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January–Februaryat CastleLeslie Estate

Welcome toCastle Leslie EstateOn behalf of the Leslie family, my team and I, we wish to extend a verywarm greeting to you. Céad míle fáilte and welcome to Castle LeslieEstate, home to the Leslie family for over 300 years. We are delightedto welcome you to our hidden corner of Ireland.January and February are very special months to spend at Castle Leslie Estate.They are the start of a brand new year and it is a beautiful time to admire our 1,000acres. It is a such a cozy time of year too, as the temperatures drop and our firesand candles burn brightly. Our chefs have the perfect winter cuisine on our menusto keep you toasty and warm. We have plenty of stunning scenery and outdoorspace for you to enjoy that includes our secluded grass lands, lake views, woodlandsand all set in the heart of the countryside. The light is especially magical in Januaryand February and the low-lying sun depicts Castle Leslie Estate in all its glory.We hope that you thoroughly enjoy your time with us as you explore ourpart of Ireland. To truly get the most out of your stay with us, we bring you aflavour of some of the highlights at Castle Leslie Estate and things that youcan do in our local area. We look forward to being of service and if we can be ofany assistance to you during your visit, please do not hesitate to ask any of theteam who are always genuinely delighted to help.Brian BaldwinCEO3

Things To DoIn our local areaGolfMK WoodcraftsThere is an abundance of golf coursessituated close to Castle Leslie Estate.In his workshop near the lovely village ofGlaslough, Mark’s beautifully designed rangeincludes wooden framed mirrors, clocks andsolid timber coffee tables as well as bespokepieces. MK Woodcrafts use only native burrtimbers and their striking natural appearancehelps to produce remarkable and uniquefurniture. Mark can customise pieces to yourrequirements and is always happy to trynew ideas regarding furniture concepts anddesigns. MK Woodcrafts use only the finestraw materials to produce the highest possiblequality finished products.Concra Wood Golf and Country Club is a mere20 minute drive from Castle Leslie Estate andis an 18 hole Champonship Golf Course. Thegolf course was designed by two of Ireland’sgolfing legends: Christy O’Connor Junior andSenior. Their names are already embedded inIrish golfing history with Christy O’ConnorJunior’s famous Ryder Cup victory overFred Couples. Concrawood is a remarkablelandscape located in Castleblayney, whichis surrounded by Lough Muckno and anoverview of the Monaghan drumlins, it isa jewel not only in the northern part ofthe country, but Ireland as a whole. It willchallenge and thrill golfers of all types.Rossmore Golf Club is located just 15 minutesfrom Castle Leslie Estate and is a verychallenging drumlin style golf course. With itsundulating fairways, its numerous streamsand lakes, this parkland course offers theideal golfing combination of challenging yetenjoyable golf over its 18 holes. The courseis playable all year round and visitors areassured the warmest of welcomes.We are delighted to offer our guestsspecial Green Fees for these courses.Please contact our Reservations Teamdirectly on 047 88100 or email:reservations@castleleslie.comfor further details.For further details, please visitwww.mkwoodcrafts.comBike HireDrumlin Trails offer a variety of interestingtrails in the north of Monaghan andsurrounding counties. Visitors can rent bikeswhich also include 10 top of the range e-bikes.These electric bikes give gentle assistance onsome of the many drumlin hills in the area.Located at McQuaid’s Fuel Station betweenthe villages of Glaslough & Emyvale, DrumlinTrails Bike Hire are delighted to provide allresidents of Castle Leslie Estate with thefollowing special discount;E-bikes – 25 per day and if there are 4 ormore adults looking to hire them, the pricewill be 20 per bike per day. Regular Bikes – 12.50 per day.To make a booking, please contact us on047 88100 or email:reservations@castleleslie.com4

Things To DoIn our local areaBrehon Brew HouseMonaghan’s microbrewery – BrehonBrewhouse is housed on the family farmamongst the rolling drumlins of CountyMonaghan, just a few miles from thebirthplace of Patrick Kavanagh, the inspirationfor their India Pale Ale –Stony Grey Soil IPA.Brehon Brewhouse creates distinct beerswhich are brewed with care and affection. Hereyou can enjoy brewery tours, hear the story ofthe McMahon family, see the famine cottage,and finish the visit in the tasting room - ‘TheCottage’ - the McMahon family homestead.Small group bookings of 2-10 people can beaccommodated on Thursday and Saturdayat 12 noon. Larger groups can be arranged bybooking during office hours Monday-Fridayfrom 9am-5pm.For further details, please visitwww.brehonbrewhouse.ieThe Cassandra Hand Folkand Famine CentreThe Cassandra Hand Folk and Famine Centre islocated in the old Round Tower School situatedin the historic town of Clones, Co. Monaghan,and was built in 1859 by Cassandra Hand withproceeds from Clones Lace. Clones Lace was afamine relief initiative introduced by Cassandraafter she arrived in Clones in 1847 during theworst years of the Great Famine. With thebeautiful image of Clones Round Tower visiblethrough the classroom windows to the front,there mains of Clones Abbey on one side andthe remains of a Norman Motte and Baileyon the other, the Folk and Famine Centre iscentrally located as a stopping point to explorethe town. An exhibition about the Famine inClones is on permanent display and is beingcontinually added to. Open by appointmentonly during the winter months, the centrecaters to visitors from home and abroad, andoffers guided walks of the town, exhibitions,room hire, talks, music nights, school visits andso much more.For further details, please call047 20626 / 047 529975

Things To DoIn our local areaSt. Peter’s Tin ChurchIrish Country QuadsConstructed of tin, St. Peter’s Tin ChurchLaragh is one of a kind in Co. Monaghanand unique on the island of Ireland for itsquirky design and carefully consideredfeatures. St. Peter’s of historic Laragh Villageis literally built on a rock, in a beautifulwoodland setting amongst the ferns and ivy.It is anecdotally said that its Swiss-Gothichybrid style was applied by the mill ownerand his wife following their honeymoon inSwitzerland – its site carefully chosen tomimic that found in the Swiss Alps. St. Peter’sTin Church Laragh was deconsecrated in the1950s, was restored by the local communityand proudly re-opened in 2014. It is a verypopular venue for intimate music recitals,lunchtime dramas, wedding photography,trad sessions, vintage displays, touring choralgroup performances, harvest banquets etc.Aside from scheduled events the Tin Churchattracts a steady flow of visitors to this veryrural area in Co. Monaghan.Irish Country Quads offers activities for allage groups. The family farm offers a highlyskilled purpose-built obstacle quad trailwhich capitalises on the beautiful naturalsurroundings of the Monaghan countryside.The trail includes an underground tunnel,overhead bridges, the river, muddy ditchesand a competitive speed course. These 4wheeled all-terrain vehicles can tackle almostanything you need to get through. All levelsof experience are catered for, and full safetytuition is provided. Waterproofs, helmets,boots and gloves are also provided. Other funactivities include clay pigeon shooting, archery,shuffleboard and air rifle shooting. This is idealfor families, groups and friends. Open all yearround to all ages. Booking is essential.For further details, please visitwww.irishcountryquads.comThe Tin Church is open to the public andfree to visit 7 days per week from 10am-6pm(including Bank Holidays).For further details, please visitthe Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/TinChurchLaragh6

Things To DoIn our local areaPlanetkidzKnockatallon WalksThis indoor soft play activity centre is suitablefor toddlers and children up to 12 years old.Equipment includes slides, observation pod,rope swings, ball pools, rope bridges andclimbing frame. There is a relaxing seatingarea with a coffee shop and serves hot food.Opening hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 126pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays 11am6pm, Sunday & Bank Holidays 12-6pm, ClosedMondays.The Knockatallon Looped Walks are a seriesof four looped walks in the Sliabh Beagh hillsof north Monaghan, including the Tra, Rock,Bragan and Esh walks. They range from 6-10kilometres in length; two of which are onquiet country roads that are suitable for allabilities, and two are over more challengingterrain such as forest tracks and openmoorland. The main trailhead for the walksis the Sliabh Beagh Hotel & Tourism Centre.Sets of walking cards are available and thewalks are well way-marked using colour-codeddiscs and double-pointed arrows so that thewalks can be followed in either a clockwise oranti-clockwise direction. The KnockatallonRamblers organise regular guided walks inthe Sliabh Beagh area at weekends throughoutthe year.For further details, please visitthe Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/PlanetKidzMonaghanÍontas Arts, Theatre &Community Resource CentreÍontas - ‘a place of wonder’ - is a communityarts, theatre and resource centre based inCastleblayney. It is an award-winning theatrewhich showcases a wide variety of dance,drama, comedy and musical acts. There is abeautiful open gallery space with monthlyart exhibitions. The Gallery Café is openweekdays from 9am-2pm serving hot lunchesand homemade food in a warm and friendlyatmosphere. A varied selection of roomsis available for conferencing, private andcommunity bookings. Bar & café offerings arealso available during events or upon request.For further details, please visitwww.knockatallonramblers.wordpress.comFor further details, please visitwww.iontascastleblayney.ie7

Moments of equestrianadventure Throughout january and february , we have morningand afternoon rides available to book. Come riding withus and enjoy a gripping hack or cross country ride andbreathe in our wonderful fresh air and experience theadventure of riding on our 1,000 acres.However, if the saddle is not for you, why not enjoy a onehour enchanting horse drawn carriage ride and journey backin time through the tree-lined avenues and bridleways. Thisis a wonderful way to experience the beauty of Castle LeslieEstate. Carriage rides may be booked through receptionor directly with the Equestrian Centre. They are subject toavailability and advance booking is essential at 90 percarriage ride (seats 4 adults, or 2 adults and up to 2 children).For a complete listof activities visitwww.castleleslie.comor call reception.Bookings can be madewithin 24 hours noticeor sooner depending onavailability andweather conditions.We advise early bookingwhere possible to avoiddisappointment.8