We oohed and aahed (as only girls can) as we swept up the tree-lined avenue and caught our first glimpse of the 17th Century façade of Lyrath House. The beautiful hotel lobby with its fabulous floral displays, paintings and objets d'art, confirmed our suspicions that we were about to have the best girly weekend in the lap of unadulterated luxury.
Our plush room boasted a rather spectacular outdoor terrace with views over the gardens, and the luxury bathroom meant no elbow-room fights as we dolled ourselves up in preparation for a dinner NOT involving kids portions or chicken nuggets.
After a sneaky pre-dinner cocktail (or four) we made our way to the warm and relaxed atmosphere of the hotel's La Perla restaurant. The picture window that runs the length of the restaurant created a stunning backdrop to our celebratory 'freedom' dinner of duck and foie gras terrine, wild venison and pear, and crème brûlée. Mmmm...foodie flashback. Needless to say, after such a wonderful meal, a digestif in Tupper's Bar proved the perfect way to while away the rest of the night.
The next morning, after a much longed for mummy sleep-in, we enjoyed perusing the most impressive breakfast buffet I have ever seen, which even offered a square of pure honeycomb for our porridge.
Then to the pinnacle of our child-free girly weekend - the spa. Stepping into Lyrath's Oasis Spa in our fluffy robes and slippers, we discovered a true sanctuary of tranquility with beautiful views over the rolling hills of Kilkenny. After a sublime full-body massage and wrinkle-busting facial, all that was left to do was chill out in the indulgent thermal suite. And chill we did, for quite a luxurious amount of time.
So, how did two deliriously relaxed mamas end their stay at the lovely Lyrath? The Irish way of course, with a nice cup of tea. Afternoon tea, overlooking the estate's gardens, was the perfect way to spend our last few hours before dragging ourselves back to reality. Cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon on Guinness bread, fruit scones served with butter, jam, and clotted cream...I can't even explain how good the miniature lemon meringue tartlets were. Let's just say that neither of us 'left a bit for Mr Manners' as my dear grandmother was so fond of saying.
On the obligatory weekend de-brief on the drive home we asked ourselves the hard questions. Did we over-indulge? Yes. Did we deserve every child-free minute of it? Absolutely. Will we go back? Definitely.
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