Five Day Farm Stay
Five Day Farm Stay & Tours
Stunningly restored Irish cottages & your own personal Tour guide driving you around Ireland where you will get to experience some of Ireland’s most breath-taking scenery & sights. See Ireland your way. Relax and unwind in the evenings at Johnsfort in our original stone cottages or out on the patio surrounded by nature.
This is the best way to see Ireland and meet an irish family who ancestors built Johnsfort back in the late 1700’s! Take the hassle out of seeing Ireland. No stressful driving. No need to book lots of accommodation. No worries. Just enjoy your precious time together.
These bespoke tours are tailor made for your group whether you are a couple, a group of friends, a family with young/teenage children or the forever young – whatever the dynamic of your group. Is there somewhere in particular you want to see in Ireland? Johnsfort – Ireland at Your Leisure, Tours & Farm Stays we promise to get it right.
Stay in our boutique farmhouse accommodation
marianne cottage & bartholomew’s loft
These recently renovated stone cottages Are cozy and inviting especially with the sun shining on the patio or the stove lit inside (Marianne Cottage). The exposed stone walls, limestone hearth are just some of the features of these beautiful cottages. The cottages form part of an old farmyard with an abundance of old stone buildings. When you come to stay you will meet our highland cows, four-horned Jacob sheep, baby lambs and our hens who produce lovely fresh eggs for you to pick up for your breakfast and enjoy with freshly baked bread.
Marianne Cottage & Bartholomew’s Loft are self-catering cottages where you will have full kitchen facilities, a washer & a dryer, and a sumptuous breakfast basket full of local produce – Bairbre’s homemade brown bread, local
jams, fresh granola, local rashers (bacon), fresh fruit & other tasty treats. You will enjoy our fabulous free-range eggs handpicked by you to enjoy with freshly home baked bread each morning.
• Collection in Dublin City/Airport.
• Luxury Vehicle – Mercedes V Class 8 seater
• Your Own Personal Driver Guide Each Day
• Four overnight Stays at the homely Marianne Cottage/Bartholomew’s Loft at Johnsfort House
• Breakfast Each Morning – Breakfast Basket supplied full of Fresh eggs from the hens right on your doorstep along with some fresh brown bread, granola, cereals, local jams, fresh fruit etc.
• Three 8 hour day tours – see options below.
• One Bucket list day tour lasting 12 hours – See superb destinations below.
• Brown bread making experience in Johnsfort House in our traditional farmhouse kitchen with home baking, teas & coffees included.
• A delicious homecooked Traditional Irish meal prepared by Local Food Guru Lucille, using our very own organic beef/lamb, included on one of the evenings.
• Transfer back to Dublin City/Airport on the morning of Day 5.
What to Expect
Farm Stay & Tour
For a true Irish experience, become immersed in our organic farm with a four night stay at Johnsfort House and explore Ireland with four day tours.
Here at Johnsfort, meet Ború, Grace and Constance our Highland Cows, meet our Jacob sheep, Bantom hens, Dexter cattle, Shorthorn cattle, Dorset sheep and lambs. Bottle feed the baby lambs and collect your own eggs.
We tailor make all of our four day stay and tour packages to suit your wishes and needs. Send us an email and tell us what your dream Irish holiday looks like and we look after the rest!
Where we will take you
Farm stay with tours throughout the Boyne Valley, Ireland’s Ancient East, Hidden Heartlands as well as your bucket list destination of your choosing.
Sights to include Trim Castle, Brú na Bóinne and Newgrange, Lough Crew Cairns, Hill of Tara, Kilbeggan Distillery, Fore Abbey, Kells High Crosses, Killua Castle.
Become embedded in rural Ireland – meet the locals! Richard knows many of the local producers and will introduce you to some of the best that Ireland & The Boyne Valley have to offer!
Meet our animals, enjoy various nature trails and the peace and quiet they offer. Visit Irelands oldest pub!
Irish Bucket List:
Nail your Irish Bucket List; Choose from one of the following or just let us know where you would love to go:
Cliffs of moher & the burren
kilkenny city/ rock of cashel & cahir castle
yeats country & sligo/south donegal
belfast & the giants causeway
connemara & galway city
trace your roots day – find your ancestral home; a little information can go a long way!
Sample Tour
We tailor your package to your wants and interests!
Day one
8 Hour Day Tour.
Collection from Dublin city/Airport with a stop at Howth Cliff Walk.
Visit Fourknocks, an ancient burial tomb before an intriguing tour of The Hill of Tara – the seat of The High Kings of Ireland.
Visit Trim Castle built by the Normans in the 12 th Century and used in scenes for the famous Mel Gibson movie ‘Braveheart’.
Arrive to a warm welcome at Johnsfort House & Farm and meet our animals. Meet the Highland Cattle named Ború, Grace, Constance & Gráinne along with their calves, Jacob Sheep, Valais black nosed ram called Chuck Norris, the funny hens and the baby lambs
day two
8 hour day tour.
Meet the animals and take a walk down the fields and listen to the story of Johnsfort which has been in The Ball Family since the late 1700’s.
Come in to our traditional farmhouse kitchen and bake brown (Soda) bread using an old recipe & an Aga cooker. Enjoy traditional Irish home baking with tea/coffee and sample your bread fresh out of the oven topped with lashings of real butter & local jams/honey.
Experience ‘An Gobha’ – The Blacksmith of The Boyne Valley. An immersive and interactive experience of traditional iron age metal forging, delivered with theatre, stories, myths and fun.
Follow this by a visit to Brú na Boinne and Newgrange Megalithic centre which is older than the pyramids, with a tour of Knowth also included. Visit Boyne Valley Wools and meet Alison Gogan whose craft shop is full of local crafts and knitwear including her own spun wool from her flock of Jacob sheep.
Delicious Meals by Lucille. Come home to Johnsfort to the smell of home cooking, the table set, the stove lit and a delicious home cooked beef & Guinness stew (or similar) waiting for you. Meals are prepared using our own Johnsfort Organic lamb or Dexter beef accompanied by a traditional Irish Colcannon recipe and home baking for dessert.
day three
Nail your Irish Bucket List Day: 12 Hour Day Tour!
Choose from one of the following amazing destinations to choose from:
• Cliffs of Moher & The Burren
• Connemara & Galway City
• Belfast City & The Giants Causeway
• Yeats Country, Co. Sligo/South Donegal
• Kilkenny City, Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle
• Trace Your Irish Roots Day – a little information can go a long way.
• Kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle and the seaside town of Cobh
Day Four
8 Hour Tour.
A special tour of the amazing & romantic Killua Castle. Former home of the family of Lawrence of Arabia which lay in ruins for 60 years & has been masterfully restored.
Option 1:
Sample Whiskey in Ireland’s second oldest Distillery on the Kilbeggan Whiskey Distillery Tour.
Visit Ireland’s Oldest Pub – Sean’s Bar in Athlone.
Walk to the top of the 5000 year old Cairns at Lough Crew or Discover The Seven Wonder at Fore Abbey with a great pint of Guinness in the local nearby.
OR
Option 2:
Day tour to The Wicklow Mountains & with sheepdog demonstration and/or Horseriding.
day five
Transfer only day – no tours.
Transfer to Dublin Airport or Dublin City or your next accommodation. Depart Johnsfort by 10am.
other options that can be included
- Kayaking on The River Boyne
- Dún na Sí (Fort of the Fairies) – Amenity & Heritage Park – a journey for all the family through ireland’s past combining nature, biodiversity, arts, education & play
- Horse Riding
- Sheepdog Demonstrations
- Emerald Park – Theme park and zoo
- Dublin City Tour with tour of Trinity College and The Guinness Storehouse
- A guided fishing trip on some of the beautiful lakes or rivers of The Boyne Valley.
- Hot Box Sauna – switch between the sauna or hot tub and climb down into the river Boyne for hot and cold therapy!
- Award winning Golf Courses located in The Boyne Valley
- Hiking – for experienced walkers only.
- One to one Hurling demonstration – learn the skills of the Gaelic sport of Hurling in this one-to-one fun family activity.
- Listoke Distillery & Gin School
- Cavan County Museum – explore the unique heritage of the area – Stone Age through to the 20 th Century.
- Sky Park Carlingford – Aerial Adventure with Ziplines & Skynet Giant Adventure, Giant mazes etc. Fun for all the family
