In honor of St. Paddy's Day we thought we'd bring you a little taste of the Irish. And what better way to celebrate the home of Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett then in these colorful boutique hotels and leisurely country houses.
There's no East Coast-West Coast rivalry in Ireland, so you can hip-hop across the country from Dublin to Galway in no time, or spend your time in the crisp air of the countryside.
In Dublin, we love the Dylan, a lively boutique hotel in a former Victorian boardinghouse. Rooms are a wild mix of Frette linens, Etro toiletries, Bose iPod docking stations and Philips LCD televisions, all mixed in with sexy lime green and blood red sofas, Murano glass chandeliers, and leather studded walls. Pop down for the obligatory cocktail at the Dylan Bar. And don't miss the Spring special of 3 nights for the price of 2, plus full Irish breakfast each morning.
Further evidence that minimalism is dead, The G in Galway is another of our favorite Irish hideaways. The relatively understated exterior, in a modern building with views of the city's skyline, does little to prepare you for the spectacle that awaits within. The designer, milliner to the stars Philip Treacy, has left his stamp all over the hotel - it's as luxe and dramatic as one of his famous head-mounted sculptures.
Looking for more of an Irish country escape? Enjoy a classic country weekend at Gregans Castle Hotel in County Clare, just outside Galway. Far from the grim stone fortress conjured by the name, Gregans Castle turns out to be something much more urbane: not a castle at all, it's a 250-year-old manor house, lovingly maintained, thoroughly renovated, and reopened as a charming and elegant country house hotel.
Pack your tweeds and cozy cashmere for a stay at Kilgraney House in County Carlow. Georgian elegance meets Irish imagination at this country hotel set amongst plenty of trees and rolling fields. Nearby there's fishing on the River Barrow (arrange at the tackle shop in Bagenalstown), quad biking (organize with Country Quads), and horse riding (Carrigbeg Riding Stables +353.50.321962 or Warrington Top Flight Equestrian Centre).
For a rustic weekend, head to Bellinter House, a restored country house on the banks of the River Boyne. Chic, comfortable, and only a stone's throw from Dublin, the original house (built in 1750) has been meticulously restored by designer Pierce Tynan, and updated with the best of modern Irish design. Your toughest choice: whether to grab a pint and challenge your friends to a game of billiards, or try you hand at dry fly brown trout fishing. Tough, eh?
