Ghan House - Carlingford

Paul Carroll and family have transformed this eighteenth-century manor house into one of the star attractions in County Louth. It stands impressively at the foot of Slieve Foy, with breathtaking views of Carlingford Lough and the Mountains of Mourne beyond; it's also no more than a 'tree length' away from the fascinating medieval town of Carlingford itself.

The kitchen bakes its own bread, utilises vegetables and herbs from the hotel garden and supports local produce. Carlingford mussels, Ballaghan lobsters, Cooley lamb, dry-cured bacon and free-range eggs all find their way into the larder. Formal meals are served in what was the sumptuous drawing room, although there's nothing archaic about the cuisine on offer.

A typical dinner might begin with a terrine of duck venison and chicken, seafood chowder with saffron or marinated wild boar with pancetta, ahead of rib of Cooley beef on creamed cabbage with red wine sauce, sea bass or – for vegetarians – butternut squash soufflé. To finish, expect something straightforward like chocolate truffle cake, cherry clafoutis or meringue tart with almond and coconut ice cream.

Ghan House also has its own cookery school, with a bespoke 'hands-on' kitchen and regular guest appearances from some of the top names on the Irish gastronomic scene.