Ballyfin House

Top choice in The Midlands


At the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, this vast, opulent Regency mansion on a 248-hectare estate is one of Ireland's most luxurious properties. Highlights of its lavish interior include 17th-century Flemish tapestries, a Roman sarcophagus bath, secret doorways and a 'whispering room'. Some of its 20 chandelier-lit, antique-furnished guest rooms have four-poster beds. Kids aged under nine aren't permitted.

Its 14m-long indoor swimming pool overlooks the courtyard garden; there's also a hydrotherapy pool and a sauna. Other amenities include a personal butler service, a library with 5000 books, clay pigeon shooting and rowing on the lake.