Barnabrow House — Hotel in The Municipal District of East Cork

My beautiful nephew got married on 2nd August 2025 to his lovely now wife. The buildup and excitement for the wedding was unreal. We hadn't had a family wedding in a while.||To say it was a hugh letdown and disappointment from the start is an understatement. It was chaos from start to finish. I just felt like crying for the beautiful couple as it so obvious to everyone and to the bridal couple that it was going to be a disaster. ||The outdoor ceremony on a hill. Climbing up a dirt path which which was uneven and scary to say the least. Footpath on other side steep, broken and covered in moss and grass. Guests holing onto each other for safety. ||Canapés just short of inedible. No napkins or small plates for guests. || Staff sulky, unfriendly and basically going around like zombies. It doesn't cost anything to be pleasant and smile. ||The venue is totally underwhelming. No adherence to health and safety which is paramount. It just looks like they went out of their way to make it dangerous. ||No footpaths anywhere. Uneven stones covered the place. No effort at all to make it anyway walkable. I saw a woman fall over. Poor girl. Heels sinking in the mounds of stone. Women had to be constantly supported when trying to walk. The grooms father had to be regularly lifted in his wheelchair by 4 men. The poor man must have been mortified. ||The buffet meal was just pure bedlam. We were asked into hall for food. Then waited ages to be allowed up for food. Only one food station. Queue a mile long and took nearly 2 hours to clear. Ran out of plates and cutlery. ||Meats OK. Salads were awful and severe lack of variation considering it was a buffet. No tablecloths on any of the tables. Not even on bridal parties table. ||A lot of tables were quite grubby and this was before the food. Guests eating food off their laps on sofas. If the owner had any sense she could have used chairs from the hilly ceremony for the overflow. ||||Host (owner) ...... looked shabby, downright rude, uninterested and obviously doesnt have any pride in her so called business. ||Female toilets were a hazard. No-one checking on them. Floors constantly wet and again dangerous. I really don't know how she's getting away with this. She obviously just doesn't care and her arrogant attitude was very apparent. And that's when you actually got to see her. I thought she looked like she had wandered in off the streets. ||||When it got dark there wasn't sufficient outdoor lighting. I only saw two outdoor lights. ||My poor niece took an awful fall and banged the side of her face on the ground. My nephew is visually impaired and really struggled that night due to the serious lack of lights. ||How this obnoxious woman is getting away with charging extortionate money is mind blowing. I'd be very surprised if she hasn't been sued several times over. And to be honest if it was me I'd be looking for my money back. ||My bedroom was good size, grubby, dusty and stains of the material chairs. Bed was comfy. Bathroom walls all covered in dirty splatters. No tv. I didn't mind that, however if I had kids it would have been handy. Breakfast dry and lacked any flavour. Loads of fruits. ||I could go on and on and on. However I feel she just doesn't give a damn and think she's running on her previous reputation and that's if she ever had one. ||The only thing is we are a very close family and did our best to make the day and night as special as possible for them and their 2...

If you're looking for a place that feels like a fairytale tucked away in the Irish countryside, Barnabrow House in County Cork is a true treasure. From the moment you arrive, you’re enveloped by a sense of peace, history and gentle charm that’s impossible to forget.||My Mum and I were visiting the Art & Design exhibition at Ballymaloe cookery school so found this location just perfect as it's only a few mins away. And so I guess you’re in a part of Ireland that truly understands and celebrates great food – and Barnabrow holds its own beautifully in that tradition. The homecooked food is exquisite with each meal using ingredients that have come straight from the owner Ger's garden.||The rooms are spacious, elegant, and filled with character, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. There’s a sense of quiet luxury here, not flashy or modern, but authentic and timeless – the kind of place where you can actually breathe.||And then there's Ger – what a remarkable person. Warm, witty and endlessly knowledgeable, she brings the whole place to life with her stories and fascinating insights. Her attention to detail and eye for interior design is a joy to experience. ||One of the many magical touches of Barnabrow are the hidden doors disguised as bookshelves, stocked with the most wonderful, eclectic collection of books. It’s like stepping into a secret world –||The historical walks around the area are captivating, steeped in layers of local lore and quiet beauty. The estate is dotted with mature trees and lush greenery, offering stunning views over the surrounding hills and fields. It’s an ideal place to reconnect with nature – and yourself.||And let’s not forget the delightful donkeys and goats on the grounds – charming, gentle companions that add an extra layer of magic to the experience. ||Barnabrow House is more than just a place to stay – it’s a place to remember. It's a romantic getaway, a peaceful retreat, or whatever you want it to be but if you're looking for something truly special & unique this is a place that will stay with you long after...

I was recently at a wedding there and even though i personally think many things went wrong over the weekend I won’t get into them as I do not know what had been arranged and agreed between the bride and groom and owners.

However, I will describe what I think should be the standard when staying somewhere that I found disappointing.

When we arrived there was no one in reception, so we waited and we were greater coldly. As if we were an inconvenience. We were asked to pay then for the weekend so I did. Another lady offered to show us to our room and the owner pointed to a map and said find it yourself the numbers are on the wall. ⁠Our room was small but initially looked ok. However the room was very dark. ⁠There was no mirror in the room just one in the bathroom with no plugs. No mirrors at a wedding venue!! The iron provided in the room had rust in it when I tried to use the steamer and stained my partners shirt. ⁠the kettle in the room had a broken plug which is a health and safety and fire hazard issue. ⁠the bathroom has no extractor fan and the shower basin leaks. The bathroom and room are therefore damp. The drawers made my clothes smell. ⁠there was only one toilet roll in the room and we had to hunt down staff to get toilet roll and water replaced in our room. The breakfast in my opinion was ok, nothing special but they staff made me feel like I was an inconvenience to them when asking for the bare minimum. There was no option on site for food or drinks outside of breakfast and dinner.

Location is close to the beach and the donkeys and goats are lovely. The main house itself is also lovely and the grounds have lovely potential, some bits need maintenance, such as some broken steps, wobbly benches etc. But there was a serious staffing issue. I witnessed the staff being argumentative and aggressive over the few days.

I would not...