The Lady of the Manor
October/12/2007 Ireland Journal
During our visit in and around Kilkenny, we stayed some distance out of town near the ever-so-tiny village of The Rower (which means "red clay"), at the family home of Patricia Cantlon, which she operates as a farm-holiday establishment. Cullintra House is an elegant 18th century farmhouse set amongst 230 acres of fields and woodlands that are as romantic and picturesque a setting as I've ever seen. Billed as a "cat-lovers paradise," it is all that and more. We got to know all five cats from Patricia's "boss," an elegant Tom cat named Oswald, to the rest of the clan: Penelope-Jane, Melanie, Libby-Muffin, and Mitsy.
To say that Patricia has created a magical environment at Cullintra House is an understatement. Each room is furnished with creativity and flair. And Patricia's sumptuous candle-lit dinners, set in front of an open-log fire, are not to be missed. Her cuisine features fresh produce that is skillfully prepared and artfully presented.
The property has been in Patricia's family since the turn of the last century, and it is full of lush vegetation, winding paths, and enchanting gardens. Around midnight, Patricia feeds the day's dinner scraps to as many as seven local foxes who wait to hear her call. Each of our two nights there, we stood quietly and watched a fascinating scene unfold as the foxes barked out calls to one another that "dinner is served," then quietly stole into the back garden to carry off their gourmet morsels.
There is so much to tell about this magical kingdom, it's delightfully eccentric lady of the manor, and the cats who rule it. But what I'd prefer to do is to show you a selection of the images I made there. This will have to wait until I get home, where it's easier to work on such a project. Check back later to see some of the extraordinary views of Cullintra House. In the meantime I hope you'll enjoy this portrait of Patricia Cantlon, the lady of the manor.