Bantry House gets a ‘five star' rating for weddings

THE historic Bantry House has been named as a five-star wedding venue.

Sophie Shelswell-White, the general manager of Bantry House and Gardens, told The Southern Star: ‘We are delighted to have been included on the website www.fivestar.ie as a recommended wedding venue.

‘I couldn’t be happier that our hard work in promoting Bantry House as a unique wedding venue has paid off,’ said Sophie, who confirmed that the estate hosts a small number of weddings each year.

‘Through word of mouth and, of course, the wonderful five-star review like this one, the number of weddings is growing year-on-year.’

Each wedding at the 17th century estate is a very personal affair, with Sophie co-ordinating with the bride and groom to make sure everything is ‘just perfect.’

A dedicated wedding planner will give the couple tips, suggestions and recommendations from catering to wedding cakes, and everything in between.

The whole estate, or even just the gardens, can be rented for the full reception or just a few hours, and there is nowhere else quite like it for wedding photographs.

Meanwhile, Sophie also confirmed that Bantry House is looking for a tenant for its 18th century walled orchard.

Sophie said the orchard – measuring 1.3 acres – would suit an experienced gardener or horticulturist who would like to make a business out of market gardening.

Alternatively, the orchard, which features a number of apple trees from the late 19th and early 20th century, could be used as a specialist nursery to grow cut flowers. To find out more email: [email protected].