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Luggala, Co Wicklow
The jewel in the crown of all the places to stay in Ireland, it was famous for the "raffish weekends" thrown there by the present owner's mother, Oonagh Guinness, one of the "Golden Guinness girls", and it features colourfully in Lord Bath's memoirs. It has also been used as a setting for various films, most recently King Arthur.
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In 1790 Peter Latouche, the Dublin banker, acquired the lands of Upper and Lower Rathdown. It is on these lands that much of modern Greystones is situated. He set about improving the houses and grounds at Luggala, sparing no expense to make it the ultimate in glamorous grandeur. Luggala was his hunting lodge and holiday home set deep in the Wicklow mountains. Peter allowed Luggala to be used by "respectable strangers, wherein the spirit of Irish hospitality, beds, and attendants are provided". This tradition of hospitality at Luggala extends to this day for a privileged few under the present owner. It has recently been splendidly decorated under the supervision of David Mlinaric.
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The house is at the heart of a huge and very secure and private estate - the drive wanders down the mountainside through woods above the lake for nearly two miles. Lawns sweep up to the front of the deceptively small looking house.
The main bedroom is on the ground floor, as is a sitting room with a huge plasma tv, a drawing room, dining room and kitchen. The library is in the courtyard as is the indoor pool. Up one flight of stairs there is a bedroom with a four poster bed and its own bathroom. from the landing a staircase leads to a twin room, also with a bathroom. To the left is a double bedroom with two doors - one onto a corridor that leads to the second staircase and a twin bedded shamrock room and a single bedded shamrock room and two bathrooms to serve the three bedrooms. At the end of this corridor is the minstrels gallery. From the minstrels' gallery one can go down to another bedroom with a bathroom, overlooking the courtyard.
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Though Luggala has 7 bedrooms, it is comfortable with 10 to 12 guests. Rent, including staff, is in the region of €30,000 a week.
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Adams &
Butler, 58 Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Dublin 4, IRELAND US Toll Free 1-800-8945712 |