Overview
The thing most worth knowing about Ballymascanlon is that you don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to see its best feature. Proleek Dolmen, one of Ireland’s finest portal tombs, stands on the grounds and is free to visit. The hotel itself – Ballymascanlon House Hotel & Golf Resort – is a Victorian estate on 130 acres of parkland on the Cooley Peninsula, a short drive north of Dundalk and about 20 minutes from Carlingford. Guests come for the golf and the leisure centre; day visitors can come for the dolmen alone.
The Proleek Dolmen
The dolmen is a portal tomb of around 3000 BC, so roughly 5,000 years old. Three slim upright stones hold up a capstone of about 35 tonnes – the figures vary between sources, but it’s somewhere in the 35 to 40-tonne range – and how Neolithic builders raised that weight onto such narrow supports is still argued over. A wedge tomb sits nearby, the two together making this a small but genuine prehistoric cluster.
One practical note that catches people out: the path to the dolmen crosses the golf course, so watch for stray balls on the way. It’s free and open, the grassland around it suits a short walk, and early or late light is best for photographs.
Golf
The 18-hole parkland course, designed by Ruddy & Craddock, runs through mature woodland, streams and lakes under the Cooley Mountains. It measures 5,700 yards off the championship tees at par 68, with two shorter sets of tees (5,400 and 4,900 yards) for less ambitious rounds. It’s open year-round; book tee times ahead in summer and during tournaments.
Dining and the leisure centre
The Proleek Restaurant does seasonal, locally sourced food, and the Terrace Bar serves tea, coffee and pastries from 10am, with light meals and drinks from noon to 9pm. The leisure centre takes day visitors as well as guests: a 20-metre deck-level pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, an outdoor hot tub and a gym. The pool’s adult swim hours are 7am–10pm Monday to Friday and 8am–8pm at weekends; day-pass rates apply for non-guests.
History
The name Ballymascanlan means ‘town of the son of Scanlan’, after Scanlan, son of Fingin, a chief of the Uí Méith who died in 672 AD. The Uí Méith ruled the kingdom of Oriel until the Norman period, and tradition credits them with turning back a Viking fleet in Dundalk Bay in 833 AD. In 1185 Hugh de Lacy granted the district to the Cistercians at Mellifont; after the dissolution of the monasteries it passed to Sir Edward Moore, ancestor of the Marquesses of Drogheda, and later through the Plunkett line. The Victorian mansion at the heart of the resort was built in the first half of the 19th century by Sir Frederic Foster.
Exploring the surrounds
Ballymascanlon is a sound base for the rest of Louth. The Cooley Peninsula Scenic Route is a 30 km circular drive past cliffs, fishing villages and mountain views. Mellifont Abbey, Ireland’s first Cistercian monastery (founded 1142), and the Norman Carlingford Castle over the lough are both within easy reach, and the Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s first legal post-prohibition distillery, runs tours and tastings of its single malts.
Practical information
Rooms and golf booking
The hotel has rooms across Superior, Double, Twin, Family and Triple categories, all en-suite with Wi-Fi. Tee times can be booked through the resort’s tee-time portal or by phone; green fees are payable in advance at the golf shop.
Access and parking
The resort is off the M1, roughly halfway between Dublin and Belfast (about an hour from either). Parking is free, with more than 180 spaces, and the grounds are stroller-friendly with level access to the hotel, golf shop and leisure centre.
Accessibility
The hotel, leisure centre and dining areas are wheelchair accessible. The ground around the Proleek Dolmen is uneven; visitors with mobility limitations should keep to the surfaced routes near the main driveway.
Contact and reservations
- Phone: +353 42 9358200
- Email: info@ballymascanlon.com (general) / events@ballymascanlon.com (weddings & conferences)
- Bookings: Hotel & Golf reservations