I suspect that Imelda, who married Martin King after the death of her first husband Seamus Sheedy, has never know an idle hour. The old country furniture is polished and gleaming and, like the house itself, is part of a true picture of Irish rural life. To this inviting mixture she has added charm and style.

Guest, for example, have their own sittingroom, closely carpeted and with a big, well-stacked fireplace. Here and in the diningroom the hearths gleam with fire-dogs and the brasses; old family photographs hold their place with prints and samplers and in a landing alcove an urn blazes with daffodils.

The basic colours are subdued gold, ivory and oyster shades, but these are enlivened with tapestry cushions, or the trimming on a bedspread or the upholstery on an armchair. Above all, they have a glow from the windows where light from the fields spreads across the south-facing rooms; in the modern conservatory which also serves as a diningroom cheerful Bill Malone links the new with the old.

Although the guest rooms are en suite, there is a lovely old bathroom complete with its claw-foot tub and antique (but efficient) plumbing. The bedroom corridor meanders according to the contours of the old house; the result is a couple of very pretty bedrooms which are enhanced by Imelda’s own curtain-making and attention to detail in fabric and decor...