Opened in 1968, Cashel House Hotel is a gracious, elegant mid XIXth century house owned and run by the McEvilly family, and situated at the head of Cashel Bay, on the west coast of Ireland in the heart of the Connemara region. It is set amidst 50 acres of woodland glades and exotic gardens that contains a profusion of roses both old fashioned and modern and many herbaceous plants with naturalised day lilies, astilbes and primulas also gunnera, camelias, magnolias, azaleas, eucryphia and rhododendrons. Its Georgian guestrooms, which have wide-windowed views of the bay, gardens and rolling green hills, are decorated with Irish floral fabrics, European antiques, sheepskin rugs, rattan pieces, vintage paintings, and local heirlooms. The rooms settings, added to the graceful antiques, turf fires, and lovely arrangements of freshly picked flowers scattered throughout the hotel create a warm, country-house welcome. After an invigorating walk through the magnificent Connemara wilderness or in the private, sandy beach on the bay, recline by a traditional peat fire, and savour the delicious regional cuisine accompanied by vintage wine in the large Conservatory extension which enhances the well-appointed split-level dining room.