Something old...something new at Cork wedding venue

Ahead of its 200th anniversary, Fernhill House Hotel and gardens in Clonakilty hosted media representatives at the venue to showcase its wedding facilities.

While the historic Georgian estate has been providing hospitality in the locality for almost two centuries, it has to be said that its bridal offering is very modern.

The West Cork venue has invested significantly in creating a glass-walled event space ‘The Fernery’. Located in the heart of the hotel’s landscaped gardens, it offers floor-to-ceiling glass windows, bringing the outside into the space. The Fernery is being used by couples for both wedding ceremonies and drinks receptions.

The hotel also recently opened its own bridal lounge - the largest in the country - which provides a dedicated space for wedding morning preparations. This isn’t a bedroom with extra space, but rather more like a private lounge with dedicated hair and makeup stations, a champagne bar, and dressing room.

In addition, it has upgraded 16 of its bedrooms - these were designed by local interior designer Sara Haggerty, of Clonakilty, who was at hand on the evening to walk guests though the rooms and explain the influences behind them. Each room is named after a native Irish plant, and furnished with bespoke headboards, Sanderson fabrics, and high-quality oak features. Some of the bedrooms feature doors leading directly to private gardens.

The hotel is run by the O’Neill family who were at hand at the evening to discuss the works and their plans for the future.

“As we approach 200 years, this expansion marks the start of our next chapter,” said Michael O’Neill, fourth-generation proprietor of Fernhill. “After being named one of the top five hotels in Ireland on Tripadvisor, winning Best Wedding Venue at the Gold Medal Awards, and joining Ireland’s Blue Book in 2022, we felt the time was right to build on that momentum. “We’ve spent the last two years planning with input from the whole team. We focused on the flow of the wedding day, the feel of the rooms, and how the spaces connect to the gardens.”

Michael impressed on invited guests the importance of sustainability and buying local as we were guided through the facilities.

He stressed that everything was designed with care, using local craftspeople and suppliers wherever they could.

This commitment to utilising local suppliers was particularly apparent in the dining room that evening. Here, the menu included O’Neill’s of Clonakilty baked black and white pudding spring rolls with garden salad, and homemade sweet chilli jam; a sorbet made with Fernhill Gin and Tonic, and roast striploin of Irish beef with Yorkshire pudding, horesradish infused Clonakilty carrot. Dessert options included a crumble made with apples from the hotel’s own orchard. Fernhill, which grows many of its own ingredients, had an abundance of apples this year, and guests were encouraged to help themselves to apples from a basket in reception laden with fruit from the garden.

While the new additions to the hotel are truly modern, the hotel has not lost its old charm feel, with the ornate decor, cosy bar offering, and winding staircases more reminiscent of country houses of the past.