Luxury travel in Ireland is all about sumptuous surroundings, exclusive experiences and select moments of hospitality and connection.
The luxuriousness of the country’s collection of five-star accommodations is already well renowned, and of course the island boasts some of the wildest, most inspirational landscapes on the planet – perfect places to escape and recharge.
Now Heritage Ireland, the body responsible for Ireland’s most important buildings and heritage sites, is offering exclusive experiences at four special locations under its care.
With a Heritage Ireland Unique Experiences tour you can journey into Ireland’s epic past with private viewings, behind closed doors tours and exclusive encounters with amazing collections of art, books, objet d’art and the stunning buildings themselves.
Start at Dublin Castle, once the centre of British rule in Ireland; now the setting for some of the Irish nation’s most important state ceremonies. Highlights and hidden gems await on this special visit in the company of an expert curator.
Beginning in the palatial State Apartments, you will go behind the ropes for a private view of key artworks and architectural features, and gain exclusive access to the Chapel Royal with its velvet furnishings, jewel-like stained glass windows and array of sculptural ornament.
At Castletown House, County Kildare – Ireland’s first and finest Palladian style mansion – enjoy a private viewing of an Irish portrait collection of miniatures. On loan from the Irish Georgian Society, the collection comprises personal items, often given as a gift in an age before photography.
Your personal expert guide will lead you on a journey of discovery through Irish history from the turbulent seventeenth century, through the opulence of enlightenment Ireland in the eighteenth century and to the eventual decline of the Big House. Insights into the house’s history, its owners the Conolly family, and architectural and decorative art gems will abound.