The Ring Farmhouse

Ballinree, the townsland that holds The Ring Farmhouse, translates from Irish as Town of the King. The same family has worked this land for ten generations. Few records survive to fill the gap between castle and farmhouse, but the circular hedgerow, planted in the late 18th century, remains a quiet marker of what came before. The farmhouse itself keeps things plain: four rooms, three en suite, each with television, hairdryer, and a kettle for tea. Breakfast runs to full Irish or continental, taken in a conservatory that catches the morning sun. Guests can watch farmland run south towards the Slieve Bloom mountains, where paths climb through open, flat midland country into low hills. Birr town lies 2 km north, its Georgian streets and castle gardens an easy walk or drive. Dublin, Limerick, and Galway all sit within roughly ninety minutes. It is a working family home before anything else, and that shows: children get a tree house and a play garden, and babysitting can be arranged on request.