Culture fix and fashion

Stay: Burtown House & Gardens
The old stable yard of this Georgian manor is now a secret garden blooming with fragrant lavender and wisteria. Stay over in the converted three-bedroom house or light-filled studio apartment. Burtown House & Gardens, Athy, R14 AE67

BOOK A ROOM

Head to: Kildare Village
Sign up for the Kildare Village membership programme before you arrive and scan as you shop to collect stars, unlock special treats to take home, access member-only events and sales and enjoy The Breakfast Club offers around the Village. Kildare Village, Kildare, R51 R265

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Coffee: Firecastle
Kildare’s favourite deli now has its own food truck inside the Village. Fuel as you shop with flat whites, pork and black pudding sausage rolls and loaded Irish baked potatoes. Firecastle, Kildare Village

Shop: Pestle & Mortar
Founded by local mother-of-five Sonia Desey, this hit Irish beauty brand has won legions of fans for its nourishing Pure Hyaluronic Serum and peptide-rich Hydrate Moisturiser. Pestle & Mortar, Kildare Village

VIEW THE BOUTIQUE

Shop: RIXO
RIXO’s playful vintage-inspired dresses – which print clash florals or pair polka dots with leopard-print – are a cool girl fixture, spotted on Florence Pugh and Emma Roberts. RIXO, Kildare Village

VIEW THE BOUTIQUE

Lunch: Sprout & Co
Brothers Jack and Theo Kirwan have their farm just 20 kilometres from Kildare Village, growing pak choi, spinach and micro-greens. That produce shines in hearty warm salads or the favourite-with-a-twist kale Caesar. Sprout, Kildare Village

VIEW MENU

Personal Shopping: The Apartment
Kick back on the velvet sofas while Kildare Village’s Personal Stylists pull together a rail for a private dressing-up session. The Apartment, Kildare Village

FIND OUT MORE

Art: The Kildare Gallery
Owner Ruth Liddle is on hand to share her favourite Irish artists and the stories behind the works you’ll spot on the walls and in the outdoor sculpture dotted through the Village. The Kildare Gallery, Kildare Village

DISCOVER

Dinner: The Brown Bear
Originally part of a family farm just outside Kildare, this cosy candlelit bistro now cultivates a loyal following for its globetrotting classics, from slow-braised beef ragu to lamb flatbreads. The Brown Bear, Stephenstown North, W91 PWH5

BOOK A TABLE

Back to: Burtown House
The best bit about staying over is being able to trot around Burton House’s beautiful gardens, sniffing roses and ambling down the yew walk after all the other visitors have left for the day.

Coffee and pastries: Enda’s Grocers
It’s impossible to walk out of Enda’s with just a coffee and a pastry, when shelves are packed with White Mausu chilli oil and Nutshed peanut butter and the table is laid out with freshly baked sourdough, Danishes and more. Enda’s Grocers, Ballymore Eustace

Walk: The Blessington Greenway
One of Ireland’s prettiest lakeside walks, this 5.5 kilometre trail wiggles along the shores of the Blessington Lakes, through forest and woodland to Russborough House & Park. The Blessington Greenway

Tour: Russborough House
The grandest in the country, this Palladian manor is all stuccowork and mahogany panelling, chandeliers and gilt mirrors. A suitably opulent backdrop for the Old Masters and Renaissance bronzes you’ll find within. Russborough House, Russborough, W91 W284

FIND OUT MORE

Lunch: The Ballymore Inn
Bag a table next to the fire at this popular pub which champions Irish ingredients: think West Cork Hereford steak sandwiches, fish and chips made with hake from Duncannons of New Ross. The Ballymore Inn, Ballymore Eustace, W91 PO24

Browse: Newbridge Silverware
As well as thoroughbreds, the other thing Kildare is famous for producing is Newbridge silver cutlery and jewellery. See the craftspeople at work on a tour of the factory, pick up some pieces in the shop and swing by the Museum of Style on the way out. Newbridge, W12 HT62

FIND OUT MORE

Walk: The Curragh
This distinctively flat 5,000 acres stretches from Kildare town to Newbridge. The vast plain stood in for Scotland in Braveheart, spotted during William Wallace’s Battle for Stirling Bridge. Today, though, galloping steeds are likely to be training racing horses rather than advancing armies.

Visit: St Brigid’s Cathedral
Pay respects to Ireland’s most famous female saint, on the site where she founded a nunnery in the fifth century. Inside the cathedral, a triptych of stained glass windows show Brigid with the country’s other patron saints: Patrick and Colmcille. St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare Town, R51 HY65

FIND OUT MORE

Stock up: Jo’s Pantry
Owner Joanna fills this pretty larder with her favourite things: Irish cheeses and biodynamic wines, cookbooks and gardening guides, as well as homeware finds from around the world. Jo’s Pantry, Burtown House

Dinner: Green Barn
Time your trip for a Friday or Saturday night supper at this garden-to-plate restaurant. On other evenings, order in from the Stable Yard menu of homemade pies and antipasti. Green Barn, Burtown House

BOOK A TABLE