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Ballycastle: Stella Maris Country House Hotel

County Mayo, Phone: 353.96.43322
www.stellamarisireland.com

Reviewed by: pkenyon from USA, review #1320

When: June 2005

A remote gem! Just a dozen rooms, perched on Mayo's Northern coast. Stunning location, very good food, terrific hosts, easy driving distance to great golf.

Owners Frances Kelly and Terence McSweeney renovated this former Coast Guard HQ and later convent and opened in 2002 (April through October.) I've stayed there on a couple of occasions, most recently in June of '05. It's a bit tricky to find the first time on those Irish roads, but once you do you'll be glad you sought out this corner of Mayo.

Frances is the Executive Chef, and the dining room turns out a small but intriguing selection of dishes, primarily based on top-quality local ingredients - Irish lamb and salmon are delicious here, and the breakfast is not to be missed.

The hotel (as I recall, double rooms were around €150 as of June 2005) looks out on Downpatrick Head, the most famous natural attraction in this part of the country, and Terence can help with fishing trips, and especially golf advice. Two terrific linksland courses, Carne and Enniscrone, are less than an hour's drive away. My only advice is to visit Stella Maris before Nick Faldo's long-awaited new course at nearby Bartra Island is finished -- after that, rooms at this lovely little place may be hard to come by.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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