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Introducing Irish Landmark Trust – unique restored heritage retreats that give the past a future

14 March 2025

St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to shine our spotlight on Irish Landmark Trust (ILT): an all-island charity whose mission is to save, share, and sustain Ireland’s built heritage.

ILT was founded in 1992, to restore and care for some of the island’s most iconic buildings and offer visitors a chance to stay in a living, breathing piece of history.

As such, curious guests can choose from 33 architecturally distinctive, quirky retreats – including towering lighthouses, defensive fortresses and imposing castles – dotted throughout Ireland, each one with an intriguing tale to tell.

Whichever unique retreat you choose, you’ll find it thoughtfully restored with as many original features as possible, since ILT’s approach is to “repair rather than replace” through traditional craft skills and materials.

You’ll also find your chosen retreat charmingly styled and furnished in a way that evokes a soothing sense of its past… yet with plenty of contemporary creature comforts to ensure your stay is suitably relaxing. And of course, a warm Irish welcome is a given.

Come and get acquainted with our selection of ILT properties today… accompanying pint of Guinness optional!

Author: Nina Jervis-Green
Main image: Barbican, County Antrim

Triumphal Arch Lodge

Colebrooke, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Make your holiday a triumph with a stunningly stately stay in the gateway to historic Colebrooke, set by the tranquil lakes of County Fermanagh.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£386 (2 nights)

Magherintemple Lodge

Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Experience all the fun of the seaside while you stay in an charmingly historic chocolate-box haven on the North Antrim Coast.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4 (2 adults 2 children)
From
£380 (2 nights)

Kiln Wing, Old Corn Mill

Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Escape from everyday life with a romantic break in a lovingly converted County Antrim corn mill, where your soundtrack is the gentle rushing river.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£363 (2 nights)

Ketch

Killough, County Down, Northern Ireland
Make memories on the wild shores of the Irish Sea at Ketch, tucked away in the shadow of Ireland's tallest onshore lighthouse.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£386 (2 nights)

Barbican

Glenarm, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
An impossibly romantic ‘miniature medieval castle' with gothic windows and a stone turret staircase, beautifully located by the Glenarm River in one of Ulster's oldest villages.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£331 (2 nights)

Drum Gatelodge

Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
On a quiet country road at the edge of the historic Ballylough Estate, discover the utterly charming Drum Gatelodge - a romantic and unique hideaway for two in the stunning County Antrim countryside.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£346 (2 nights)

Elizabeth Fort

Cork, County Cork, Ireland
Two adjoining self-contained retreats with cosy wood-burning stoves and cathedral views, expertly created from a restored 17th century fort in the bustling centre of Cork City .
Bedrooms: 2 per house
Sleeps: 3
From
£380 /2 nts

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