Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa
Leebrook, Tralee
ballygarry.com • +353-66-712-3322
Ballygarry Estate has been in the McGillicuddy family for three generations. Set on 180 acres of land overlooking the beautiful Sliabh Mish Mountains, the hotel, on the outskirts of Tralee, offers a most unique Irish tea experience in a mid-18th-century building. Formerly the gate lodge of the O’Connor farmhouse, the lovely stone cottage was located north of what is now the hotel. Up until the 1940s, it was the home to Tralee natives Ellen and Thomas O’Brien, a couple who lived here with their eight children for more than 22 years.
Today, the cottage is an integral part of the Ballygarry Estate and an important part of Tralee’s history. As a private venue for afternoon tea since 2016, the beautifully restored lodge seems to transport guests to another era from the moment they enter. A wood-burning stove replaces the original fireplace, neat stacks of wood surround it, and period furniture lends an air of authenticity, Irish style, and tradition. Blue Willow platters and copper bed warmers hang from whitewashed walls, a china cabinet is filled with tea essentials, and traditional Irish lace curtains are tied back on the two tiny cottage windows, creating the perfect atmosphere for an Irish tea experience.
Once guests are seated, a server (or butler, depending on the day) arrives with a traditional three-tiered stand perfectly laid with sandwiches, scones, and tea pastries that change on a regular basis (€30). Smoked salmon from Caherciveen (a popular town on the Ring of Kerry) rests on brown soda bread with dill aïoli, and thinly sliced roast beef with horseradish mayonnaise is layered with rocket (arugula) on sundried tomato bread from Bácús Bhréanainn, a craft bakery in nearby Dingle. Perhaps most interesting of all the sandwiches, however, is Ballygarry’s shredded turkey with a “Thanksgiving-like” herb stuffing dressed with cranberry sauce. These sandwiches rotate with other savory selections, including mini goat cheese and thyme quiche, Limerick ham and rocket (also served on the sundried tomato bread), and prawn cocktail with Marie Rose, a classic cocktail sauce popular in Ireland and England.
The scones course arrives with a bonus slice of poppyseed loaf, a warm-up to a beautiful array of pastries that might include a lemon tart, chocolate cake, and decadent lemon mousse topped with fruit gelée. Tea selections range from Irish afternoon tea and Earl Grey to white tea flecked with cranberry pieces, and a caffeine-free red berry infusion. Add a glass of Prosecco for €9.
Ballygarry Estate Hotel serves afternoon tea in The Cottage for groups of 6 to 10 guests from Monday to Saturday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 4:00 p.m.; reservations are required 24 hours in advance. For fewer guests, tea is served in the hotel’s cozy Drawing Room; informally, you can always have tea and scones in Owen Mac’s Bar, affectionately named for Owen McGillicuddy, second generation proprietor of the estate.
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