Meeting The Brief

A thoughtful renovation has transformed this restored North Cork farmhouse into a luxurious B&B that fuses warm hospitality with a sense of heritage.

Part restored 19th-century farmhouse, part contemporary countryside retreat, this award-winning boutique B&B in North Cork has quietly become one of Ireland’s most design-conscious rural stays. Owned and curated by Mitchelstown native Ciara O’Brien, Barnahown officially opened its doors in July 2024 following an ambitious restoration of a former farmhouse dating back to the 1880s. Once part of the historic Kingston Estate, the property had been in the hands of the O’Keefe family for generations before falling vacant. ‘When I bought it, it was very much in 1970s condition,’ Ciara laughs. ‘Flowery carpets, curtains, all of that. But the bones were incredible.’

Read more in the July issue…