B147: Back to Kildare

15/4/2025

Carton House, Maynooth, Co. Kildare

So, last week mid-week, Benji and I celebrated Charlie’s birthday with him by indulging in a memorable stay at Carton House…another one of those smashing hotels a handy half hour from Dublin. Charlie and I both had been there with the ISE on training sessions/ away days about 20 years ago but hadn’t been back in a while.

This 5-star hotel is set in 1,100 private acres of sweeping parkland and ancient woodlands and lakes beside the meandering River Rye with the gorgeous country mansion at its heart. Once the ancestral home of the Earls of Kildare and the Dukes of Leinster for over 700 years, this walled estate is located close to Maynooth in County Kildare. The original estate was 70,000 acres!! So, there was no shortage of places for Benji to run around and go on sniffari! 😊

On "sniffari" with Benji at Carton House

In the 2000s, much of the demesne was redeveloped into two golf courses and the house was reimagined as a hotel complex. It is now a Fairmont managed resort. It has been really sympathetically converted and nowadays hosts a wealth of resort activities from cycle or walking trails to tennis, falconry and fishing.

Carton House has 169 bedrooms, 18 of which are in The House, the 18th century Palladian style mansion. Our room was a dog-friendly room on the ground-floor of the gorgeous more modern Garden Wing, No. 15. It was branded as a “Fairmont Garden Terrace King” and we had access to a lovely patio area which was great for Benji. We sat outside there a lot as we were blessed with glorious blue skies for the duration of our stay.

Above: Relaxing on the room patio with Benji

The room was immaculate and you would be hard-pressed to find fault with a single thing. A nice touch was a small Happy Birthday plate laid out for Charlie! The room had everything you would need for a comfortable stay (comfy bed with plush linen, air conditioning, in room entertainment system with huge LCD TV, USB charging points beside the bed and lots of free sockets elsewhere in the room, hairdryer / iron & ironing board, In room tea/ coffee/ espresso making facilities, bottled water in a small fridge, laptop sized safe, complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour guest & in-room service.). The bathroom had a separate shower and bath and complimentary soaps, lotions etc.

As soon as we walked through the hotel door we felt welcomed. Benji was offered doggy treats by the concierge. Check-in was warm, friendly and efficiently done by Sinead. We were offered help with our bags. Benji was supplied with a doggy bed (which he sniffed at happily), water and food bowls laid out and a pack of doggy treats ready for him. A lot of hotels say they are dog friendly but Carton House really is.

For us the highlight inside the hotel was the staff – every single one without exception was great. But the highlight outside were the amazing gardens and walks. It was so peaceful with birds singing and loads of paved walkways to explore amongst the huge ancient trees. We only scratched the surface of the grounds but the tiny bit we saw was beautifully laid out. And easily accessible for someone like me with limited mobility.

The Carton House Spa & Wellness centre features an 18-metre swimming pool, Jacuzzi and gymnasium…but we didn’t visit this time. Of course, if you are a golfer (which I’m not), there are 2 championship eighteen-hole golf courses designed by Colin Montgomerie and Mark O’Meara.

In the hotel there are 3 completely unique eateries - Kathleen's Kitchen (just off Reception & the Courtyard Bar) where we had our breakfast with Benji, The Morrison Room (the Michelin starred fine-dining restaurant, off limits with a doggy understandably) and The Carriage House, where we ate dinner with Benji.

So, after our walk in the grounds, we got ready for dinner in The Carriage House. This can be accessed through the Hotel and then across the Courtyard….but the evening was so glorious, we made the short walk across the grounds in front of the hotel with Benji. We were given a lovely private table with a great view of the gardens. The service from the wait staff was attentive and friendly.

The food and drinks were scrumptious. I had the steak frites followed by a rhubarb cheesecake. I also sampled the pornstar martinis and a glass of merlot. The staff came and sang Happy Birthday to Charlie!! A lovely relaxed experience. Even Benji was offered a bowl of water and treats and of course loved all the attention.

Above: Dinner at The Carriage House

For breakfast in the morning, we sat outside Kathleen’s Kitchen in the bar area as we had Benji in tow. The staff were friendly and efficient and we didn’t have to wait long for our “Full Irish” with tea and OJ.