By Charly SHELTON

Going to Ireland is like stepping into a different time. Not in sophistication or technology, but in practices. People aren’t rushing around as much. When idle for a moment, nobody pulls out their phones. Conversation with strangers is encouraged – real conversation, not just exchanging pleasantries. Castles and ruins surrounded by sheep and ranchland line the roadway, which is exceedingly narrow and can barely accommodate the two cars travelling in opposite directions. It is a different mindset. Ireland honors its heritage – rather than demolishing old structures to make way for higher occupancy buildings, the interior is remodeled and kept as original as possible. That is exactly what Barberstown Castle has done, and why it is such a beautiful getaway.

Located just 30 minutes outside Dublin’s city center, Barberstown is literally a castle. It was built in 1288 as a fortress to defend the village of Barberstown against attacks from the rebellious Ui Faelain, who tried to burn the village in 1310. There is even a “priest’s hole” within the castle, a secret place used to hide the local priests during the Penal Laws era when Catholics were persecuted. There is also an underground passageway leading from the church in the nearby town of Straffan to the keep of Barberstown Castle.

Since 1288, the castle has had 37 owners, including Eric Clapton, all of whom had the foresight to keep as much of the building as original as possible and to expand with taste, combining the modern (of the time) styles with the existing furnishings. This resulted in four buildings from different periods in Irish history and creates a beautiful blend of Victorian, Elizabethan and modern amenities and décor.

In 1971, the estate was opened to the public as a hotel and current proprietor Kenneth Healy has renovated it from a 10-room, three bathroom guesthouse into a 59-bedroom four-Star hotel that is part of Ireland’s Blue Book and the Historic Hotels of Europe.

I was invited to stay at Barberstown Castle on my trip to Ireland and, I must say, it was one of the nicest hotels I have been to. With a huge four-post bed, big bay windows overlooking a lawn and a chaise lounge sitting area to take in the view, I didn’t want to leave the hotel. All of the furnishings were either antique or looked the part. The bathroom was fancy without being opulent and included a bidet, which is a unique experience for one who has never tried it.

This is not a place to stop by for a night just to hang your hat. This is a place you come to get away. From the airport to Dublin city center, it’s about 30 minutes of traffic. Then in the hustle-and-bustle city, you get a metropolitan life experience common to Los Angeles. But within 10 minutes of heading west on the highway out of town, you are in the countryside. Barberstown Castle is another 20 minutes away from that point. The road leading up to it at night is almost completely dark and you may not see another car. This is honestly removed from the city. So after a full day of sightseeing, shopping and museums, getting away to the country feels like a real vacation.

The food is amazing as well. In America, if you eat in the hotel lobby restaurant you will probably get an assortment of bar food, burgers and chicken tenders. If you’re really lucky, maybe pasta or steak, but it typically isn’t very good. Such is not the case in Ireland. Each hotel has a restaurant that is as good, if not better, than anything you will find in the town. The Barton Room at Barberstown Castle feels like dining with a marquis or a duke at his palace. The walls are covered in painted portraits, shined glasses and fireplaces at the bottom, with standing china cabinets displaying ceramic figurines and vases. The food is delicious and the service impeccable. The three-course meal is a lot of food, but it’s worth it. With options like tartare of seabass, roulade of duck with foie gras, rack of lamb and pink champagne rhubarb with buttermilk cheesecake and matcha tea sponge, this fare is not something you will find elsewhere. Ireland is all about organic and local, so most of the ingredients came from just down the road and you can taste the difference in freshness versus what diners are used to in LA.

Breakfast the next morning is no different. The black and white pudding is award-winning, and I understand why – it is the best I have ever had and the best in Ireland. The breakfast is, again, huge and wonderful but smaller plates and pastries can be ordered for those who take a lighter meal in the morning.

All in all, Barberstown Castle was an incredible stay and really the way to go when visiting Dublin or the surrounding Pale. For more information, visit barberstowncastle.ie and look out for more Ireland travel and dining in the coming weeks.

  Charly Shelton