Mount Vernon

is a delightful Georgian seaside villa on the flaggy shore at the edge of the Burren in County Clare, with fine views over Galway Bay. The house was built in 1788 for Colonel William Persse, a friend of George Washington, who named it after Washington's plantation in Fairfax County, Virginia.

In the late 19th century Mount Vernon became the summer home of the art expert Sir Hugh Lane, who later drowned on the trans-Atlantic liner Lusitania and whose collection of Impressionist paintings now forms the nucleus of Dublin's Municipal Art Gallery.

The house subsequently passed to his aunt, Augusta, Lady Gregory, who entertained many of the lions of Ireland's cultural renaissance at Mount Vernon, including Yeats, AE (George Russell), Synge and Shaw. She later gave it to her artist son Robert as a wedding present. Robert was killed over France while a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps, an event that inspired Yeats' poem 'An Irish Airman Foresees his Death'.

In recent years Mount Vernon has been the home of the Helmore family. Two years ago the present owners, Mark and his wife Ally, decided to offer country house accommodation for visitors to the region and they opened their doors last year to great acclaim.

The main rooms contain fine antique furniture, paintings and ceramics, and several unusual Arts & Crafts chimneypieces designed and built by the pre-Raphaelite painter Augustus John. The spacious bedrooms are extremely comfortable, with lovely garden and sea views. The cooking is based on fresh local produce with an emphasis on local seafood.

Guided walks in the wonderful Burren landscape are available locally and the famous golf links at Lahinch and Doonbeg are within comfortable driving distance. Mount Vernon is convenient for Shannon or Galway airports (35 and 22 miles respectively) and for Galway city (20 miles). It is also ideal for small house parties.


Directions:
From Galway take the N18 south; turn right onto the N67 at Kilcolgan, pass through Kinvarra and continue on the coast road for 4 miles before turning right for New Quay. Pass Linnane's Lobster Bar and take the next right, and Mount Vernon is the fourth house on the left.