May 18th, 2012
There’s something very special about the idea of a place that’s different, stylish, private and close to Airports and
main Irish cities for a celebration or team get together. Tucked away in the Kilkenny countryside Kilkenny Country Retreat and Ballilogue Clochan is just that place. Specialising in small groups, great local food, friendly team and full of Irish rural history and tradition.
Lots of great walks and hikes in the Kilkenny countryside, shared Clochan breakfasts and dinners and cool spaces to work, celebrate and sleep. The road less travelled really for those creative spirits who want something special, private and different. Think Ballilogue Clochan and Kilkenny Country Retreat.
Tags: Ballilogue Clochán, clochan, corporate away days, irish, kilkenny, Kilkenny Country Retreat, private, wedding Celebration
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May 16th, 2012
Summer is approaching and Kilkenny is in full bloom. The local villages to Kilkenny Country Retreat of Inistioge , St. Mullins, Graignamanagh and Thomastown are bathed in sunshine and provide visitors to the Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan and Kilkenny Country Retreat with riverside walks, boating and swimming along the Barrow and Nore waterways. Gardens, Cafes and great Pubs are found in St. Mullens and Inistioge and we love to recommend the Galley experience in New Ross for afternoon teas and dinner while cruising along the Nore river to Inistioge.
Groups of corporate colleagues come to Kilkenny Country Retreat for away days and groups of friends for private time away and celebrations.
We look forward to your visit to the Bridgestone and 5 star, TripAdvisor rated Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan and Kilkenny Country Retreat in south Kilkenny.
Tags: 5 star, away days, Barrow, Bridgestone, corporate, Galley experience, Graignamanagh, inistioge, Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan, Kilkenny Country Retreat, Kilkenny countryside, New Ross, Nore., private time away, south kilkenny, St. Mullins, Thomastown, TripAdvisor
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May 1st, 2012
Last weekend was another opportunity for an enthusiastic group to hone their camera skills with award winning photographer Mark Mc Call. Just 4 times a year in March, April, September and October Mark takes a group through
the skills of good photography both in the elegant surroundings of Kilkenny Country Retreat and the surrounding Kilkenny countryside. It’s a full day at Kilkenny Country Retreat including lunch, always a Saturday.
What’s interesting is the option to bring a partner along to stay overnight at the Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan on site and listed in the Bridgestone’s Best in Ireland for 2012.
Many partners then explore the walks, heritage and Crafts in the Kilkenny countryside while the course takes place.
It’s a great weekend getaway combined with a Masterclass with Mark Mc Call in the South Kilkenny countryside.
Tags: award winning photographer, Bridgestone's Best in Ireland, Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan, kilkenny, Kilkenny Country Retreat, Mark Mc Call, Photography Masterclass
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April 4th, 2012
Of late we notice many adult groups of friends or family who decide to overnight or weekend at Kilkenny Country Retreat in the tranquil farmlands of the south Kilkenny countryside. It’s often a chance for friends from home, work or school to come together, renew old bonds, remember past times and compare notes on their lives now and celebrate. With adult friends or family it becomes a precious and considered time to take time out often just 24 hours and more and more at Kilkenny Country Retreat possibly because the spaces are private and their’s alone, the food and understated hospitality.
Perhaps it is also the wealth of attractions in South Kilkenny from potters (Nicholas Mosse) to Gardens (Woodstock);
pretty villages like St. Mullins, Graignamanagh and lovely Inistioge. Walks on the rivers Nore and Barrow and even a Galley Cruise up river to Inistioge. Kilkenny Country Retreat and the area is peaceful, relaxed and fun!
Check out what recent groups say about Kilkenny Country Retreat and why they kindly rate the experience 5 star on TripAdvisor.
Tags: 5 star, Barrow, Celebration, Friends Groups, Galley Cruise, Graignamanagh, inistioge, Kilkenny Country Retreat, Nicholas Mosse, Nore., south kilkenny, St. Mullins, time away, TripAdvisor, Woodstock
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March 26th, 2012
April 28, 2012 will be the next Masterclass with award winning Mark Mc Call at Kilkenny Country Retreat.
It’s the perfect opportunity to learn the golden rules that will improve your understanding of digital photography while enjoying a fun filled day in beautiful South Kilkenny.
The following is what a participant at the March Photography Masterclass had to say about her day with Mark and the group:
“Fabulous day taking photographs in the gorgeous Kilkenny countryside”
Reviewed 20 March 2012 NEW
I was warmly greeted by Pat and Mark on arrival and invited to join some others for breakfast including homemade brownbread! This was the perfect start to a great day. The Photography Masterclass with Mark was fantastic. He knows his stuff and makes everyone feel very relaxed (no question seems silly). We spent time learning the technical side of things and then put what we learned into practice in the gardens. After a delicious lunch, we went into Inistioge for a ramble in the countryside and lots more opportunities to take photos with Mark’s expert guidance along the way.
I would highly recommend this course for anyone wishing to learn how to use their camera properly and to get it off automatic! Mark is insightful, relaxed, encouraging and fun! I left wanting to take photos of everyone and everything!
Hoping to return soon if he does a follow-on course.
Next Photography Masterclass : April 28th with Mark Mc Call. €175.
Include an overnight B@B with your partner at the Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan for €295 all in.
Book on-line at www.kilkennycountryretreat.com/one-day-masterclasses.php
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March 25th, 2012
Personally I’m a great fan of contemporary Irish art by Dorothy Cross, Corbin Walker, Felim Egan, Pat Hall, Patrick Scott, Gwen O Dowd and others. Work that challenges the imagination and inspires. Some of these Irish artists work feature in the dining, bedroom, conference and library spaces of Kilkenny Country Retreat and add to the experience of being in these quiet spaces in the Kilkenny countryside. Add to this the hand crafted and designed work selected from Ireland’s most talented ceramicists and hand woven throws specially commissioned from our local mills.
This mix of Irish art, craft and design is a big part of the appeal for Irish and International travellers having a break, get together or celebration in the Kilkenny countryside. We like to think it also inspires the director and management teams of companies who come here for away days with their key corporate teams to plan the future, innovate and develop new strategies for the road ahead. All this at Kilkenny Country Retreat in the sunny south east of Ireland.
Privacy, solitude, great food, warm welcome and an environment that “inspires solutions” was the comment of one of our corporate clients, Martin Raymond of Future Laboratory, commenting on the first experience of the Future Laboratory Director away days at Kilkenny Country Retreat.
Tags: away days, Corbin walker, corporate clients, craft, design, Dorothy Cross, Felim Egan, Future Laboratory, Gwen O Dowd, Irish art, Irish Artists, Kilkenny Country Retreat, management teams, Martin Raymond, Pat Hall, Patrick Scott, sunny south east
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March 5th, 2012
As private and different locations go to celebrate a wedding or partnership Kilkenny Country Retreat is pretty special. A stone village cluster in the Irish countryside in South Kilkenny and close to Inistioge (nice churches), Graignamanagh (great Abbey)it provides a different experience for that special day. Drawing Room, Library, Mrs M’s Parlour and the Glass Studio are all clustered around a courtyard providing different, contemporary and traditional reception spaces to declare one’s love, drink cocktails, dine, dance and party!
Make it your own, different and special at Kilkenny Country Retreat.
Tags: Irish countryside, Irish Wedding Celebration, Kilkenny Country Retreat, south kilkenny, stone village
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March 4th, 2012
Time flies! Commitments of all kind..work, family, travel take over and the quality time spent with good friends and family become rare. In recent times at Kilkenny Country Retreat we find that increasingly we host get togethers for adult friends and family.
It’s often a chance to set a date, bring everyone together and retreat to the privacy of Ballilogue Clochan in the south Kilkenny countryside. It may be a boarding school re-union, birthday or celebration of loved ones or an excuse to catch up, relax and enjoy each others company for a night or two.
No cooking, catering, preparing rooms or big clean up. All that is taken care of and the privacy of a retreat that is yours alone is an added bonus. Kilkenny Country Retreat is in the wonderful sunny south east surrounded by pretty villages: St. Mullins, Graignamanagh and Inistioge. All a short drive plus great river and hill walks, gardens, horse riding and golf at Mt. Juliet.
Tags: Ballilogue Clochán, Family Re-unions, Friends, gardens, Golf, Graignamanagh, hill walks, horse riding, inistioge, Kilkenny Country Retreat, mt. juliet, south kilkenny, St. Mullins
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March 3rd, 2012
Today’s Irish Times Go writes about leisurely learning and recommends Mark Mc Call’s photography masterclasses in 2012 at Kilkenny Country Retreat as a great way of combining travel, a break in the Kilkenny countryside and improving your photo skills for those perfect pictures. You can even bring a partner and stay at the Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan (one of the Bridgestone’s best in Ireland for 2012). Small groups, personal attention, lunch and location shoot all on a Saturday in March (10th); April; September and October.
Tags: Bridgestone, Go, Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan, Ireland., Irish Times, Kilkenny Country Retreat, Mark Mc Call, Photography masterclasses
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February 15th, 2012
Memories of family, friends, occasions, places and objects..the trained eye that captures the less ordinary..the mood ..the moment!
At Kilkenny Country Retreat for 4 Saturdays only in 2012 the award winning Photographer Mark Mc Call will take budding and experienced photographers through their paces in the classrooms and on location near Kilkenny Country Retreat in the wonderful south Kilkenny countryside near Inistioge, Graignamanagh and New Ross.
Bring your friend or partner for an overnight at the trip advisor 5 star rated Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan for a special treat. By the way the influential Bridgestone
Guide rates it with their selection of the best 100 places to stay in Ireland in 2012 and rave about the Inn’s Clochan breakfast!
Check out Kilkenny Country Retreat Masterclasses for to fast forward your Photo skills.
Tags: 5 star rated, Award winning, award winning photographer, best 100 places to stay in Ireland, Bridgestone Guide, Graignamanagh, inistioge, Kilkenny Country Retreat, Mark Mc Call, New Ross, Photo skills, Photography masterclasses, The Inn @ Ballilogue Clochan, trip advisor
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