I stayed for a night at Mornington House with my girlfriend in August 2007. From the instant we turned the car in the gate of the driveway, we both felt ourselves relaxing into the deep beauty of the countryside setting and the charm of the old house. We were warmly greeted by Warwick O'Hara and shown to our room. Our room was very large with a superbly comfortable bed and a view onto some trees at the back of the house. We had time for a quick walk down to the lake and back before dressing for dinner.
I would particularly recommend the dinner at Morningtons as it's excellent quality and is unusual in that all the guests eat together at a large dining table (which can be a risk as you don't know who'll you end up next to! The people we spoke to were all lovely though.). The food was delicious and we particularly enjoyed our choice of wine. Much of the ingredients for the dinner came from the garden outside, we were told, which I feel is a lovely touch, and a rare thing in our modern world.
Breakfast the next morning was equally good, with delicious bread. Although we had to move on to our next destination, we both wished we could stay another night and really relax into the country atmosphere and the welcoming house.
The room cost €150 and the meal €45 each (plus wine) which is quite expensive, but I feel it's worth the price for such an enjoyable and relaxing experience and for such an old-world ambience.
One thing I noticed as we were leaving is that some of the other rooms to the front of the house looked much nicer than the one we had, so next time I would ask for one of those.

Mornington House casts a spell the moment you arrive. A stroll along the lake, the views of the hillsides are breathtaking, Within the walls of the gorgeous manor house, you will find elegance and warmth and the best of Irish hospitality. Anne and Warwick O'Hara are wonderful hosts, and the food is exceptional. Their immense dining room all lit with candles, table adorned with silver and crystal, and a beautifully prepared meal are like stepping back into a more lovely era. I have stayed all over Ireland, and Mornington House is the most romantic and memorable destination by far. The East Room is my favorite.

We hated to leave Mornington House after only one dinner , one night, and one breakfast there. Warrick and Ann O'Hara are lovely hosts and their ancestral home is a real treasure, filled with antiques and family photos and occupying wonderful acreage. The gardens and grounds are beautifully kept, and it's only a short walk through their property to the shores of Lough Derravaragh. Drinks in the drawing room preceded a dinner of spinach souffle, carrot soup, Irish beef stew in Guinness - all wonderful and plentiful, served by Warrick to all the guests. He provides a nice wine list from which to choose your bottle. We enjoyed getting to hear each other's stories and sharing what brought us all to that spot. Our room was beautiful, huge and comfortable with a large en suite bathroom. Breakfast was wonderful (eggs, bacon, sausage, large mushrooms, tomato), and the granola received raves, as did terrific homemade breads, pastry, and jams. This was a real find!

We stayed 2 nights at Mornington House it was wonderful! The house itself is historical, and the O'haras were very welcomming and charming. Upon talking to Warrick we learned about the house and it's history. The drawing room was filled with interesting books and the overall feel of the house was warm and comfortable. Very good value for the stay, there were other homes similar in history and estate size for more than triple the cost. The O'haras really made us feel like we were guests in their beautiful home.
The location is great if you are interested in any of the Neolithic Sites in Ireland. Loughcrew Cairns is minutes away and much more accessable then Newgrange (don't forget to go and get the key from the deli). Warrick was great for directing us to the Loughcrew Cairns and then on to Newgrange (which was much less exciting than Loughcrew) I'll definiately return to The Mornington house when I make it back to Ireland again.