Capella Castlemartyr

Facts at a Glance

ADDRESS                            Capella Hotel at Castlemartyr Resort

Castlemartyr

WEBSITE                              www.capellacastlemartyr.com

OVERVIEW                          On August 6, 2007, Capella Hotels and Resorts unveiled Capella Castlemartyr, the first Capella in Ireland.  Located in eastern County Cork, Ireland, in the bucolic country village of Castlemartyr, the resort is made up of a grand, fully restored manor house adjacent to the dramatic ruins of an 800-year-old castle. The 220-acre estate, just minutes from the ruggedly beautiful southern coast of Ireland, is home to an historic chapel, formal gardens, a serene meadow and swan lake, and nearby, the tomb of the fourth Earl of Shannon and the vast greenery of Mitchell’s Woods. 

SETTING                               Capella Castlemartyr is a 20-minute drive from the center of Cork City and the newly expanded Cork International Airport.  The resort is ideally situated between the East Cork towns of Midleton and Youghal, and is just 10 minutes from Ballycotton, the beautiful shark and fishing harbor and tourist trail.

HISTORY                              The castle, from which the village takes its name, was built in 1210 by the knights of Richard Earl de Clare and belonged first to the Knights Templar. Maurice Fitzgerald and then Earl of Desmond, the first Earl of Cork, took possession of the estate.

ACCOMMODATIONS         Capella Castlemartyr hosts 103 guestrooms and suites ranging from 500-square feet to more than 3,000-square feet in the Presidential Suite. The hotel’s range of guestrooms include one-and two-bedroom suites.

RATES                              Nightly room rates and availability can be found by calling (877) 247-6688 or by visiting  www.capellacastlemartyr.com.   

DINING                                  Cuisine is prepared using fresh ingredients from the estate’s herb garden and local farmers and their markets. Bell Tower, the resort’s fine dining restaurant, seats up to 60 people in a combination of four interconnecting dining rooms. 

                                                In the sunlit Garden Room, guests can relax and enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and specially blended organic coffee.  The chef also makes his own jams and marmalades to complement his daily culinary delights. 

                                                Knight’s Bar serves as the resort’s social focal point.  Its grand bar, fireplace, baby grand piano, whiskey trolley service and fully restored Rococo ceiling create a cozy, sophisticated ambiance. 

GOLF                                     The 18-hole Castlemartyr Golf Club is a highlight of the resort experience.  The challenging and visually pleasing inland-links course was designed by Ron Kirby who designed, among others, Old Head of Kinsale and Dromoland Castle in his nearly five-decade career.

SPA AND FITNESS            Auriga at Capella Castlemartyr hotel is a 24,400-square foot wellness, spa and fitness center with 10 treatment rooms, a spa café and a yoga and Pilates studio.  Vitality pools, a full-ozone swimming pool, steam room, sauna, private VIP Suites and amenities provided by John Masters Organics and The Organic Pharmacy will offer superior remedies for modern stressors. 

ACTIVITIES                        Capella Castlemartyr grants guests the opportunity to experience Irish culture through activities tailored to each and every guest’s preference.  The resort accomplishes this pledge through the services of Personal Assistants—a group of hand-picked professionals on-call to create a personalized experience for each guest.  The Personal Assistants can arrange, for example, everything from boating with a local fisherman to secure the “catch of the day,” visits to nearby farmer’s markets and outings to the local beekeeper to procure honey for tea.  Private readings by well-known authors and Irish dance and music performances in the gardens can also be arranged.      

MEETINGS AND EVENTS                      A function room and three board rooms will serve small executive board meetings for up to 72 people.  Capella Castlemartyr will cater to small scale weddings of up to 72 people, with larger affairs requiring a resort buy out.

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Melissa Pogue/Kathleen Cullinane