OUR STAY: THE MUSTARD SEED AT ECHO LODGE- BALLINGARRY, IRELAND

The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge
Address: Echo Lodge, Ballingarry, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Phone: +353 69 68508
Web: http://www.mustardseed.ie/

We wanted to spend some time in the Irish countryside and The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge, one of the Historical Hotels of Europe, was exactly the place to do just that. After a transatlantic flight and no sleep, we drove 45 minutes from Shannon Airport to the small town of Ballingary in search of our hotel and of course, a warm bed.

We were greeted right away by the owner, John Edwards, who met us outside by our car and carried each of our bags up to our room. The Mustard Seed Hotel, which is really an upscale bed and breakfast, reminded me of a beautiful northern New England home, with undeniably Irish scenery surrounding it. Our room was large and comfortable and had a great assortment of Irish literature for us to read in our downtime…although we didn’t have much of that!

After a solid six or so hours of sleep, we were ready to take on the day and wanted to begin by exploring the property. Luxurious and homey, The Mustard Seed is full of culture and displays a nice blend of both historical and modern decor.

With many luscious fruit and vegetable gardens outside, it was nice to find bowls of fresh (and organic) apples and berries displayed around the large house, for guests to enjoy as we wished. I loved the library as well as the living room, which has a great fireplace and comfy couches that made for the perfect pre-or-post dinner gathering spot. We also enjoyed afternoon tea and some delightful little Irish biscuits, also hand delivered to us by John, the owner himself. The kids couldn’t get enough of those…

The town of Ballingarry is very small, though very charming and we learned quickly that it’s a special place where everybody knows one another. We opted to go for a long walk in the nearby hills and witnessed some of the most incredible view of greenery that stretched out for what seemed like endless miles in front of us. We met some extremely sweet Locals who were out enjoying a hike and after chatting with them for a bit, we stopped at a nearby pub for some Guinness and crisps.

When dinnertime rolled around, we knew that we wanted to try the restaurant at our hotel. We had learned that the vast majority of the produce used was from the property’s very own gardens, and they had won many awards for their food. Dining at The Mustard Seed was just another area where the accommodation impressed us, with their candlelit pre-fixed, three-course dinner, and a quiet and intimate ambience that made it feel like we were eating in somebody’s home.

Each dish looked like a carefully-crafted work of art and when the chef came out to introduce himself to us, it was easy to see his enthusiasm about his work. Most importantly, everything was delicious, too.

We were only there for a couple of nights, and when we left, we all agreed that it just wasn’t enough. Between its beauty, cuisine and relaxing at-home feel, The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge is the perfect retreat for anyone, from solo-travelers to families like us, looking for an upscale yet down-to-earth experience in Ireland.

A traveler since childhood, Juliana Fraioli Wilson has always had a love for exploring. She is a published writer and an accomplished business owner with a background in music and art. Join Juliana, her husband Ryan, and their two kids in Wanderland! Follow along as they share tips, tricks, recipes and reviews from some of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world.