The Cellar

The change in style from the main floor of the house is reflected in the décor and here there is a chance to admire some of Ballyfin's collection of contemporary Irish art which includes a major work by Michael Farrell (1940-2000) showing Vincent Van Gogh painting at Arles and a vividly expressionist piece above the bar by Brian Maguire (b. 1951) which contrast with the gentle lyricism of a series of flower pieces by the young Irish artist Michael Canning (b. 1971).

Here you will also find a superb collection of the best of Irish whiskies including single cask Middleton 1996; Inish Turk Beg, only 2,888 bottles produced; twelve-year old Red Breast and seventeen-year old Connemara, single cask.

On a summer’s day the bar opens out onto the former Kitchen Yard, which is now laid out as a courtyard garden.

Among the highlights of the cellar is a group of wines from French chateaux with distinctly Irish names like Lynch. The Irish ‘Wine Geese’ winemakers of Bordeaux, who fled persecution at home, were among the most innovative viticulture pioneers of the eighteenth century and in honour of this Irish contribution to France, wines have been carefully selected for the cellar at Ballyfin from fourteen vineyards established by Irish exiles.