Dating to 1739 and set on 1,100 acres of walled Kildare parkland, Carton House carries the full weight of Irish aristocratic history and wears it well. Now managed by Fairmont, the property occupies an 18th-century Palladian mansion with a modern wing attached. Two championship golf courses, a full spa and wellness centre, four dining options including the fine dining Morrison Room, and a Whiskey Library with one of Ireland's most extensive collections round out the offering. Twenty-five minutes from Dublin Airport, it functions equally well as a city escape, a golf destination, and a grand country house weekend.