Five Day Farm Stay

What to Expect

Farm Stay & Private Guided Tour

For a true Irish experience, join us on our organic farm with a five day Farm stay at Johnsfort House. Explore Ireland over four day tours with our fabulous private tours for up to 7 people.

Enjoy an authentic farm stay plus day tours throughout the Boyne Valley, Ireland’s Ancient East, Hidden Heartlands as well as one bucket list destination of your choosing. 

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. You can also choose to visit Irelands oldest pub! 

Here at Johnsfort, Ború, Grace and Constance our Highland Cows are waiting to meet you. You will also meet our Jacob sheep, Bantom hens, Dexter cattle, Shorthorn cattle, Dorset sheep and lambs. Bottle feed the baby lambs and collect your own eggs. 


What is Included?

Our package includes your farm stay with tours throughout the Boyne Valley, Ireland’s Ancient East, Hidden Heartlands, as well as one bucket list destination of your choosing. 

Sites include Trim Castle, Brú na Bóinne and Newgrange, Lough Crew Cairns, Hill of Tara, Kilbeggan Distillery, Fore Abbey, Kells High Crosses, Killua Castle aswell as picking a bucket list destination from the options below e.g. The Cliffs of Moher, The Giants Causeway. 

 

You will also learn how to make traditional brown bread House in our traditional farmhouse kitchen in Johnsfort with home baking, teas & coffees included. This is always a guest favourite.

Dinner is inlcuded on one evening. We offer our guests our delicous organic Dexter Beef & Guinness Stew with Colcannon. A hearty Irish meal full of flavour and goodness. The best smell and a perfect welcome home after a day on the road.

 

We tailor make all of our Five Day Farm 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! 


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!

• 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.

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

Marianne Cottage

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.

Bartholomew’s Loft

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.


Sample Tour

Let us tailor your package to your wishes 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

• Belfast & The Giants Causeway

• Galway City & Connemara

• 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

The ring of Kerry is too far for a day tour from Johnsfort. Contact us directly for Kerry tour options. We can help.

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

  • Sheep Dog Demonstrations
  • 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 in The Wicklow Mountains
  • Emerald Park – Giant 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


Terms & Conditions

• All options are subject to availability
• Groups of 2-7 guests
• Both Marianne Cottage & Bartholomew’s Loft sleep up to 5 guests – Two bedrooms. One Double room and One triple room (double & single bed). For groups of more than 5 guests both cottages would need to be booked
• Four-night farm stays start with collection on a Monday morning and finish with a transfer on a Friday morning
• Package price includes tours, accommodation, Brown bread making experience & our traditional homecooked evening meal on one evening. All other experiences/tours are paid for in advance or on the day by guests.

Contact us/Request a Call Back

For best prices!

+353 86 3733644

Johnsfort House and Farm, Ireland – At Your Leisure
Clonmellon, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, C15YK20