The Granary is a hidden gem. New to the holiday rental market, it is the best place we have ever stayed. Bee and Eamonn have created a little piece of paradise in County Tipperary. Their apartment has been renovated to an extraordinarily high standard with a hand-made kitchen, hand-made staircase and hand-made sliding sash windows and shutters. They have spared no expense, even the utility room is finished with a quartz worktop and solid beech carcasses. No melamine here! There are beautiful antiques too, such as a bow-fronted mahogany chest of drawers in the master bedroom and pieces in the living room made with inlaid rosewood. There are two bedrooms upstairs, both with en-suite bathrooms, and the master also enjoys a walk-in dressing room and a balcony offering a beautiful view of the countryside.
The bedding is luxurious, 5-star hotel standard with 300 thread count linens. Both bedrooms have super-king sized beds. The beds in the second bedroom can be split to create two singles. The towels are white and fluffy, made with organic cotton. My husband and I loved the decadent mattress topper and slept like babies.
The truth is that this couple could easily have created four or more bedrooms to maximise their income but instead they have created two generous bedrooms with bright gallery space for a restful afternoon's reading. Generosity is their signature - this is true Irish hospitality. Less a canny business venture, more a labour of love.
We were greeted by our hostess Bee who gave us a comprehensive explanation of all the features of the accommodation without ever complaining about our late arrival. She had made a really delicious apple tart for us, as well as some chocolate biscuit cake (tiffin). On the morning of our departure, she baked some lovely scones for us.
The apartment is adjacent to the family farm but we were never once disturbed by loud machinery, manure smells or roaring livestock - all we saw were some cows in the distance. It has been designed cleverly to create maximum privacy - the large windows overlook the garden and rolling countryside with only narrow slit windows overlooking the farmyard.
Bee and Eamonn have created a blissful garden with a tree-lined driveway of mature horse chestnut and beech trees leading to The Granary. There are flowers and even some vegetables growing in raised beds created from salvaged bricks. They have provided beautiful garden furniture, including a swing/love seat and a brand new barbecue.
Everything your eye alights on is Instagrammable, picture perfect. There aren't enough superlatives to do justice to the generosity and extravagance of this tourist offering. We stayed for one week but wished we had booked for two. This place is heavenly. A giver of joy and a bringer of peace.