Inch House, Country House & Restaurant

Country House, Restaurant & Food Producer

The long sweeping drive through farmlands and pasture, magnificent views of open countryside, manicured lawns and a central water fountain spraying high into the air, Inch House has all these and more. What about the graceful façade, large original windows, heavy front door leading into a welcoming hall with sweeping staircase, lit by an impressive stained glass window. And the beautifully finished interiors you’d expect from a house of this age… shall we continue? This elegant house is as good as it gets in the Irish country house league. The stay here is as cosy and comfortable as the rooms in which you’ll be accommodated and the famous Irish hospitality that greets you on arrival, extends to the dining experience.

Inch House, built in 1720 by John Ryan, has survived some of the most troublesome periods in Irish history. This glorious Georgian house is now in the hands of John and Nora Egan, who bought the place in 1985, with the premise of making it a permanent home to raise their young family, and so John could farm the lands around it. But before they could do any of that, they had to rebuild it. To say Inch house was in a state of serious dereliction when they took it on is an understatement. The Egans bought into fallen ceilings, cracked walls, damp and rotting floorboards, broken windows and almost unrecognisable period features which were in the worst state of disrepair. But when John first saw the place, even in its forlorn and unloved state, he knew it had the potential to become a beautiful family home. All he had to do was convince his wife! Luckily she listened, and the pair set about an extensive renovation which involved major construction work, as well as the intricacies of replicating original cornicing and windows, restoring the woodwork, and finally, painting, decorating and furnishing the place in keeping with the period. This was a big job, but they took it on with passion and pride. The result is a sensitively restored house that combines all its former glory with every modern convenience required for living today. Every detail has been considered – the couple could write a book on the subject after all their hard work and still they say there’s more to be done! Sure, that’s always the way when you take on a wreck, as their families were fond of telling them!

Inch became the family home John and Nora envisaged, and they raised their brood in its airy rooms and spacious grounds. Nowadays though, whilst it’s still a permanent residence for John and Nora, it is also a substantial family business providing top class accommodation and a local dining experience, and a working farm and grain store. Though the children are now adults doing their own thing, they still come and go as much as ever and there’s even a grandchild now, baby daughter of Mairin Egan, who has taken over the running of the house on a daily basis. All this retains the family home atmosphere, and the entrance hall and reception reflects that, with a wall filled with family photos. After checking in here, the imposing, sweeping staircase awaits, leading up to five impeccably finished bedrooms, all individually decorated, some with views out over the front of the grounds, one with two-poster and another with four poster. Each has antique furnishings, luxurious linen on the beds, and nice touches like tea and coffee making facilities, fresh fruit and homemade chocolate truffles, to welcome weary guests. Bathrooms are all generously sized, and come with Gilchrist and Soames toiletries and heaps of fluffy towels. What more could you need?  

Dinner here is taken in the formal dining room, with its deep red walls, polished floorboards and huge windows, giving views over the front grounds. But before you go in to eat, take a while to relax with a drink in the drawing room, which has William Morris style décor, a big open fire and lots of comfy chairs and sofas for relaxing. Menus are brought swiftly, by one of the knowledgeable and longstanding staff, and service is always over seen by Mairin, who has stepped into the role of managing the house with ease. The restaurant is open to guests and non-residents for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, with a set five-course dinner menu served on Fridays and Saturdays. Chef Michael Galvin is dedicated to using as much local produce as possible, and always has access to Inch House’s homegrown potatoes, rhubarb, lettuce and old fashioned Irish vegetables, as well as fresh herbs from the courtyard outside the kitchen door. A new orchard has just been planted also, and John is looking to extend the homegrown veggies on the farm to include a wider variety especially for the menu, but at the moment they get their apples, pears, plums and strawberries from Con Traas's Apple Farm in Cahir. He also farms oats, which are milled and stored here. One day they may even appear on the breakfast table! Nora has recently gone into food production herself, making Inch House Black Pudding, to her grandmother’s recipe in the kitchens here. She’s already receiving rave reviews from many of the country’s food experts. Find Inch House Black Pudding at the local farmer’s market, and in shops like Country Choice in Nenagh. Nora also makes a small range of chutneys herself, which are featured on the menu and sold at reception, alongside those of another artisan producer nearby.

When we visited, it was difficult to choose between the starters, which included Inch House Black Pudding with St Tola Goat’s Cheese and Mixed Berry Coulis, Baked Atlantic Mussels with Sundried Tomato and Garlic Butter Crumb Crust, and the generously sized Shredded Duck and Garden Vegetables in Filo Pastry with Sweet Chilli Sauce. For main, Steak here is very good, supplied by the Association of Irish Beef Producers in Nenagh, and you can sample it as a juicy Entrecote (Sirloin) with Creamy Black Pepper Sauce or tender Fillet, with Leek and Parlsey Potato Cake and Inch House Red Onion Marmalade. We went for the Pan Roasted Rack of Slaney Valley Lamb with fresh Herb and Apple Stuffing, which was cooked to pink perfection and a very substantial portion – the Egan’s like to make sure you are well fed. Fish choices include Medallions of Monkfish with White Wine Cream Sauce, and whatever other fresh fish is available from Cork’s Good Fish Company. There’s always a vegetarian option too, in our case, a St Tola Goat’s Cheese Tartlet with Stir Fried Vegetables, served with a Grape Chutney and Basil Pesto. All mains come with help yourself bowls of homegrown steamed and garlic potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables. Like we said, you won’t go away hungry - this is less about delicate mouthfuls and more about good old fashioned Irish cooking - and that means you get a decent plateful!

For dessert, choose from one of several puds on the menu, or do what we did and have a taster plate of the whole lot! We sampled Inch House Tiramisu, Bailey’s Chocolate and Orange Cheesecake, a little warm Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble, Shortbread with Seasonal fruit and cream, and Inch House homemade Ice Cream. Very greedy we know - but we enjoyed every bite! If you like cheese better, try the artisan plate, which includes a selection of Irish farmhouse offerings including some of Good Food Ireland’s finest such as Cashel Blue, Cooleeney Cheese, Durrus Farmhouse Cheese, Gubbeen and Inagh Farmhouse Cheese.

Mairin has a real interest in wine, and puts together an extensive list to complement the seasonal menu.  The house whites include a very reasonably priced Saint Veran from Burgundy or Haut Murin Sec Donzac Sauvigonon, and for reds, Domaine de St Jacques Minervois, or Vina Alambrada, a Spanish Crianza Tempranillo blend, both of which love steak and lamb. There is also a red and white ‘Special Selection’ choice and a good smattering of old and new world wines throughout. The classics of France are represented very well here, with Spain, Italy and Germany as supporting acts. Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are also featured. A concise choice of half bottles, some favourite champagnes and an all rounder dessert wine are also available. After dinner, retreat to the warmth of the drawing room to take tea or coffee, and sample some rare old Irish Whiskeys, or an impressive range of Cognac and Armagnac.

Overnight guests are assured of a hearty breakfast. The buffet groans with fresh seasonal fruit compote, fresh local yogurts, fruit salads, home made muesli or porridge with Irish honey and Irish Cream, a selection of Irish farmhouse cheeses with grapes and biscuits, and freshly squeezed orange juice or apple juice from the Apple Farm in Cahir. On the ‘cooked to order’ menu, sample the Full Irish with Nora’s Inch House Black Pudding, Bacon from TJ Crowe, with local butchers sausages and free-range eggs. Or go for grilled kippers with local creamery butter and poached free-range egg, scrambled eggs with Irish Smoked Salmon, or just the straightforward Inch House Black Pudding with Apple Sauce made from Apple Farm apples. And for the sweet toothed, freshly made pancakes with bananas and maple syrup are yummy. All breads, and scones are baked fresh each morning and served warm with a selection of preserves. Now if that breakfast doesn’t set you up for the day, we don’t know what will – enjoy!

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As members of Good Food Ireland Inch House, Country House & Restaurant are passionate about their commitment to using local Irish Food Producers and they are proud to tell you where their produce comes from and are also proud to be associated with the 

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Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

Thurles
Co Tipperary
+353 (0)504 51348
Email: mairin@inchhouse.ie
Web: www.inchhouse.ie

 

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