Description
A very pretty, relaxed Big House and estate for the way we live now, welcoming alternative retreats, family gatherings, events and rustic breaks. Emerging from a 6-year flurry of sweat, spanners and dreams, Ebay compulsive disorder, random U-turns, downward and wayward dogs, apple harvests, dragging furniture up and down an exhausting succession of staircases and saving bumble bees, Killyon Manor is now equipped and ready to throw open its old gates as a new kind of Big House for the way we live now.
A stunning mostly Georgian building, actually dating from 12th century, Killyon Manor is surrounded by sixty acres of wild meadows, woods, river and ruins. Not only one of the prettiest country estates in Ireland, it’s also one of the freshest -with masses of literal and creative space in what is still very much a home.
Inside, our pioneering new thing is Champing, short for country house camping - we have haphazard bedroom accommodation, sleeping 16 under the generous roof of a rickety but inspirational historic building - with library, dining hall, country kitchen (not to mention the sixty acre estate) and astounding 120-person ballroom. A campsite and vintage caravan increase the overnight capacity substantially, but with only 45 minutes drive to Dublin, it also works for day trips.
It’s not normal, but for us makes perfect sense, keeping a magnificent structure affordable, relaxing and nicely human.
There’s a number of ways for you to experience The Manor, from good value self-catering rentals, DIY events, permanent and semi-permanent lodgings, to volunteering in communal indoor and outdoor activities like building restoration and conserving bumble bees.
Finally, a statement of intent (or words of warning): this is not a stately hotel, or luxury wedding venue. If you’re looking for something like that, please check out the more conventional venues with function suites and sensible bedrooms. But if you like us, and want to know more, please scroll through our Facebook page to see what happens here, or go to www.killyon.com for more detail , or …
call me, Zoe, on +353 87 2533 166
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RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comTimeline Photos
The election of Trump is a horrifying result for anyone who cares for the natural world.
Sarah + Gav's Incredibly Fun Killyon Manor Wedding | OneFabDay.com Ireland
This is such a good story of what was meant to be...So Gavin proposes to Sarah in our little cottage on the raw edge of Donegal, and guess what happens next http://onefabday.com/ie/incredible-killyon-manor-wedding/
Parov Stelar - Booty Swing
Its Monday. What the hell. Let's dance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eco4z98nIQY
Timeline Photos
The ballroom in total party mode , at Another Love Story
New photo by Zoe Purcell
And our beautiful festival bride! https://goo.gl/photos/hec5kdZuQC1dhpjN9
Revealed: This is why it's so expensive to attend an Irish wedding
Its not all bad news...if you wed in Killyon Manor, you can put up 50 of your friends or family for free! http://www.independent.ie/style/weddings/revealed-this-is-why-its-so-expensive-to-attend-an-irish-wedding-35003785.html
Our love story
And our fave captures so far from Another Love Story festival, which we hosted this month. An awesome weekend: we honestly cant believe our luck in having such good, fun,talented people come through our doors. Thank you, every single one of you.
Ruth Medjber (Ruthless Imagery Photography)
And a full set of pics of last weeks festival , thanks to Ruth. https://www.facebook.com/ruthlessimagery/photos/a.10153694132541971.1073742065.77261351970/10153694144961971/?type=3&theater
Another Love Story
Where o where did everybody go? https://www.facebook.com/anotherlovestoryIRL/photos/a.699363506785138.1073741828.699356836785805/1060381910683294/?type=3&theater
Mythical salmon | Fallons Angler
Superb piece on our stretch of river by Gareth, who used to live at the end of the drive. His father, Niall, was a lovely man and Irish times journalist. http://fallonsangler.net/mythical-salmon/
Sixty Acres of Serotonin.
Especially if you’re a bee. It has been an ecstatic few months here on the Killyon Manor estate. The house is fixed, and the forests bedded in and the events have found their groove, so we’ve turned some of our attention to the fields. For the first time in thirty years at least, we’ve removed the sheep and horses from the land and let our meadows grow. It’s been awe inspiring. Fields of the cloth of gold. Wildflowers that must have been waiting years to grow pepper the grass. We’ve noted over fifty species, amongst them the first orchid we’ve ever seen here. But what we really didn’t predict was quite how wildlife would burgeon upon it. Our honeybee, bumblebee and insect populations have increased beyond belief. Birds have followed. I counted 28 swallows sitting on our telephone line last week. Multiple buzzards. More wrens. More finches. More everything. All we’ve done is let it be. Nature has re-constructed an ark where the wildlife of Meath, beaten back by chemical farming and intensive livestock agriculture, will find sanctuary. And it’s only just begun. We’ve learnt so much already. The land is teaching us what’s possible. Now it’s time to cut most of the meadows, so they can grow back richer next year. We’ll be very sad to see them go. Frankly, I can hardly wait till next spring. It’s genuinely been a buzz.
Aoibheann & Breffni
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