozy and perfect. We compared every other stay to this one and Ardmore Country House was our favorite. Rooms were clean, super comfy and well equipped. Breakfast was delish and great brown bread!! We went to the local pub and had an super fun night - Thanks Chris for joining us and for the laughs and for all the recommendations that we used on the rest of our trip. More
We stayed but one night and wished we had had longer. Christina is the ultimate as a warm and welcoming hostess. From welcoming us upon our arrival with tea and... read more treats and providing a wide and delicious breakfast - cooked to order. Our room was tastefully decorated with a comfortable bed and a choice of pillows so that our nights sleep could not have been better. A hot and strong shower was an added plus to make our stay comfortable.
Christina is happy to offer suggestions of activities and sights around the area as well - including out of ordinary places to see and explore.
We give 5 stars to this lovely accommodation and would gladly return.
Arrived here completely wet, but it was nice and well-organised. Nice breakfast, also very pleasant and decent lady. The building itself is quite well-maintained, with a beautiful virginia creeper all... read more over it. More
I stayed here overnight for an adventure race in the village. I had a warm Irish welcome on arrival with a cup of tea and a wee cake. ... read more Christina was a font of knowledge for the local area and suggested a local place to eat. My room was spotlessly clean and I had a great peaceful nights sleep. Breakfast was included and all freshly cooked. I had the porridge which was fab. Ardmore Country House is a perfect base for those wishing to explore the local area and I’d be delighted to have the opportunity to return and stay here again. Thanks Christina !
Just returned to the UK after 4 great nights at Ardmore Court House. The house is beautifully decorated with great rooms and an amazing garden. Chris is a fabulous host... read more who made our stay so enjoyable with her hospitality, local knowledge and great sense of humour. We enjoyed amazing breakfasts every morning. The local area too has so much to offer to walkers cyclists and traditional music lovers. Loved it,
First of all, Chris our hostess was awesome!
She steered us in the right direction for sights we would be interested in and not too far away. The breakfasts are... read more HUGE and delicious!! The cheese scones are a must!
I highly recommend the B&B! We were there for 3 nights and had a wonderful visit.
We were so pleased that we selected Ardmore Country House for our three-night stay. Chris was super helpful during our stay and we found her very friendly, easy-going and a... read more great cook! Our room was lovely, nice and spacious and with a very comfy bed. The central location was brilliant - perfect for our day trips. Chris's local knowledge was great and we enjoyed the destinations she recommended. We were also lucky enough to enjoy a Wednesday evening at the pub across the road, where Chris played fiddle alongside other local musicians during a wonderful informal evening of music and singing. This was one of the highlights of our trip, along with the amazing Ardmore Country House Soda Bread made by Chris. We would gladly stay here again.
Our trip in Kinnitty was very fantastic. Chris welcomed us during two weeks. The room was really clean and beautiful. It’s a great opportunity to try mountain bike available in... read more Chris house. Chris is really sympathetic and help us to discover the region and her lifestyle. The breakfasts were really good.
For sure, everything was perfect.
This was our fourth and final B & B and by far the best! Chris is the definition of a hostess. She welcomes you into her home and offers you... read more tea or coffee. She shows you your room and tells you she will light a fire downstairs so you can drink your wine by it.
The bedroom was a giant hug! The fluffy bed smelled slightly of lavender Her breakfast is fresh off the farm or at least it tastes like it is. I could fan girl all day about this place.
Thank you, Chris!
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