Killashee House Hotel: Stay & Shop

It is hard to find special offers that really offer great to you as a whole. A lot have extras added in which are of no benefit to some people. Today, I can tell you, the perfect special offer for those who like luxury & shopping is now here. We have a Stay & Shop Offer that has not only a luxury hotel stay & dinner but also shopping discounts.

Stay & Shop Offer Includes:

• 1-Night Stay in a Deluxe Double or Twin Room En suite for 2 people sharing (2 Five Foot beds in the room)
• Full Irish Breakfast the following morning
• Dinner for 2 People in Jack Bar and Dining Area 
• 10% discount card for Kildare Village

From € 178 per night

When booking make sure to use the “Special Requests Box” to specify if whether you require a Double or Twin Room at time of booking.

KildareVillage, is one of the Collection of nine Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages by Value Retail. Founded in 1992, Value Retail is the creator and operator of Chic Outlet Shopping®, a unique concept in outletshopping. It is home to more than 900 outlet boutiques of the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle brands, the Collection offers an unrivalled luxury outlet shopping experience for discerning shoppers in Europe. The nine Villages, located close to some of Europe’s favourite cities, are tourist destinations in their own right.

The Village theme is brilliant and no matter how full the village is, you are never packed into shop & you always have room to move. There is discounts of 60% of World-leading brands and booking the stay & shop offer with Killashee House Hotel, you receive a further 10% discount card. The village is only 10 minutes drive form Killashee House Hotel and definitely worth all the hype.  Kildare Village is open every day from 10am and closes at 7pm (but on a Thursday & Friday it closes later at 8pm).

Make sure to book your package today with Killashee House Hotel & experience designer shopping & luxury! 

Killashee Hip Hop Summer Camp

Hip-Hop Summer Camp - with Vicky Barrys School of Dance

Enjoy a week long camp of Hip-Hop, brake-dance, commercial and jazz dance classes. 

The week will also include group singing, acting, performance classes, as well as games, fun, outdoor activities, movie days and party’s.

Vicky Barry is a highly trained dance teacher who has studied all types of dance including Hip-Hop, Jazz, commercial, Modern Contemporary, ballet and also Acting and Singing in both Dublin (The College of Dance) and London (Millennium Performing Arts) after receiving a scholarship to study full time. Having been trained by the some of the best teachers in the world Vicky is now passing on her training to the children and teens of Kildare. She runs the Vicky Barry’s School of Dance in Kildare Town, Clane and Allen.

Calling all boys and girls aged from 4-12years!!! This week long summer camp promises that every child will be dancing their socks off while having plenty of fun along the way!!

Venue: Killashee House Hotel, Leisure Centre

Date: 30th June-4th July - CAMP 1

          18th-22nd August - CAMP 2

Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm each day.

All places must be booked in advance so please email or call now to avoid disappointment.

PRICE: €80

Killashee House Hotel & its History

The History of Killashee House Hotel 

From the introduction of Christianity to Ireland to the present day, Killashee has been the home to many interesting events and people.

One such event relates to the founding of the church at Killashee, located on the adjoining land to the hotel, by St. Patrick in the fifth century. Indeed, Killashee (alias Killosy or Kilussy) derives its name from St. Auxillius, an early missionary to Ireland and possibly a nephew of St. Patrick, who completed and governed the church at Killashee until his death in 459.

Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Killashee was home to the Belling and Graydon families. Alexander Graydon settled in Killashee in 1711, when he leased the lands from Sir Richard Belling. He was sovereign of Naas in 1730 and probably built the original Georgian House at Killashee.

The Moore family, descendants of the earls of Drogheda, commissioned Thomas Turner to design a country house for them in 1861, and this is the building in which the hotel is situated. When Thomas Turner was commissioned to design the house, he was at the height of his career as Architect to the wealthier members of society. Killashee House is essentially a Victorian Jacobean hunting lodge. 

Photo by David McClelland (www.davidmcclelland-photography.com)

There is generous smattering of the Moore coat of arms both inside and out. Over the front door is the motto “Except the lord build this house, their labour is but lost that built it”.

The house took form in 1863 and was a sizeable country house and estate set on over four hundred acres of prime Kildare Stud farmland. Pipers Hill Stud House was the stewards’ residence.

The Moore family settled well into the life of country squires and although they felt the ill effects of the famine such a sizeable estate generated quite a lot of employment and prosperity to the area.

At the turn of the century the estate was thriving under the owner Judge Moore. The unfortunate judge found things too much and committed suicide. Lt. COL Moore inherited the estate and it continued to thrive. In 1921 when Richard Moore died his son of the same name inherited the estate.

The son who was still in the army decided to rent the house to Mr Lockwood who was the master of the hounds for Killashee. After about two or three years a Captain Ainsworth rented it and it was while he was living there that disaster struck.

A fire, which engulfed the stables, was curtailed before it reached the main building. In 1927 Major Moore decided to sell the house and land to the La Sainte UnionNuns, a French order, with many houses in England and one in Athlone.

When the estate was sold the major did not forget about the old estate workers and a sizeable house next to the main road was to be the stewards and another was given to the blacksmith. All the labours got a pension of IR1.00 per month and a ¼ ton of coal per month.

La Sainte Nuns started a preparatory school for boys but the estate was very big, too big as far as the government was concerned and the land commission broke it up between 1930 and 1931 giving land to certain families. The Convent was left with 85 acres, which was rented out to neighbouring farmers for cattle rearing. Since 1927 the school did well and it was open to day pupils and boarders both boys and girls and it attracted students from all over the world.

Great interest was shown when in 1961 it was offered for sale. The government offered to buy it for use as woman’s prison. However a group of concerned parents got together and bought it. It was bought with the provision that it would continue to be run by the La Sainte Nuns with the backing of the board of directors.

Killashee House was eventually sold in 1998 to its current owners.

Fitness Spot

So today in our Fitness Spot Blog we are discussing how to make sure you fit your work out into your day. We understand that by the evening, after a long day in work, it’s difficult to be motivated to start a work out. We suggest don’t wait till the evening. Conquer your work out in the morning when you are fresh and ready to go.

Here are a few quick tips to make sure you don't miss your morning workout!

There is some research which has said that people who do morning exercise tend to work out longer and harder than those who exercise in the afternoon or evening, which means more calories burned. We know that not everyone is a morning person and it can be hard to have that “get up & go” attitude first thing in the morning so here is a few tips to make your morning exercise possible.

1. Avoid the Morning Hurry
Lets try avoid using the “I can’t find my runners, sports or socks” excuse and prepare the night before have everything laid out and ready to go. This allows you stay in bed that little bit longer and makes it quicker to get out and go.

2. Eat right.
Because you will be exercising first thing in the morning, we do not want you doing this on an empty stomach as it isn't good for your metabolism or your energy levels, so the trick is to pre-

make a little morning snack and keep it in the fridge so you can quickly grab it to eat while getting ready.

3. Don’t go to Bed too late.
Don’t stay up too late. Being well rested is important and will help you get up for your workout. No snoozing and avoid that snooze button. The trick is to but your alarm clock on the other side of the bedroom, it’ll force you to get up.

4. Get Excited!!
Check the class timetable and choose an exciting and inspirational class to look forward to. Or if music moves you, create a new workout playlist to motivate.

5. After workout treat
Lets all face facts, the only reason we are working out to get fit and keep in shape & eat what we like! So make sure to reward yourself after a workout with a nice breakfast.  It is easier to work out knowing something nice and hot is waiting for you at home! But try keep the breakfast someway healthy!!! Protein aids recovery, don’t forget that!

Tips for Gorgeous Lips

Today’s blog is about the best looks for your lips and how to achieve them. We are covering our three favourite looks and what are our favourite lipstick brands for each.

The Nude Look

Our first look is the Subtle Nude Lips. This look can be matte or glossy shine. Our personal favourite is the subtle matte finish. The ideal start to this look is a very pale lip liner to highlight your upper lip. Follow this by then dabbing with your finger on your nude lipstick and dab onto your lips rather than using the stick directly on your lips. This goes for all colour lipsticks, it has a better less caked effect in our opinion. The Chanel Rouge Coco Sine in Canotier is a lovely neutral brown with a smooth matte finish. The key to this look is subtlety, light texture and don’t go too pale, make sure to match your skin tone. To finish the look, go for a dark dramatic eye effect. The perfect look is then complete.

Classic Red Lips

The classic red lip look isn’t the easiest look to pull off. It can be a tough shade to wear, so take notice of your skin tone when picking between burnt orange, classic reds or burgundy tones. Make sure to choose carefully and as previously stated invest in good lip liner. When you find your perfect red colour it can set off an outfit and it can transform your edgy look. The two red lipsticks we like is Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick and MAC Rudy Woo Lipstick. Again dab on your lips and using a hint of gloss for some shine.

Two Toned Trend

If you are a beginner & have never tried doing two colours on your lips before we recommend blending pink & a nude shade for the perfect model look. You start by putting your pink lipstick on as normal without focusing too much in the centre of your lips. Make sure to define your lips with liner. Then with your finger blend back the colour from the centre of your lips by pouting and wiping the tip of the pout with a tissue. You then apply your nude lipstick and fill the centre, which has little or no colour, following this by lighting smudging the colours with your finger to develop the blended two tones. And you are good to go!

Lip Liner:  Try choosing a shade that compliments or is close in colour to your lipstick. If you have many lipsticks, it’s not practical to have liner for every shade so our general rule is; use Red Liner for reds & orangery-red tones, use nude liner with browns, nudes and pinks & finally use a burgundy for similar coloured lipsticks or to give your pink coloured lipsticks a deeper feel. 

Let our team of professional makeup artists at the KIllashee Villa Spa, create the perfect look for your special occasion, tailoring the application to your specific needs. At Villa Spa we use the Multi Award Winning Make-Up Brand Fuschia. With products that will compliment your skin tone as well as highlighting your best features. Whether it is a vibrant or natural look you want Fuschia has all the products needed. All for only €35.00! For more information check out our website on http://www.killasheehouse.com/en/spa-hotel-kildare/treatments

Book now by calling 045 895182 or email spareservations@killasheevillaspa.com

Fifa World Cup 2014

Fifa World Cup 2014

2014 World Cup as we all know is taking place in Brazil. Brazil is a fantastic venue for such an event and what an event it will be.  The world cup starts on Thursday 12^th June and finishes on Sunday July 13^th. Over 5 weeks of brilliant football and excitement. This blog gives our predictions of the group stage winners and the overall winner, the stadiums were the games are within Brazil, the last 10 countries were the world cup was held, winners of previous world cups and our prediction for the top 5 goal scorers.

The first world cup was held in 1930 and is held every 4 years. The last ten hosts of the world cup have been; South Africa, Germany, South Korea/Japan, France, US, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, & West Germany. But we expect Brazil to be one of the best! Brazil won 2 of the last 10 world cups with Argentina holding the exact same record. It makes for a very exciting event!

Brazil covers almost half of South America. It is the largest nation in the continent. Over a third of the country is drained by the amazing Amazon River & its tributaries, and did you know Brazil is the only Latin American nation that derives its language and culture from Portugal. The country in 2012 had a population of over 205 million with an increasing number predicted for 2013 & 2014. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia & the other major cities are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Fortaleza. There are 12 stadiums in Brazil for the world cup and they are Maracanã in Rio Janeiro, this is the stadium where the final will be placed and can seat 71,159 supporters, Arena de São Paulo in São Paulo, Minerião in Belo Horizonte, Estádio Nacional de Brasilia  in Brasilia, Arena Castelão in Fortalez, Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Estádio Beira-Rio  in Porto Alegre, Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Arena de Amazônia  in Manaus, Arena Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Arena des Dunas in Natal and finally Arena da Baixada.

We have spent time researching and guessing and have come up with our predictions of what teams will get out of each group and here is what we think;

Group A: Brazil & Mexico

Group B: Spain & Chile

Group C: Colombia & Cote d’Ivoire

Group D: Uruguay & England

Group E: France & Ecuador

Group F: Argentina & Nigeria

Group G: Portugal & Germany

Group H: Belgium & Russia

Our Predictions for the final 15 games & of course the winner!

Brazil vs Chile

Cote d’Ivoire vs England

                    France vs Nigeria                     

                                Portugal vs Russia                               

                      Spain vs Mexico                       

Uruguay vs Colombia

Argentina vs Ecuador    

                             Beligum vs Germany                            

Quarter Finals:

                                                  Brazil vs England                                                    

France vs Portugal

Mexico vs Uruguay  

Belgium vs Argentina

Semi Finals: 

Brazil vs Portugal

Uruguay vs Argentina

                        VS   

Final:

Brazil vs Argentina and we believe the home pressure will undo Brazil in the final for an Argentinian Victory!

If you have an interest in top goal scorers we think these will be the top 5 goal scorers of the world cup; Messi, Neymar, Aguero, Lukaku & Muller. We don’t dare try to put them in order of first, second, third, fourth or fifth.

 

After a lot of research and a bit of faith they are our predictions!

Any additional information on the world cup that I haven’t solved or given to you, just click here to go through to the official Fifa Website.

IVVCC International Gordon Bennett Rally 2014

The IVVCC International Gordon Bennett Rally is on the 6th, 7th and 8th of June this year. We are delighted to say that again it will be based at the Killashee House Hotel. For those of you who are not familiar with the IVCC, it stands for Irish Veteran and Vintage Car Club. The rally commemorates the Gordon Bennett Race held in Ireland in 1903, which was the forerunner of modern Grand Prix racing. (http://www.ivvcc.ie/php/site.php?page=gbregistration2013). The event is open to cars manufactured before 31^st December, 1930. This year is the 111th anniversary of the original race and to promote early motoring we are inviting antique class cars (pre 1905) which would have been on the road at the time of the Gordon Bennett series to take part.

See the photos from the 2013 rally at the hotel. Click here!!

This rally draws approximately 175 car entries. These competitors come across the globe to take part, with some competitors from Australia, America, UK & Ireland. It really is a sight to see & well worth the time to stand out and watch them pass by you as you take a trip down memory lane or back in history (depending on your age!!). A distance of approximately 90 miles is covered with the route and it consists of time regularity and free driving sections. This rally gives you a chance to see the fabulous scenery around Kildare & Laois. It’s not all about driving and scenery though, it’s more about the social aspect of the event.

With Killashee House Hotel as the base for the event; Accommodation, BBQ, Dinner and Good Fun is all to be had at Killashee for the Weekend. This rally is not one to be missed.

For updates and information check out the IVCC’s facebook & twitter pages.