Carrig Country House, Featured in The Wayfarers' Ring of Kerry Walk, Joins Ireland’s Blue Book

Pictured from left: Mary Slattery, John Brennan (President of Ireland's Blue Book Collection), Frank Slattery and Head Chef Patricia.

Congratulations to Frank & Mary Slattery, owners of Carrig House, and their team at Carrig Country House Hotel for their recent membership in the prestigious Blue Book Collection. The Wayfarers' Ring of Kerry Walk in Ireland ends with two nights at the hotel. Of course you are more than welcome to extend your stay there!

President of Ireland’s Blue Book John Brennan announced at the association’s recent annual general meeting that Carrig Country House in Co. Kerry is the new addition to the Blue Book collection for 2011.

Brennan said “We are delighted to welcome Carrig Country House into the Blue Book collection. Set on the picturesque Caragh Lake, on the Ring of Kerry, Carrig Country House is a place where you can "escape from it all", relax and enjoy some of the most beautiful and unspoilt scenery in Ireland. It is a wonderful addition to the Blue Book collection.”

Founded in 1974 Ireland's Blue Book is a collection of Irish country house hotels, historic hotels, restaurants and castles. Included in the collection are Ballymaloe House, Dunbrody House, The Merrion Hotel and The Park Hotel Kenmare amongst others.

The award- winning Carrig Country House is owned by Frank & Mary Slattery. Originally built c. 1850 as a hunting lodge, Carrig House’s previous owners include Lady Cuffe, Lord Brockett Snr, Sir Aubrey Metcalf and Senator Arthur Rose Vincent before it was bought by Frank & Mary Slattery in 1996.

Commenting on their membership of the Blue Book collection, Frank Slattery said,

“We are delighted to be invited to join the Blue Book, whose members are household names and like, Carrig Country House, are dedicated to delivering a first- class service and a memorable hospitality experience to all of their guests”

According to Michelle Maguire, marketing manager with Ireland’s Blue Book,

“Whether you wish to just laze, read and sip an Irish whiskey by the open fire or partake in outdoor pursuits, such as golf, fishing, water sports, beach horse riding, hiking in the magnificent hills or tour the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney National Park or World Heritage site Skellig Michael, Carrig Country House is the ideal location.”

About Carrig Country House:

The award winning Carrig Country House is a 17 bedroom property set in 4 acres of gardens( 935 species ) that sweep down to it’s own private jetty on Caragh Lake, with stunning views across to the magnificent Mac Gillicuddy Reeks.

A former Victorian hunting lodge the AA five-diamond property is totally secluded yet central for exploring the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Killarney National Park or World Heritage site Skellig Michael. It is adjacent to many beautiful beaches and has 15 golf courses within a 1 hour drive. The nearest Dooks Golf Club ( 10mins. ).

It’s acclaimed Lakeside Restaurant offers an extensive menu featuring wonderful fresh fish from the nearby Atlantic and the best of Irish meat and vegetables from local farms.

Jane Eyre Movie Locations Feature in The Wayfarers 2011 UK Walk

Plus: Free Visit Britain/Yorkshire.com Guide to Planning Your Visit to Jane Eyre Country included in The Wayfarers iPad App

Long before this month’s release of director Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) and screenwriter Moira Buffini’s (Tamara Drewe) bold new film version of Charlotte Brontë’s beloved Jane Eyre, The Wayfarers had created a seven-day walk through the wild heather-filled moors, towns and villages that inspired the Brontë sisters to create Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

In its exclusive Brontë Trail walk, The Wayfarers brings literature fans up close and personal with landmarks well-known from Jane Eyre. Walkers pass by North Lees Hall in Peak National Park, the private manor that inspired Charlotte to create Jane Eyre and which was used in various film adaptations as Thornfield Hall, where Jane works as governess for Mr. Rochester. The private guided tour of Haddon Hall will take on new meaning to movie fans this year, as the 12th-century medieval manor house is cast as Thornfield Hall on-screen in Focus Features’ Jane Eyre, which opens in New York and Los Angeles on March 11th and in additional cities throughout March.

The movie stars Mia Wasikowska as Jane, Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester, Jamie Bell, Golden Globe Award winner Sally Hawkins, Holliday Grainger, Tamzin Merchant, Imogen Poots, and Academy Award winner Judi Dench. Throughout the week-long program, walkers will discuss the novel and film with experts and also get the inside scoop on anecdotes from the filming of the new movie. The walk is scheduled June 19-25 and August 21-27 and is priced $3595 per person. To prepare walkers for their upcoming trip, The Jane Eyre Country Pocket Guide, produced by Visit Britain and Yorkshire.com to showcase the land that inspired the original Brontë novel and provides a backdrop to the new movie, is included in the free Wayfarers iPad and iTouch app, available from iTunes.

To be fully immersed in local culture and customs, The Wayfarers’ guests enjoy accommodations in rustic inns and manor houses and dine in traditional pubs and restaurant. Favoring small group sizes, most Wayfarers’ walks average 8-10 participants. Packages include all accommodations, meals and trail snacks, wine with dinner, entrance fees, guides, van transport for moving luggage and resting walkers, and all taxes and gratuities at hotels and restaurants.

Wayfarers’ Literary Walks

England: The Brontë Trail

The Brontë Trail explores the region that inspired Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë’s literary works in the 1800s. Beginning in Haworth and ending in Chatsworth, Jane Eyre fans will admire Britain’s most evocative literary landscapes including Yorkshire’s Haworth Village, home of the Brontë sisters. Named one of the “Top 50 Trips of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler, this walk features a visit to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, the Brontës’ childhood home, and the location where Charlotte Brontë penned Jane Eyre. The Victorian and Gothic spirit of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights is present throughout the region’s ruined farmhouses, picturesque valleys, and remote plains. Other highlights include tours of the literary- and film-inspiring North Lees and Haddon Halls (the latter seen on-screen in the bold new Jane Eyre movie opening this month) and an enlightening pre-dinner talk by Brontë expert Ann Dinsdale. Walk Rating: 2, Easy/Moderate.

Offered June 19-25, August 21-27. Priced $3,595; $420 Single Supplement.