Ballyfin Estate | IB SURVEY After the fight for Irish independence and amid a changing political landscape, Ralph Coote sold the estate to the Patrician Brothers in 1928. Under their care, the estate became a school throughout most of the 20th century.
Restoration In 2002, due to the falling number of brothers joining the order, the Patrician Brothers sold the building to an American couple named Fred and Kay Krehbiel who both had strong Irish connections. The building had fallen into great disrepair over the years. This became increasingly obvious to the Ballyfin community when a part of the ceiling in the Gold Drawing Room caved in due to wet rot. Masonry was falling from the façade of the building and the conservatory – an extension added to the building in the mid-1850s – was choked by overgrown weeds and vegetation. The future of the house looked uncertain. It was not until the Krehbiels bought the property that restoration began. The project took nine years to complete, which was much longer than the initial construction of the house. Every aspect of the building needed to be painstakingly restored from the roof down. Skilled craftsmen were successful in restoring the house, working on returning the vast interior and stone exterior to its previous elaborate state. The house was then extensively redecorated with Irish art, world antiques, Irish furniture, French chandeliers and mirrors by Thomas Chippendale. Every effort was made to restore the spectacular grandness of the original property without forgetting to inject a warm and welcoming atmosphere to both the building and the grounds.
Business and Pleasure Due to its relaxed private and easyto-reach location, Ballyfin Estate is an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of the real world with its rich, quiet countryside surroundings and peaceful building, making it ideal for corporate entertainment and business functions. The professional world class staff at Ballyfin Estate aim to service all those hoping to do business, offering private rooms and a designated liaison assigned to any group. Ballyfin’s rooms are useful for numerous business occasions – be they board meetings, social business functions
Ballyfin Estate drawing room.
or discreet meetings between a small number of clients. Rooms come in various shapes and sizes and the estate is versatile enough to accommodate different types of business arrangements and groupings. Staff are trained to cater to the individual needs of each business and are on-hand to help out with everything from seating arrangements to technical support. If businesses are looking for less discreet and more active ways of improving their business, Ballyfin offers a range of outdoor activities that can assist businesses in co-operative team work, strategy and building up social relationships. Activities on offer include archery, clay pigeon shooting, treasure hunts, cookery classes, blind wine tastings and road rallies over the nearby Slieve Bloom mountains in classic cars or on bicycles. The estate is open to residents only so guests will be able to conduct their affairs with little interruption or distraction from their main business goals. After a hard day’s work, guests can unwind in a number of ways. They can enjoy the fine cuisine prepared by the culinary team, which makes their meals with food freshly sourced from the hotel gardens. The menu
accommodates everything from working lunches to formal evening meals to casual gatherings in the wine cellar or bar. Working life is often stressful for employers and employees alike so the estate offers a range of solo or group activities to enjoy during breaks from business. Some of these endeavours include croquet, horse-riding, fishing, falconry, swimming, hiking or visiting the fitness centre for a good workout session. The estate even arranges for private sessions in pilates, outdoor tai chi, stretch aerobics and yoga. Ballyfin Estate offers excellent and varied services which are bound to impress. The testimonials on the hotel’s website are an indication of the positive feedback it has received. There is plenty of praise for the hotel’s assistance in organising events, its enthusiastic and unquestionably hospitable team and its idyllic location, one review describing the experience as “utterly transformational”. To experience or find out more about Ballyfin Estate, visit the website at www.ballyfin.com/home or call them on 05787 55866. Ballyfin Demesne is a member of Ireland’s Blue Book www.irelandsbluebook.com InBusiness | Q4 2013 61
InBus Q4 2013 48_88.indd 61
19/12/2013 12:28:39