Lough Erne, Ireland - A Land of Lough and Legend
Imagine a place where north meets south and east meets west in perfect harmony. Not quite what you might have had in mind when you first thought about Northern Ireland but times have changed, the troubles are over, and you too could be one of the first to discover the magic of Lough Erne Golf Resort and Spa.
The dreamchild of a local couple, Jim & Eileen Treacy, this new resort blends traditional all-Irish hospitality, Western-style resort facilities (including a soon-to-open 18-hole Nick Faldo golf course) and eastern grace and harmony, by way of the Thai Herbal Spa and specially chosen Thai therapists, who tip-toe around the Spa with their stunning smiles and beauty, in this idyllic location on the shores of Lower Lough Erne.
People matter as much as place here and the latest addition to the team creating the resort is Jonathan R Stapleton as General Manager. Formerly of St Andrew’s and Champneys, he’s working with the owners and leading a team of staff to deliver on what are truly visionary plans that include sea-planes and helicopter tours which take in Devenish Island (a 6th century monastic site), romantic picnics on one of the 365 islands dotted around the lake, fly-fishing escapades and holistic breaks which make the most of everything this landscape has to offer.
The spa is 100% Thai and, as I’m a huge fan of traditional Thai massage, the chance to have my muscles seen to just a couple of hours up the road from Dublin was too good to miss. The Thai Spa uses Erb, a new product created by one of Thailands leading fashion designers, Pattree Bhakdibuttra. Based on traditional Thai herbs, it’s an aesthetically pleasing product, simple in design but very feminine and the kind of stuff you know you want to have in your home bathroom. Turmeric, jasmine, ginger, camphor......all natural ingredients with healing properties and a product ideally suited to the natural setting of Lough Erne.
Alisa, my therapist, lured me into a soft sense of relaxation by soaking my feet (all Erb treatments start with the floral foot soak) and wiping away the grime of a wet Irish evening. She then let her elbows do the talking and managed to dig her way into every muscular nook of my body, particularly my shoulders and neck where too much time spent over my laptop had clearly twisted my muscles into knots, ready for her to release with her able fingers and elbows. The hour passed in a flash before she gently ushered me into the post-treatment relaxation room with it’s glorious panormaic views across the lake, this time bathed in evening sunshine as some blue sky emerged allowing the lake to glisten and shimmer.
It was a struggle to return to the bedroom – which has every 5 star amenity you’d expect including luxury Irish bed linen, binoculars, freestanding clawfoot bath and a balcony overlooking that gorgeous lake - before heading to the restaurant and the cusine of Noel McMeel, one of Ireland’s best known chefs. In this neck of the woods it would be rude not to opt for fish so I had the Dressed Crab (Lough Erne style) and the Salmon. When you get ingredients this good, and a Chef who knows exactly how to handle them, it’s a recipe for a blissful meal. A final drink in front of the log fire was all I could handle as the effects of the massage kicked in and that soft bed beckoned. Apparently my snoring (and I never snore!) would have woken the dead – a sure sign that Alisa’s elbows had worked their magic and managed to shift some of that dead energy blocked in my body.
Aside from traditional bedrooms and suites, sleeping options at the resort include luxurious lodges, each named after islands located in Lower Lough Erne and offering breathtaking views and personalised food & wine shopping services - ideal for a total get-away.
Getting there is not as hard as you might think with direct access from many US cities into Dublin or Belfast and good road connections to Lough Erne from all entry points.
Leaving the resort is more difficult and I will return!
Lough Erne Golf Resort, Fermanagh
~ Alison Bell, Spas of America. When not writing about spa travel, Alison is Managing Director of Spa Ireland.
