By Charly SHELTON

Ireland is full of beautiful places to stay after a long day exploring the country. From manor houses to cottages, from hostels to resorts, there is no shortage of choice when it comes to selecting your Irish home away from home. For those who want somewhere on the higher end, somewhere more elegant than rustic, there are a few places to consider. For the next few weeks in CV Weekly, we will see some of the best hotels and restaurants Ireland has to offer, which CV Weekly has graciously been invited to come and see. We begin this week in Northern Ireland with Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen.

This is the first five-star resort in Northern Ireland and immediately upon entering the driveway, it feels different. With the foggy lough (lake) off to the left, the road twists and turns across the golf course-studded property, past huddled groups of bungalow suites until a turreted, castle-like hotel rises off the shore in the distance. The furnishings all the way up, from the plush carpets to the furniture to the hanging chandeliers, drip with elegance. When a road weary traveler pulls up to the rust red carpeted entrance, feeling underdressed after a day in the car, he is relieved to find the bags are off the car and in a trolley before he knew what happened. From that point on, it’s all pillow chocolates, hearty dinners, sunset views and maybe a pint of Guinness or two.

The rooms, though smaller than one may expect after touring the expansive property, are stately. The beds are plush and, as a sign of the true elegance of this hotel, the chocolates left on your pillow are quite unique. They’re not Andes mints, they’re not Hershey’s kisses, they’re not some nameless chocolate that the hotel wraps in their own logo, as we have come to expect from so many hotels. To be honest, they’re not even chocolates as you would think of them. They are milk and dark chocolate truffles from award winning Irish chocolatier Lily O’Brien’s.  And while the in-room crystal chandelier and the plush bed and accommodations are nice, it’s the little touches like the truffles that make it feel truly elegant.

These little touches also carry over to the dining, at their Blaney Bar, the Loughside Bar and Grill, and the upscale Catalina Restaurant. I dined at the Blaney Bar, looking for something quick and hearty after a days travel. I was met with chicken pot pie in a cast iron skillet, fish and chips thicker than my hand and fresh, house made marshmallows in vanilla bean, raspberry and passion fruit flavors that have ruined me for any other marshmallows. Eat your heart out, Jet Puft.

The real draw for most visitors to the resort is the golfing. Boasting two golf courses- the Castle Hume course, a championship parkland course which has been host to an unprecedented 10 Ulster PGA Championships, and the Faldo Course, designed by six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo and is a top 100 course (UK & Ireland) measuring 7,167 yards, Par 72. I don’t know what any of that means, but my super golfer father-in-law almost passed out when I told him about it. Seeing as I am obviously not a golfer, the staff of the resort set up a golf cart for me to go on a photographic tour of the courses and it was absolutely beautiful. The fog hung low over the tiny fingers of land reaching out into the lough and golfing greens edged by little golf cart roads run along them and crisscross the spine of a hill that runs down the middle. A bridge runs over the reed forest, submerged roots covered by the ever-present rain and fog. With a Castle Hume looming out across the lough, the course stretches from one side of the resort to the other affording beautiful views of the surrounding area, the lough and hotel itself.

I only stayed with Lough Erne for one night, but I was very impressed by the experience. If ever you find yourself in Northern Ireland, this is one place to keep on the wishlist. And being that it is on the south side of Lough Erne, it’s only a short drive to the Northern shore and the beautiful and ancient Boa Island stone figures, a must-visit when in Ireland.

In secluded Caldragh Cemetery on Boa Island, the two carved stone figures- the bifaced Janus figure and the Lustymore figure, transplanted from nearby Lustymore island- stand as silent centurions of the graveyard. Caldragh Cemetery dates to the early Christian Era, 400-800 AD, but the statues are much older. The Janus figure is estimated at 2000 years old, and the Lustymore figure is older than that. They depict early pagan gods and despite sitting out in the weather for thousands of years, they are in remarkably good condition. This is as much a must-see as anything in the north of Ireland, and is something that, amidst the crowd of touristy attractions and modern amenities, reminds one of the ancient roots of the Irish.

So whether it’s the Boa Island figures or the Lough Erne Resort amenities and golf courses, there’s always a reason to visit to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland on your trip. For more information on the Lough Erne resort, visit LoughErneResort.com.

  Charly Shelton