The recently refurbished and expanded Lawlor's Hotel in Naas is a great base for Kildare's many attractions

The recently refurbished and expanded Lawlor's Hotel in Naas is a great base for Kildare's many attractions.

By the banks of the Grand Canal

Didn’t realise until a recent stay in the town’s Lawlor’s Hotel that Naas is so central to many attractions and destinations. Racegoers knew this all along as you have courses nearby in Punchestown and the Curragh as well as one in Naas itself.

Speaking of horses, the Irish National Stud is just over 20 minutes away in Tully, Sallins (with its Kildare Brewery and barge trips) even closer, Newbridge Silverware and its Museum of Icons are close enough also as is Kildare Village. Fancy going underground? Then Newgrange is about 65 minutes by road.

Walking home by the canal from the Friday Country Market

Much of Wicklow and Dublin is under 50 kilometres from Naas. Like to check out a distillery or two? Then take the train from Sallins/Naas and you’ll be sampling in one of the distilleries in Dublin's Liberties in under an hour.

Lawlors themselves have quite a few tips on their website about what to do in the locality. Naas is located in the heart of Irelands Ancient East where Kildare and Wicklow also have so much for you to see. 

This modest cottage in the Irish National Stud is where big money deals are finalised.

“Naas recently won the Purple Flag award which means our town is accredited as a safe place to go out, with a diverse and high-quality range of venues and entertainment types for your visit. Click on this link to learn more about Kildare’s history around The Sport of Kings. 

Kildare offers a range of special interests in addition to horse racing and horse riding, such as golf, motor racing (Mondello Park), fishing, ecology, cruising and walking. In September 2006, The K Club hosted the most prestigious international golf event "The Ryder Cup" which is only a short drive from Lawlor's. The county’s many heritage attractions are of great importance and provide much interest to the visitor. 

One of the famous old doors at Lawlor's.
They have been sourced from around the world
and often feature in wedding photos.

Note the heritage towns of Athy and Kildare, Leixlip where ‘Guinness’ was first brewed, walk along Arthurs Way and the University town of Maynooth. Visit the many houses and gardens such as the magnificent Castletown House or experience Peatland World Visitor Centre that interprets the wilderness of the Bog of Allen.” 

More from Lawlor’s here. 

Our main purpose in travelling up from Cork was to visit the Irish National Stud in Tully, a terrific visit. Not only does it include the beautiful grounds of the stud itself and the legendary horses, and foals about to become legends, but your ticket also covers your visit to the superb Japanese Gardens and an excellent guided tour of the stud. 

Path of Life in the Japanese Gardens

And if you need a break and refreshment, you may enjoy a snack or a full lunch in the recommended on-site restaurant Gourmet Goodies. 

After our final breakfast in Lawlor’s, we headed up the sunny streets, busy too but not too busy, nothing close to a traffic jam. Soon we were down by the Grand Canal which has excellent walkways so close to the town. Like the town, the canal is well maintained and quite an asset to the citizens and visitors. We saw a couple of locks but no action on the waters. 

Teahouse in Japanese Gardens

Mentioned that at check-out and the hotel staff told us that you can experience the historic canal (at least a stretch of it) on a restored traditional canal barge from Sallins, and learn about the life of Ireland’s first man-made waterway (built in the 18th Century). They are great for Family Days Out, Birthday Parties, Office Parties or any occasion! Bar service onboard, with meal options for after your cruise at Lock 13 Gastro Brew-pub. Not alone can you do the canal trip but you can also book a brewery tour. I'm putting that on my list!

At The Stud, a young foal comes towards the camera while his surrogate mother keeps an eye on things.

Not the only reason. Just like to mention again the friendliness that was evident right from the reception desk in the Stud and everywhere we went after that, including Lawlor’s Hotel, the Country Market and during our stroll along the banks of the canal where everyone smiled and said hello. Another lovely reason to return to Kildare and check out more of its attractions.

More on the Irish Stud visit here.

More on Lawlor’s, especially the food options, here. 

The Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens. Among the country’s top attractions.

The Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens.

Among the country’s top attractions.

Cards, stars and horses, all played by Colonel Walker,
founder of the National Stud.

There is a double bronze sculpture on a patio just inside the entrance to the Irish National Stud, at the point where your guided tour starts. It features a life-sized be-hatted gentleman of a previous century gazing at a combination of horses, star signs and playing cards.

The double sculpture is in honour of Colonel William Hall Walker who bought this Tully estate in 1900 and went into horses rather than the family brewery in the UK. He had a fascination for Asia (hence the Japanese gardens here) and astrology. He used the stars to determine the future course of his horses - if the star signs were bad at birth, the foal was sold, no matter what the breeding.

The Colonel. Reading the stars

 

Despite much criticism of that particular “method”, he became one of the most successful breeders of his time, winning classic after classic. More recently, Sea The Stars was another classic winner and there is a sculpture in the horse’s memory, unveiled by the Queen in 2011. It is called Sea of Stars and contains astrological symbolism.

There is a more down-to-earth souvenir of the great Arkle: his skeleton! There is much more to see here and when your guided tour is over, you are welcome to explore at your leisure. Indeed, if a guided tour doesn't suit your schedule you are welcome to walk around independently. But you will miss out as the guides are full of information, courtesy and good humour.

The current star of the stud is the much-loved stallion Invincible Spirit. Now in his old age, his services are still much sought after and indeed his fee is negotiated privately whereas the other stallions have their fees posted on a board at the stud. Mares come from all over and, on arrival, are medically tested and are also “showered” and fitted with special shoes (in case they kick out when mating).

One for the future. Just a few weeks old

Big money is mentioned a lot around here yet most of these mega-deals are included in a modest-looking single-storey house called the Stud Office. It and its immediate garden are very well kept indeed as is the whole area. 

A highlight is a millennial garden by award-winning landscape architect Professor Martin Hallinan, built on a former bog and called St. Fiachra’s Garden. St. Fiachra, the patron saint of gardeners, also made a name for himself in the Loire and, if you find yourself in the village of Saint Fiacre you’ll see it is surrounded by vines. They make some fantastic Muscadet here and do watch out for Günther Chéreau Confluentia Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie (the Irish importers are Liberty Wines). 

Invincible Spirit. In Limestone. Plenty of limestone in Kildare as there is in Kentucky another great horse breeding region.

Irish National Stud’s tribute garden is a stunning attraction seeking to capture that which inspired those involved in Ireland’s monastic movement in the 6th and 7th centuries. It does so principally by paying handsome tribute to the Irish landscape in its rawest state.

While the stallions bring in the cash, it is the lively geldings that bring in many of the visitors. Hardy Eustace is the big gentle star and the much smaller Hurricane Fly is also in the same field but you’ll need something sweet if you hope to get to pat him. Faugheen and Beef or Salmon were also hanging around the day of our recent visit.

Faugheen enjoying his role as a visitor attraction

In adjoining paddocks, you see the stars of the future as these fields are home to mothers and foals, some just a couple of weeks old. They are well taken care of with plenty of space. If for some reason, the original mother cannot look after her own foal, a surrogate is available and so you see one or two oddly coloured mares here. 

It is not only the stallions that are well looked after in Tully. The in-foal mares, many of them paying guests in their last month, are checked every twenty minutes! HSE please take note.

A young foal with its foster mum.

Some other facts from our guide:

Covering dates start on, believe it or not, Valentine’s Day;

the gestation period is 11 months;

Every single foal is officially born on January 1st;

There is no A1 in the racing industry. That would spoil all the fun, and make it all boring, according to H…., our excellent guide; 

Resident stallion Tommy The Tease checks that each mare is ready but then has to step aside for a big-name stallion. Tommy has the consolation of two covers a year (with the surrogate mothers), a poor enough return.

Most visitors will end up in the Japanese Gardens at some stage during their visit. It is not the biggest in the world, far from it but, now over a hundred years old, it is still very much worth visiting. Some 120,000 visitors soak up the peace of the gardens every year. There is a choice of two paths, one called the Easy Path, the other the more familiar Path of Life (our choice!)

Refreshments are available all day in the on-site café. Meals are based on local produce
even if the building style echoes a Japan equivalent.

The gardens were devised by Colonel Walker and were laid out by Japanese master horticulturist Tassa Eida and his son Minoru between 1906 and 1910. Walker named one of his classic winning horses after Minoru.

After all that walking around, or maybe in between, you’ll need some sustenance and you’ll enjoy some good stuff in the Japanese Gardens Café (it also serves the National Stud - both attractions are covered by the one ticket and adjoin each other). The café building has Japanese features and has lots of seating, both indoors and out.

Ballymaloe-trained Natalie Collins and her manager take pride in offering simple, wholesome food with an emphasis on freshness and flavour. Local ingredients are used wherever possible. Current menu offers include Silver Hill Roast Duck Salad, Homemade Lasagne, 12-hour roast beef of Ciabatta, Chill Beef Nachos and much more, including dishes for children. We enjoyed a cuppa and a couple of pastries including their ever-popular Portuguese Tart.

The Tea House in the Japanese Gardens. No tea here, just for decoration

Service in the cafe was friendly, efficient and proactive. And indeed that friendliness was evident right from the reception desk here in the Stud and everywhere we went after that, including Lawlor’s Hotel, the Country Market and during our stroll along the banks of the canal where everyone smiled and said hello. Another lovely reason to return to Kildare and check out more of its attractions.

For more on the stud and gardens, please check here https://irishnationalstud.ie/ 

Also on. this visit:

You're on course for a great time when you stay at Lawlor's of Naas 

Lawlor's Naas is a great base for Kildare's many attractions 

The gardens in the stud grounds, especially St Fiacra's, are splendid.
Spotted this swan and cygnet in a pond there.

You're on course for a great time when you stay at Lawlor's of Naas

You're on course for a great time when you stay at Lawlor's of Naas 

Terrific Sea Bass dish in Vi's

Hard to know where to start when talking about the amazingly popular Lawlor’s Hotel in the heart of Naas. Hard, because a recent refurbishment has more than doubled its size to over three acres! They have 138 individually designed bedrooms, ranging from traditional style to brand-new superior bedrooms. All rooms are en-suite and are fitted with power showers, some with modern jacuzzi baths - providing ultimate luxury. 

Yet, when we knew we were heading there, our focus was immediately on Vi’s, the newly launched restaurant. Quite a spectacular place highlighted by the custom-made iconic round dining bar, an eye-catching centrepiece of the luxurious new lobby.

The bar in the round in Vi's

The frontage of the “old” hotel faces the town's main thoroughfare, while the new reception is on the other side of the complex, reached via Gleann na Greine (don't worry, very easy to find). Here you will find a spacious underground car park with a lift up to reception.

It took us a while to finish the walk as we took in the lobby and the restaurant and the magnificent decor. And then we got a warm welcome from the staff at the desk and took the lift to the 4th floor and our spacious comfortable room with all we needed for our stay. From the window, we could see down to the gardens. 

Terrine starter

It was one of the warmest days of recent weeks and the temptation factor was high. Soon, we were relaxing in the garden with a cool drink at hand. Vi's Gardens, with its ancient gates, is now open daily for dining and drinks and you may have lunch in the lobby from 12.00 pm until 4.00 pm. The Bistro is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

After the liquid refreshment had reached the vital spot, we decided to take a stroll along the main streets of this well-kept town. Busy too and no sign of any vacant sites that blight the centre of some of our cities and towns. Didn’t go too far though as the heat was still up and we had already walked quite a bit during our superb visit to the nearby Irish National Stud.

Lawlor's

By the way, on the way up and down to our room, we regularly passed the Courtroom. Yes, the Courtroom. It is laid out in a traditional semi-circular fashion. But the seating here is very comfortable and the facilities (AV technology and video conferencing) are bang up-to-date and excellent for corporate and training events. This restored 19th Century wood-panelled amphitheatre meeting room holds up to 50 attendees,

Soon it was time for dinner - we had a reservation - and we headed for Vi’s. Again, the welcome was warm and friendly and that vibe continued right through a very efficient service all through the meal. Vi’s is currently open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 pm to 9 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm to 8 pm. Expect to pay a bit more here than in the Bistro. 

It also has some different dishes available, as you'd expect, including Steak on a Stone - 6oz medallion of prime Irish beef fillet on the stone with portobello mushroom, caramelised red onion, overnight tomatoes, pepper sauce, chunky chip. And then there’s the exclusive Mrs Lawlor’s Sherry Trifle (left) - a classic boozy sherry trifle made using Mrs Lawlor's own recipe.

You can also break the bank on the Drinks List which is very extensive. A lot of reading there and it might be worth your while to try and get your hands on it in advance! We settled on an excellent New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a dram of Green Spot.

One of the unusual doors, each with a story

The menu takes a fair bit of attention also. Eight starters include Sharing Platter of deep-fried calamari, chorizo, and Padron peppers. My pick was the Jane Russell Blackpudding and Ham Hock Terrine which came with black apple chutney, lamb leaf, and French dressing.

That got me off to a flier and CL, who had been tempted by the Ardsallagh Goats Cheese Tartlet,  was also delighted with her Pulled Roast Chicken Croquette with Pickled mushroom, lamb's leaf lettuce, and honey buttermilk dressing. Sat back between courses and listened to the live musician, had another look or two at the eye-catching decor above and around the bar, and enjoyed voyeuristically the craic coming from a nearby 40th birthday celebration.

Perfect steak

Time then for the main event, surf for her, turf for me! CL’s pick was the Pan-fried Sea Bass with warm potato salad, cherry tomatoes, peppers, braised fennel, and roasted red pepper reduction. Absolutely perfect, the fish hugely enhanced by the marvellous sauce. 

I ordered the 10 oz Irish Beef Striploin Steak with mushrooms, caramelised red onion, overnight tomato, pepper sauce, and chunky chips, My server suggested a port wine sauce and I went along with that. Ten out of ten here for sure, the meat was perfectly cooked and lifted by the overnight tomato and that port wine sauce.

One of the inviting gardens, seen from 4th floor window

They serve breakfast in the Bistro from 6.30 am. We were never in danger of getting there that early and it was after nine when we sat down in what is still quite a striking room. The service is again friendly and the whole operation is well organised and runs smoothly. Just take your time and check all your options.

There is a central station for juices and cereals while tea, coffee, and toast will be delivered to your table. Aside from one or two other options, everything else comes from the Hot Buffett which is regularly checked and replenished. 

Breakfast is served in this area of the Bistro
(part of the "old" hotel)

Our selections, mostly eggs, pudding, beans and mushrooms were top notch and indeed their sausages were superb, sorry I didn't take another one! But there you go. We were quite happy as we left the room to take a stroll on the tidy banks of the nearby Grand Canal and also a look at the Country Market which takes place every Friday (the Farmers Market is on Saturday).

With the sunshine coming to a temporary halt, it was time to check out (after another pleasant chat) and head down south with a promise to ourselves that we'd be back to Lawlors.

Here the "old" front of Lawlor's continues to face out on Poplar Square

Also on this trip:

More on the advantages of this hotel with an emphasis on its location, a great base for touring the Kildare area here.

And a post also on our delightful visit to the Irish National Stud here.

 

Familia Torres getting the very best from Albarino in Rías Baixas

Familia Torres getting the very best from Albarino in Rías Baixas

Pazo das Bruxas Albarino Rías Baixas (DO) 2022, 13% ABV

€19.95 Bradleys, North Main Street, Cork. 

The fresh aromas, even as the cork is released, hint that this is indeed an Albarino from the Rías Baixas,  a small winemaking region in Galicia, northwest Spain (the Green Spain). The colour is a clear light gold and there are aromas with both floral and fruit characters, all intense. And that intensity of engagement spreads onto the crisp and minerally palate, rich and flavourful, with apple and pear, and balanced by an acidity typical of the region and the grape.

Very Highly Recommended.

I first tasted this Pazo das Bruxas back in 2015. I had a distinguished guide, none other than Miguel Torres, one of the family’s fifth generation. He said it has good density and finish and added that Albarino can age well, 7 or 8 years, and can get more complex. This is excellent as it is,  with great freshness and flavour. That was the 2013 vintage and it seems the 2022 is keeping up the high standard.

That 2013 was perhaps the first Torres Albarino from this vineyard. It was only in 2012 that the fifth generation of Familia Torres launched a winegrowing project in Rías Baixas and made its first Albariño with the name of Pazo das Bruxas. This wine is made from grapes grown primarily in the subzone of the Valle de Salnés.

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Check out the Good Value Wine List here

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Attention to the world around them and to detail in their winemaking is typical of the Torres family. No magic, just a lot of hard work. But you will notice witches on the front label as Pazo Das Bruxas pay homage to the folklore and landscape of Galicia (much of it with strong Celtic connections). 

It tells the tale of the Galician witches said to have gathered in the woods, which surrounded some pazos or manor houses, to conjure up spirits with their dances and spells. “Nourished by their energy, the sap or lifeblood then coursed through the vines, in the same way, the Albariño grapes give life to this wine today.”

Magic or no, this outstanding multi-award-winning wine serves as an excellent aperitif and is good with raw, cooked or grilled seafood. Pairs perfectly with mild, white fish. Its lively palate strikes a perfect balance with soft goat cheeses. A good wine for Irish cuisine then and no wonder that Albarino has become so popular here.

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Click here for our growing list of top wines for 2023

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Torres, always aware of climate change, says the 2022 harvest in Torre Penela was one of the earliest in recent memory, “brought forward by 12 days compared to the previous year. The winter was extremely dry and warm, followed by an equally dry spring with episodes of nighttime frost, one of which affected part of the vineyard and brought down yields. There was no rainfall in the summer, and the intense heat increased the pace of fruit maturation. After the three summer months, rainfall during the first week of September brought up yields somewhat and helped regulate both the alcohol and acidity of the wines. The grapes were in excellent condition.”