GEMMA TIPTONstays at Ivyleigh House, Co Laois
B&B OR HOTEL? I’m sure there are technical differences, but I’m not quite sure what the practical ones are. I tend to associate B&Bs with nice motherly ladies who look after you, get a bit sniffy if you barrel in in the small hours smelling of drink, and who encourage you to eat up your breakfast.
On arrival, Ivyleigh House in Portlaoise bears all the hallmarks of the B&B, even though its website insists it is a hotel. There was a very friendly welcome, although owner Dinah Campion informed me immediately that it’s a no smoking house – perhaps I look like a smoker, but come to think of it, what do smokers look like? – and asked me what I’d like for breakfast, as well as wanting to know what time I’d like to have it.
The building is a beautiful Georgian townhouse, and it is furnished with a classic and comfortable elegance. Upstairs, I found my bedroom done up in warm reds, and there were crystal glasses and bottles of mineral water on the mantelpiece awaiting me. It felt like home might feel, if your home happened to be furnished with antiquey-looking things and richly draped curtains. The bed (made by King Koil, just down the road in Kilcullen) was incredibly comfortable, but as I was due out in town there was no time for a nap.
The Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and part of the special programme of events is an exhibition of the work of a selection of artists who have shown there in the previous decade. This means the opening (my reason for going to Portlaoise) was great fun, and the fun continued down the road in Kavanagh’s bar. I kept intending to leave, but damp smokers (ah, that’s what they look like) told me it was pouring outside, and inside I was having such a lovely time that it was past midnight before I staggered back.
It’s always an odd experience waking up suddenly, a bit tipsy, in a strange room in the darkness of the night. The walls aren’t where you left them at home, your glass of water is in a different spot, the light switch is tricky to locate, and the bathroom often hiding somewhere unexpected. After negotiating these obstacles, I went back to sleep and woke again 10 minutes before the nine thirty we had agreed for my breakfast.
I was greeted by a delicious glass of just-that-minute-squeezed orange juice, poured from a pretty patterned ceramic jug. There was a buffet of fresh fruits and cereals. The table was in a tall and elegant window, through which the sun struggled to shine. A plate of warm, and freshly home-baked breads (white and brown) were put in front of me, and coffee offered. And I felt absolutely dreadful.
Unfairly blaming the quality of last night’s wine, rather than its quantity, I nibbled at the bread, hoping for a miracle. There were also homemade jams, but I skipped these with a wistful look. Another plate arrived, and I was presented with free-range fried eggs fresh from Dinah’s sister’s farm, Clonakilty black pudding, tender bacon and sausages, and even though I tried very hard, it was all rather wasted on me.
The Ivyleigh, it turns out, is famed for its breakfasts, and I rather limply apologised for being unable to eat mine. A sympathetic smile convinced me that this is B&B territory after all, whatever the website says, but I stopped short of asking for a doggie bag, or of making a bacon sandwich for the journey home. Instead, I finished my coffee, and headed back upstairs for another delicious and medicinal 20 minutes snooze before facing the trip back to Dublin.
There were rumblings last year of the demise of the B&B, but, as this newspaper recently reported, the Town and Country Homes Association has recorded a rise of 20 per cent in bookings for the first three months of this year – and this despite the decline in visitor numbers. Places such as the Ivyleigh show the reason why: it is a small gem, excellent value, with local touches, brilliant breakfasts (even if you do have to know what you’re going to fancy in the morning the night before), and owners who really care about what they are doing.
The visitors’ book at the Ivyleigh is full of glowing comments from guests who have travelled from Canada, the US and the UK, and browsing through them (and through the thick of my hangover), I realised that this is the Ireland tourists come looking for – and that the Ivyleigh, no matter whether it is technically a B&B or a hotel, is the kind of place where they’re guaranteed to find it.
WhereIvyleigh House, Portlaoise, Co Laois (057-8622081, www.ivyleigh.com).
WhatGeorgian townhouse.
RoomsSix rooms, all en-suite.
Best ratescurrently From €45pps, single rooms from €60, including breakfast.
Restaurant and barBreakfast room and sitting room, no bar.
Child friendlinessNot suitable for children under eight.
AmenitiesCar parking, WiFi internet, TV (on request only), town centre location.