Hilton Park,

outside the town of Clones, is a calm, beautiful place in which to entertain friends or celebrate anniversaries, the mile-long avenue and surrounding belts of ancient woodland providing a perfect, secluded location. Now open throughout the year it is equally suitable for large house parties or as an intimate weekend retreat à deux.

This estate in County Monaghan has been owned by the Madden family since 1734 and the Georgian house was greatly expanded after a fire in the 19th century, when the ground surrounding the basement was removed and levelled, turning the ground floor into a piano nobile. The house was encased with cut Dungannon stone and given a porte cochère, a correct classical portico with a giant order of Corinthian columns, and a balustrade at the roof level. Today Hilton Park still contains many of its original features, furniture and paintings and a wonderful collection of family memorabilia, but the real glory is the wonderful variety of views from the windows over the 500 acre demesne with its mature woodland clumps, the pleasure grounds, the lake and the parterre designed by Ninian Niven.

The current owners are Johnny Madden and his wife Lucy, a food writer and an accomplished gardener, and this year they have been joined by their son Fred. Lucy's menus are the subject of great deliberation and care. She puts great effort into finding the best ingredients, growing most of the vegetables, herbs, salads and soft fruits in her own kitchen garden, and she is a superb cook. At Hilton Park there are books and flowers everywhere, an Erard concert grand piano in one of the two drawing rooms, and a lakeside summer house in which to while away the long summer days.

Hilton Park has two private fishing lakes, one holding trout, the other coarse fish; internationally acclaimed woods; a stunning, tranquil park and gardens and an 18-hole golf course on the estate - where golfing guests are welcome to a round during their stay. Only ninety minutes from Dublin and Belfast airports, Hilton Park is an ideal base for exploring Northern Ireland, particularly the many National Trust houses in County Fermanagh, and the wild north west coast.


Directions:
From the Cavan by-pass turn right at the second junction, pass through Ballyhaise and Scotshouse and the gates are on the left, just after Clones Golf Club. From Clones, take the Scotshouse road and the gates are on the right after 3 miles.