Ballintaggart House

We had our wedding here last month, and I'm struggling to find words to describe it - none of the words I'm coming up with are good enough!
The venue is just fabulous - it really gave the whole day a great relaxed atmosphere. We've seen some of the photos from the wedding already, and the venue really makes them - they look so classic, so old world and stunning. In the sun, it has clear views out across the bay - and in misty weather it has a haunting beauty (we got it all that weekend - including the tail end of a hurricane!)

John was amazing to deal with all the way up to the wedding - so incredibly dedicated!! We had some very different ideas for what we wanted to do, and he was great for input as to what would and wouldn't work based on his experience. It was never a flat no - always very willing to do anything we wanted, but giving us so much great advice that really made sense, and it really made the preparations so stress-free!!
My parents spend most of their free time in Dingle, and they were just charmed when they bumped into John one day, and he had photos on his phone, saved to show them some ideas!

Our room was epic. We had a standalone bathtub and views out across the bay, and out across the path to the self-catering accommodation next door (where the majority of our extended family stayed so I could watch them all running in and out getting ready while i was getting the hair & makeup done!).

John let us have the run of the place - and I remember some of our guests telling us it was the best wedding they'd ever been to, because they could do what suited them best - we had groups sitting in one of the rooms by the fire catching up, groups out having a blast with the photo booth in the back bar/sweet bar, dancing in by the band - they loved it!

John and his entire staff are just amazing - we really had the time of our lives, and they ran a flawless weekend. Everyone was so friendly, so cheerful and accommodating. From the moment we stepped through the door a year and a half ago to view the house, they've made us feel like family - so warm and welcoming, they are truly such great people to deal with. Nothing was too much trouble for them, and I felt soo spoilt all weekend!!

And the food!! Oh, the food!!! I'm a foodie anyway, and we'd gone to the Sunday Lunch there so we knew the quality was top notch but... oh, wow.. did they impress us all weekend!!! We had a meal for the 12 of us in the bridal party on the Friday night in Ballintaggart - my mouth's watering just remembering it a month later. I think I've fallen in love with their crab cakes (soo good!!) and the steaks that just melted in our mouths. The BBQ wedding feast went down a massive hit with all the guests - they were still talking about it after we came back from honeymoon!

note, didn't enter a pricing below as im not really sure what to put in there. Wedding package included hiring the rooms

Unique Quality: Gorgeous views out across Dingle Bay.
Great setup for a wedding - Holiday homes just next to the grounds (less than 2 min walk) for guests, really nice lounge room out front, courtyard out the back is brilliant for the smokers - mostly protected from the wind. Even has its own built in photo booth. Marquee on the ground aswell makes for a great BBQ wedding, or BBQ the next day.

Directions: Just a few mins outside Dingle town by car, heading on the main Tralee road (not via the Conor pass)

Our stay was very nice. The place has a great atmosphere and even though it is located far from the town it had a nice country charm going for it. It used to be a manor house and was later used as a soup kitchen. It's very isolated, but located in such beautiful surroundings that it's absolutely gorgeous. They say it's about a 20 minute walk into town, but I wouldn't suggest it as the road is quite narrow and there are several parts where the hedges grow up around it so you don't have a shoulder to walk on. A taxi costs very little, however. The rooms can get a bit chilly at night, but they do have heat. The ktichen is large and clean and there's a nice courtyard to eat your meals in.

Ballintaggart House is situated on the main Tralee/Dingle road, the N86, with free shuttle service to town centre and magnificent views of Dingle Bay.

Unique Quality: Built in 1703 as a Hunting Lodge, functioned as a soup kitchen during the "Great Hunger". The giant soup urns can be seen in the court yard.
But what I loved is sharing a budget accommodation that has characteristics of the finest manor houses - exquisite plastermoldings and medallions adorn the walls.

Directions: Take the N86 to Dingle, via Ananscaul. From Killarney travel the road that goes via the famous Inch Strand. Ballintaggart House is on the right as you approach Dingle town.