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Stella Maris Country House Hotel Named to Ireland’s 100 Top Restaurants; Cited as “Perfect Cooking with Every Dish”

BALLYCASTLE, County Mayo (April 18, 2007)—It is rare indeed when independent food critics discover only perfection during their visits to Ireland’s leading restaurants. When food gurus John & Sally McKenna visited Stella Maris Country House Hotel in Ballycastle, Co. Mayo with their children for a couple of days, the results were exceptional.

The authors of the Bridgestone Guides, one of Ireland’s leading independent hospitality books, were overwhelmed by their experience at Stella Maris Country House Hotel, a proud member of Ireland’s Blue Book. Not only did the McKenna’s add Stella Maris to their prestigious list of Top 100 Restaurants in Ireland (as well as Bridgestone’s Top 100 Places to Stay in Ireland), they were effusive in their praise of proprietor/chef Frances Kelly and her exquisite work. In the words of the McKennas:

“How often do you get perfect cooking, with every dish? Not very often, but that’s what we got at Stella. Every single dish we ate on a recent family visit to Stella Maris was perfect in every detail. Not fussy perfect, or pretentious perfect, or obsessive perfect. Just perfect in and of itself: tian of crabmeat with tomato concasse, chives and a gazpacho coulis; toasted Ardsallagh goat’s cheese with basil pesto on garden greens; fillet of beef with thyme-scented rosti and port wine jus; rack of Ballycastle lamb with ratatouille and rosemary; tiramisu; blueberry crème brulee. The kids had beautiful tagliatelle, then beautiful chicken with sweet potato.

“Breakfast the next morning was just as perfect, but that’s described in another book.

“It seems invidious, then, to say that the tagliatelle, the rosti and the tiramisu were so perfect as to be beyond perfect, but that's just what they were.

“And the great thing about Frances Kelly’s cooking is that it is all done with so much understatement, in a house of wonderful restraint. Modest perfection. Demure perfection. So rare in brash modern Ireland, and all the more welcome because of that.”

Stella Maris Country House Hotel, Ashford Castle Named Best Romantic Wedding & Honeymoon Venues in Mayo

BALLYCASTLE, County Mayo (April 18, 2006)—Stella Maris Country House Hotel in Ballycastle and Ashford Castle in Cong are the two best romantic wedding and honeymoon venues in County Mayo according to the newly released Georgina Campbell’s Ireland for Romantic Weddings and Honeymoons.

Stella Maris and Ashford are the only two venues in Mayo cited among the 142 properties in Ireland and Northern Ireland cited for excellence in catering for weddings and providing honeymoon retreats. The highly selective, independent guidebook also lauds Enniscoe House in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, as a wonderful honeymoon destination for newlyweds.

Stella Maris Country House Hotel, which is Ms. Campbell’s 2006 Hideaway of the Year as well as the Irish Golf Tour Operators Association Small Hotel of the Year 2006, can accommodate some 40 guests for intimate weddings and receptions. It is located on Bunatrahir Bay facing Downpatrick Head and the Atlantic Ocean, providing a scenic backdrop for photography.

“We are a smaller property, which enables us to help the future bride and groom in planning all the details of the wedding,” explained Stella Maris proprietor and executive chef Frances Kelly. “We work with them at the outset of the planning process and see everything through to completion.”

Stella Maris Country House Hotel, a member of Ireland’s famed Blue Book of Country Houses, Historic Hotels and Restaurants, is located in Ballycastle, 16 miles west of Ballina. Additional information can be found at www.StellaMarisIreland.com.

The guide for weddings and honeymoons is designed for couples seeking special locations for their memorable day and hideaways following their nuptials. This discerning reference book, which features lovely colour photography, offers incisive information, including location, size, price range, facilities and service. As with all Georgina Campbell Guides, inclusion in the guide is free and based solely on merit.

Frances Kelly receives Ireland’s Small Hotel of the Year 2006 Award from Enda Mulvany of the Irish Golf Tour Operators Association.

Stella Maris Wins IGTOA Award As Ireland’s Small Hotel of the Year

BALLYCASTLE, County Mayo (April 28, 2006)—Stella Maris Country House Hotel, a member of Ireland’s Blue Book of unique upscale properties, has been named Small Hotel of the Year 2006 by the Irish Golf Tour Operators Association.

The prestigious award was presented to chef/proprietor Frances Kelly during the recent IGTOA Annual Conference and Awards Dinner in Sligo. Stella Maris is the first country house hotel to be so honoured by the organization. The IGTOA is comprised of the main golf tour operators responsible for the majority of Ireland’s incoming golf tourist traffic.

“Stella Maris serves as a wonderful example of how a small property can deliver the highest quality product to visiting golfers,” said Marty Carr, IGTOA Chairman. “Stella Maris has helped pave the way for golf in the West and Northwest of Ireland.”

This has been a banner year for Stella Maris Country House Hotel, which also was named 2006 Hideaway of the Year by renowned food critic and tour guide author Georgina Campbell. In addition, Stella Maris Country House Hotel was cited for excellence in three categories by John and Sally McKenna in the Bridgestone 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland 2006.

“We are thrilled with these many honours and recognition we continue to receive after just four short years in business,” said Ms. Kelly, who grew up in Ballycastle. “None of this would be possible without the dedication of our staff, who work hard to make each person’s stay a very special experience.”

Stella Maris Country House Hotel, which was built originally as a coast guard regional headquarters and subsequently became a convent, was reopened in 2002 after a complete restoration. It overlooks Bunatrahir Bay, located between the world-class golf links of Enniscrone and Carne/Belmullet on Ireland’s unsullied West Coast. The area offers guests a variety of other activities such as fishing, swimming, bird watching, horseback riding and walking.

Further information can be obtained at www.StellaMarisIreland.com.

Noted food and hospitality author Georgina Campbell presents Ireland’s 2006 Hideaway of the Year Award to Terence McSweeney.

Stella Maris Selected Ireland’s 2006 “Hideaway of the Year”

BALLYCASTLE, County Mayo (Nov. 10, 2005)—Stella Maris Country House Hotel prepares for the 2006 season as Ireland’s “Hideaway of the Year,” as selected by preeminent food writer Georgina Campbell. Stella Maris was cited for its unique attributes during a recent news conference at the Dublin headquarters of Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.

Located on Bunatrahir Bay along County Mayo’s magnificent west coast, Stella Maris is noted for its stunning location, fine dining, comfortable rooms and delightful hospitality. Said Ms. Campbell: “There’s a welcome emphasis on comfort throughout the public areas, including a cosy bar--but the location is the hotel’s major asset and a conservatory built all along the front takes full advantage of it, allowing guests to relax in comfort and warmth while drinking in the majestic views of the surrounding coastline and sea.”

Stella Maris was built in 1853 as a coastguard regional headquarters and became a convent in the early 1900s. It was completely restored as a luxurious country house hotel and opened in 2002.

“Accommodation blends understated elegance with comfort in uncluttered rooms that have magnificent views and are furnished with antiques but—with complimentary broadband, modern bathrooms and high-power showers—offer the best of both worlds,” states Ms. Campbell.

Location and comfort complement the wonderful dining that guests experience at Stella Maris, points out Ms. Campbell. “Dinner—cooked under Frances (Kelly)’s direct supervision—is a very enjoyable experience...menus are well-balanced and imaginative without being overly influenced by fashion.”

As the winner of the Best Breakfast in Connaught in 2004, Stella Maris is also known for its wonderful breakfasts.

“Residents also have a treat in store each morning as the Stella Maris breakfast is worth lingering over: lashings of freshly squeezed juice, a beautiful fruit plate, gorgeous freshly-baked brown bread, hand-made preserves and perfect hot food cooked to order...This is indeed a wonderful retreat,” proclaimed Ms. Campbell, the noted author of several respected publications on the true Irish experience.

Stella Maris, situated just outside the small village of Ballycastle in County Mayo, is located conveniently between the world-class golf links of Enniscrone and Carne/Belmullet. The area offers guests a variety of other activities such as fishing, bird watching, horseback riding, swimming and walking.

Stella Maris Country House Hotel Joins Legendary Blue Book

BALLYCASTLE, County Mayo (Nov. 1, 2003)—Stella Maris Country House Hotel, the lovely boutique hotel on Bunatrahir Bay, has been elected to membership in Ireland’s Blue Book.

The legendary Blue Book is an association of Ireland’s most gracious country houses, manor homes and castles. Members of The Blue Book have achieved international recognition for their high standards of traditional hospitality, accommodation and fine cuisine. There are 35 country houses and restaurants in Ireland’s Blue Book, which is available in tourist offices and bookstores as of November 2003.

“We were delighted to be invited join The Blue Book so quickly,” said Frances Kelly, proprietor of the 150-year-old Cost Guard Station cum convent that now houses the Stella Maris Country House Hotel. “The exceptional level of hospitality proffered by the members of Ireland’s Blue Book reflects our commitment at Stella Maris to provide ambiance, service and comfort in a lovely setting.”

Frances Kelly and her husband, Terence McSweeney, opened Stella Maris Country House Hotel in May 2002 to critical acclaim of seasoned travellers and tour operators. Stella Maris features antique furnishings, yet is comfortable enough to feel like home. Complementing the tasteful decor are creature comforts such as luxury linens and towels, high-pressure showers, hair dryers and other amenities in bathrooms, complimentary bottled water, satellite TV and direct-dial telephones.

Stella Maris offers fine dining in an elegant, but informal setting. Ms. Kelly, a trained chef, sets the menu each day and oversees the kitchen to ensure that all meals meet the highest standard. Stella Maris Country House Hotel is recommended by respected publications such as the Michelin Guide to Ireland, Food & Wine Magazine, and Georgina Campbell’s Jameson Guide to The Best Places to Eat, Drink and Stay in Ireland.

“The Blue Book welcomes Stella Maris Country House Hotel as one of our select members,” said Hilary Finlay, Marketing Director for Ireland’s Blue Book. “Stella Maris Country House Hotel complements the other distinguished properties that comprise our Association, which offers a variety of unique choices to discerning visitors to Ireland.”

Stella Maris Country House Hotel, located on the Mayo coastline in Western Ireland, is open from April through mid-October. More information may be obtained by visiting the Stella Maris Country House Hotel web site: www.StellaMarisIreland.com.