April 11, 2007

Europe | Ireland | Cork

Modern Luxury Meets Medieval Ireland

By Julie Brener

Even Sir Walter Raleigh didn't have it this good — and he owned the place.

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After being dangled head-first from the top of Blarney Castle to kiss its namesake stone, you’ll probably want a massage — or a stiff drink. Come July, the nearby, lavishly restored Capella Castlemartyr (pictured) will be happy to oblige. Under the stewardship of former Ritz-Carlton honcho, Horst Schulze, the grand 17th-century manor (and former estate of Walter Raleigh) now features a top-tier spa as well as a rococo-styled ballroom, once known as “the best room in Ireland.” The 220-acre woodland resort in Cork County is set beside the ruins of a one-thousand-year-old castle and just a few minutes from Ireland’s wild west coast. Within the grounds, guests can negotiate a new 18-hole golf course designed by Ron Kirby — who is also responsible for the neighboring Old Head of Kinsale, whose cliffside greens drop dramatically to the sea. And for an ever-so-slightly quicker pace, you can visit the seaport of Cork, the republic’s second city. It might be the only place in the world where you can meet a four-faced liar.