One of Ireland’s most beautiful hotels

These lands were once part of a huge estate owned by the Fitzgerald Family, the most powerful family in Ireland. During the reign of Henry VIII, the Fitzgeralds were ousted and these lands passed through 10 different families until they were bought in 1690 by The Quin family. In 1832 Windham Henry Quin, the 2nd Earl of Dunraven started work on Adare Manor but died before his dream was completed. His son Edwin however, completed the house in 1862. It stayed in the ownership of the Wyndham-Quin family until 1984 when it was sold for a reputed £2.5m. It was then purchased by an Irish-American businessman, and former marine called Tom Kane who then converted the building into the Adare Manor Hotel. The hotel, which is set on an 840-acre estate, operates as a 5*hotel. It was voted ‘Ireland’s Leading Hotel’ at the ‘World Travel Awards’ in 2010, 2011, and 2012. It was also voted ‘The World’s Leading Boutique Golf Resort’ in 2012. President Bill Clinton stayed here in 1998. It has recently had a €70m makeover.