Side Trips from Dublin - Dublin - page 167

SELF-CATERING
Tynte House Dunlavin is a sleepy three-pub town in
western Wicklow, 48km (30 miles) southwest of Dublin. It's as con-
venient as it is peaceful. Tynte House, a lovingly preserved 19th-cen-
tury family farm complex with new apartment units and holiday
cottages, offers an attractive array of options for overnight and
longer-term guests. The driving force is Mrs. Caroline Lawler,
“brought up in the business” of divining visitors' needs and surpass-
ing their expectations. In 2000 she was named one of the top 20
“landladies” in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The self-catering mews (renovated stables) houses have one to
three bedrooms; the apartments hold one or two bedrooms; and the
four new cottages range from two to four bedrooms and have work-
ing fireplaces. All are brilliantly designed and furnished with one eye
on casual efficiency and the other on good taste. They have bold,
bright color schemes, light pine furniture, and spacious tiled bath-
rooms. The no. 3 mews house and the open-plan apartment are
favorites, but none will disappoint. This makes a great home base
for families, with a grassy play area and treehouse, an outdoor bar-
becue and picnic tables, a tennis court, and a game room with Ping-
Pong and pool tables. Exact prices depend on the season and the size
of the unit. Shorter stays and weekend discounts are available in the
off season.
Dunlavin center, County Wicklow. & 045/401561. Fax [phone]. www.tynte
house.com. 7 units, 4 homes, 4 apts, 4 cottages. Self-catering units

Kids

€ 230- € 520

($277-$627) per week. Dinner € 25 ($30). AE, MC, V. In room: TV, kitchen, dish-

washer, microwave, washer/dryer.
Wicklow Head Lighthouse This 18th-century octag-
onal lighthouse, situated on Wicklow Head just 3.2km (2 miles)
from Wicklow Town, makes for a very unique getaway. The light-
house was established in 1781, then struck by lightning and subse-
quently gutted by fire in 1836. It remained a neglected shell until
the Irish Landmark Trust (ILT), whose mission is to rescue neg-
lected historic buildings, transformed it into a wonderful place to
get away from it all. The interior is chic rustic with whitewashed
walls, pine furnishings, brass beds, and nautical memorabilia. There
are five floors, each of which is an octagonal room: two double bed-
rooms, one bathroom, one sitting room, and the kitchen. The
ground floor also has a sitting area and a small bathroom. Every
window has a view to make even the most cynical jaw drop, and the
sitting room is equipped with a telescope (great for watching seals
frolicking below, or fishing trawlers returning home in the evening).

Finds