Weekend Guide: 8 great events happening around Ireland
Weekend Guide: 8 great events happening around Ireland

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Cut the clutter: 6 steps to a calmer, cleaner, happier home

IMAGE Interiors & Living

The extension to this Georgian home beautifully blends old and new
The extension to this Georgian home beautifully blends old and new

Megan Burns

Tried and tested: Dominique McMullan tries out Shark’s cordless vacuums
Tried and tested: Dominique McMullan tries out Shark’s cordless vacuums

Dominique McMullan

Above and Beyond: Lizzie Gore-Grime’s off-roading adventure in Co Wicklow
Above and Beyond: Lizzie Gore-Grime’s off-roading adventure in Co Wicklow

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As midlife women, it’s time to embrace the power of positive ageing

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Thinking of making a career change? These are the books you should read first
Thinking of making a career change? These are the books you should read first

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This picturesque, split-level home in Delgany is on the market for €995,000
This picturesque, split-level home in Delgany is on the market for €995,000

Sarah Finnan

How I Got Here: Pamela O’Neill, head of the dispute management at Eversheds Sutherland
How I Got Here: Pamela O’Neill, head of the dispute management at Eversheds Sutherland

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Supper Club: Kevin Dundon’s courgette and feta pasta salad
Supper Club: Kevin Dundon’s courgette and feta pasta salad

IMAGE

Image / Living / Travel

Planning A Hen? Here’s 3 Perfect Girly Getaway Destinations


By IMAGE
17th Aug 2017
Planning A Hen? Here’s 3 Perfect Girly Getaway Destinations

Get your girlie getaway on in style in one of these three standout locations.

HOUSE PARTY

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Live out your Grand Design dreams and check into the coolest house you can find on Airbnb – we found a gem on Dalkey’s swank Sorrento Road in Co Dublin, which sleeps ten and comes complete with a pool, sauna, hot tub, a great kitchen and masses of airy space, both inside and out, for chillin? with your homegirls. Rental is from €1,200 per night, which works out at about €120 each; great value for the craic potential. Privacy means you can indulge in whatever weird rituals your mates best enjoy after a few snifters (did somebody say lady drag talent show?), or you could be real grownups and splash out on booking the likes of Catch Events to provide a very cool cocktail bar and delicious food. Nab good-time DJ The Painted Lady and it’s barefoot disco time. Oh, and don’t forget to fill the fridge with sausies for the morning-after fry-up. airbnb.ie/rooms/9784716catchbarsandevents.cominstagram. com/louisajanedesign

SOUL SISTERS

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In the midst of planning mania, a restorative break with your best gals could be just what you need to ensure you enter married life as your best self. Elemental Yoga run retreats and workshops that bring the yoga studio into the great outdoors, creating experiences that are meditative, nurturing and totally unlike any henning you’ve known. Setting up camp in various breathtaking locations around the country (think stately pile Lough Ine House in Skibbereen, or modernist haven Linden House in Glengarriff), they’ll work with you to create a bespoke weekend incorporating yoga with elements such as a mobile sauna and hot tubs (imagine this on a wild West Cork beach!), night kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding, drawing, surfing, hiking, foraging or culinary make and do. Ireland’s most beautiful views and food to nourish your spirit come as standard, with prices from €330-?480 (depending on location or add-ons), per person, for two nights? all- inclusive. elementalyoga.ie

ROYAL TREATMENT

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If you really fancy playing up the princess card, take your ladies in waiting to Ashford Castle for the Winter Spa Escape package; one night B&B, plus the B Harmonised experience, plenty of spa time and a healthy lunch, for €445 per room (based on two sharing). For after all this luxed-up relaxation, book a complimentary private screening at the hotel’s plush cinema, to enjoy the bride’s favourite cheesy movie (if your hens are of the creative persuasion, they may even want to give you your very own This Is Your Life presentation), complete with popcorn and cocktails. Then it’s a private dinner in the elegant Connaught Room or intimate Wine Cellar, before bedding down in the queenliest surrounds you’re likely to encounter. The following day, take a group constitutional through the breathtaking grounds, and picturesque village of Cong, before hitting the road. Ashford Castle, Cong, Co Mayo, 094 954 6003; ashfordcastle.com

Words by Kate O’Dowd and Lizzie Gore-Grimes