Bell House

The entrance lobby forms a central link of the house.

The main living spaces span one side of an L shaped arrangement, with the informal dining room occupying the central elbow.

Here beneath a lofty pitched ceiling, an archway of French doors open from the gable-end onto a south-facing gravelled terrace; brilliant for al fresco meals.

A chequer-board of stone tiles announce a well-appointed and stylish kitchen annexed onto the opposing end of the dining room.

Stepping down behind the kitchen, is a bright and spacious sitting room.

Delightful features of this room include the recessed Charnwood stove – seasoned wood supplied – and deep-set windows overlooking the beautiful cut granite courtyard of the main house.

Directly above, and accessed by a sensual sweep of cantilevered stairs, is one of two generous double bedrooms. It’s coved ceiling, and quirky little floor-level windows augment the romance.

This bedroom has a generous and chic ensuite bathroom, which boasts both a glass shower booth and bath.

The second beautiful double bedroom is also upstairs, but at the far end of the home, and includes a small study area on the landing as you enter.

The bed is a super King size Zip & Link (can be converted to twins). A modest kitchenette has been included in the coving making the room semi-autonomous.

The headliner here though is that this bedroom accesses a large and private decked balcony, with views of the wonderful Carlow countryside across the walled garden.

The bedroom is served by a bathroom with dual-head shower off the corridor below. Here too is a utility room, full of everything you will need.

The main house and associated buildings are listed and are part of an ongoing restoration project by the owners, with some restricted access.

The property consists of 12 acres with broad views of the Blackstairs and Wicklow mountains – Mount Leinster in the distance – which include an expansive walled garden, currently set as pasture for rescue goats. The Bell House is approached via its own treelined driveway that snakes through a small woodland, and has its own private driveway, parking, and a magnificent sheltered patio area with cushy furniture and a firepit.

Amateur ornithologists will appreciate the mesmerizing starling murmurations in early Spring, abundance of seasonal swallows, and the rookery. Binoculars supplied.

Built in or around 1824 The Bell House originally accommodated the butler and housekeeper and subsequently housed the captain of a group of British Constabulary officers during the Irish Civil War.

Kitchen Appliances

Neff electric oven with 4 ring hob
Tall fridge-freezer
Dishwasher
Toaster
Nespresso coffee machine

Utility Appliances

Washing machine
Spin dryer
Iron

Bedrooms

Sizes – Two King-size convertible Zip & Link
2 Hairdryers

Tech & Entertainment

Wi-Fi Internet throughout
Flat-screen TV
Pelaton spin exercise bike

Other

Selection of books
Boardgames
Gas Central heating
Charnwood Woodburning Stove
Firepit & logs
BBQ

• Take a river cruise on the Barrow
• Kayak along the Barrow with Pure Adventure — one of the loveliest ways to see the valley
• Go with the Flow for a gentler paddle on the river
• Try your hand at woodturning with Glenn Lucas — a genuinely special experience
• Take the Mount Leinster Heritage Drive — 75km of beautiful south Carlow countryside
• Visit Huntington Castle — and its extraordinary Temple of Isis in the basement
• Garden lovers: Altamont Gardens — one of Ireland’s most romantic and peaceful walled gardens
• Browse quirky at The Old Yard
• Stock up at Tinahely Farm Shop
• Play a round at Mount Juliet — one of Ireland’s finest parkland courses

• Golf at Mount Wolseley or Bunclody Golf Club
• Go racing at the Curragh — the spiritual home of Irish flat racing
• Back a horse at Gowran Park
• Pick a winner at Punchestown
• Contemporary art at Visual Carlow — Ireland’s largest contemporary art space, with the 320-seat George Bernard Shaw Theatre alongside

Festivals

• Carlow Arts Festival — June
• Borris Festival of Writing & Ideas — June
• Kilkenny Arts Festival — August
• Savour Kilkenny — October
• Kilkenomics — November

• Clashganny House Restaurant, Borris — the standout table in south Carlow, set in a beautifully restored 1830s Victorian millhouse just outside the village of Borris. Chef Robert White cooks classic Irish food using local produce — Nolan’s butchers in Borris, Davis Butchers in Graiguenamanagh — with warmth and consistency. Multiple Carlow Restaurant of the Year winner. Open Wed–Sat evenings and Sunday lunch. Book well ahead, especially weekends. T: 059 977 1003
• Sha-Roe Bistro, Clonegal — a renowned restaurant in an 18th-century building in the pretty village of Clonegal, run by award-winning chef Henry Stone and his wife Stephanie. One of the most considered and creative dining experiences in the southeast. Right next door is Osborne’s Pub — perfect for a pint before or after.
• Ballykealey House, Ballon — a lovely country house hotel about 15 minutes from Bell House, with a restaurant that puts local suppliers front and centre. Good for a proper lunch or relaxed dinner.

• Teach Dolmain, Carlow Town — named after Brownshill Dolmen, this is one of Carlow town’s best-loved pubs with excellent Thursday night trad sessions and historical artefacts throughout. Good pint, good craic.
• Reddy’s of Carlow — Carlow’s oldest pub, established 1768. Traditional, unpretentious and genuinely good value. Worth a pint just to soak in the history.
• The two pubs in Fenagh village — both friendly, local and five minutes from the house. Perfect for an evening without going far.
• O’Hara’s Craft Beer — brewed in Bagenalstown, this is the local beer and very much worth trying wherever you find it on tap.

Bell House sits in the peaceful south Carlow countryside just outside Fenagh, a pretty village with a garage, grocery, off-licence, post office and two reliably friendly local pubs, everything you need for an evening in without going anywhere. For a broader shop, Carlow town is about 20 minutes by car.

Fenagh is on the Mount Leinster Heritage Drive, a 75km loop through the best of south Carlow, with the county’s highest peak — Mount Leinster at 796 metres — commanding the skyline.

Carlow Town was the country’s capital in the 1300s and has a surprising amount going on for a small city. Just east of the town, Brownshill Dolmen is one of the foremost prehistoric monuments in Ireland — its burial chamber capstone is among the heaviest in Europe at around 100 tonnes. Carlow Castle, a 13th-century Norman fortress, was largely destroyed in the 1800s in an ill-fated attempt to convert it into an asylum, but the two remaining towers give a strong sense of what it once was. The romantic ruin of Duckett’s Grove is also worth a visit.

The River Barrow — the second-longest river in Ireland — flows through Carlow town and connects the port of Waterford to the Grand Canal and Dublin. The Barrow Way, a 114km walking trail along the original towpath, is one of Ireland’s most scenic long-distance trails and remains largely undiscovered. Cycling is permitted throughout and the valley scenery is exceptional.

Kilkenny, a short drive south, is one of Ireland’s great medieval cities — with a fine cathedral, a 13th-century castle that served as the principal residence of the Butler family for over 600 years, a thriving craft and design heritage and some of the best festivals in the country. Worth at least one full day.

If you enjoy fly fishing, Rathcon Lake near Fenagh is well stocked with rainbow trout. Rods and tackle are available for hire, and 90% of the water is accessible from the bank — a good option for all abilities.

A car is recommended throughout — the best of this area rewards exploration