Ireland born and bred, artist Sasha Sykes has deep roots in this magnetic northern European country, especially Carlow in the southeast region. "It's an undiscovered corner of the country," she says, "with some incredible archaeological sites, stunning untouched landscapes and the most interesting and amusing people I've ever met."
Below, she dives into her top recommendations for visiting Ireland's "Sunny South East," as it is fondly nicknamed, including the meals to indulge in, the nature and history to explore, the hotels to stay at and the high-end country shopping not to miss.
I’m very lucky to live in a place where humor is valued so highly and so integral to the culture.”
Sasha’s Guide to Southeast Ireland
Where to Eat
What is your favorite place for breakfast or a coffee?
Waterlilies Café Tullow has the most delicious sourdough and cinnamon rolls. They are really into their flours and use an incredible starter—for bread nerds.
What are your favorite places for lunch and dinner?
The trouble with having lived in NYC is you get so used to incredible food. I'm so picky about eating out as a result!
- With a local friend: I just love Burtown House—it has a gorgeous garden and delicious farm-to-fork food and a brilliant menu in The Green Barn. The cocktails are also great. It was set up by Jo and James Fennell, an interiors stylist and a photographer, in their 1730s home. It's very cool.
- With a friend from out of town: I usually head to the village of Borris to the Step House or Clashganny House Restaurant. The location is stunning, underneath Mount Leinster, and you can walk to it down the River Barrow to be rewarded with the most delicious food in Carlow.
- With family: I love Brownstone Pizza at Lisnavagh House and Gardens—the chef, Steve, is a Brooklynite and his pizzas are unreal. Many of my friends are chefs and cooks so we are spoiled for choice. There are pop-up events throughout the year so you just have to see what's coming up. When Blackstairs Catering or Lu Thornely do pop ups in Borris and Ballintubbert and beyond, we go as a family.
- For romance: I love Killruddery. The supper club there is an experience like no other, and they are in the Michelin guide now. The flavors and pairings are extraordinary, and they grow most of their vegetables in the walled garden you can visit. Plus, they rear happy animals.
What to Do
In Ireland, we get super long daylight hours in the summer. From April on, I love to go for a walk through the woods before the world wakes up. Just me and the birds.”
What is your favorite thing to do over and over again?
I am very fortunate to live on the edge of Lisnavagh House and Gardens, where they have incredible woods to walk through for daily meditation (shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing). There is a lake at the top of the hill for a refreshing dip.
I also love a sauna and a wild swim—in the rivers, lakes or sea. In summer I go to Graiguenamanagh in the River Barrow. In the winter, we go to Shirley in Glenmalure beside the River Avonbeg. Having a few venison sausages and a pint of Guinness in the lovely Glenmalure Inn afterward is hard to beat.
What is your favorite neighborhood to wander in?
Borris is always so much fun, and you never know who you'll meet. They say the lithium in the surrounding Blackstairs Mountains makes everyone happy. The Festival of Writing and Ideas here in early June is world class and incomparable. Kilkenny is also fun for a wander. It's a medieval city, and attracts many creatives, from the crafters of the 1960s and 70s to today's animation companies like (Oscar-winning) Cartoon Saloon and Lighthouse. There are vegan cafes everywhere, great art galleries and pop ups, music and pubs to die for. The arts festival in August is brilliant.
What is your favorite location for a dose of nature?
I love the Wicklow Mountains National Park and walking up around Glendalough or Lugnaquillia to get close to the sky. But I'm equally happy walking around Lisnavagh. I'm incredibly lucky to live beside such a nature resource. The old woods just feed my soul.
What activity do you recommend to first-time visitors?
We have so much archaeology on our doorstep, and I always recommend people check out some of our local dolmens, ring forts and stone circles, like Rathgall Hillfort and Brownshill. I also recommend visiting the fabulous local gardens like Altamont and Patthana. Huntington Castle in Clonegal is absolutely brilliant—so much history, from the 4,000-year-old bullaun stone to the pre-Christian Brigid's Well, the 13th-century Yew Walk and the Goddess Isis Temple in the basement. It's one of the most haunted places in the country, so it's always interesting around Halloween or at times when the veil is thin.
Where to Shop
What is your favorite place to shop for clothing and why? For women? For men?
In Dublin, it's Costume and Havana. For men, there's an incredible tailor in Tullow called Michael Johnson who's famous around the country for his suits. One of my favorite things is to drive past and see him sitting in the window, pipe in mouth, stitching away. My husband, Tom, just commissioned a pink tweed suit from him.
What is your favorite place to shop for a special gift?
For special gifts, I go to makers who like myself love a story: Kerryann O'Farrell's kelp-handled cutlery knives or a Bunbury Board from my brother—they are beautifully made from traceable fallen hardwoods. I also love the limited edition designs and pieces from artists working with Kunstverein in Aughrim, like the porecelain potato cups made by Deirdre O'Mahony. My cousin Susannah, who's a genius regenerative farmer with a herd of Zwartbles sheep, makes wonderful blankets that are actually big enough for a super king bed.
Do you have a favorite food shop?
I really love the Carlow Farmers Market on Saturday mornings as it brings together so many local producers. But Elizabeth Bradshaw is my favorite—she is one of the most authoritative cheese makers in the country and has her own herd of sheep and goats. Her pecorino is divine. Ireland has amazing food produce, and the smaller farmers tend to farm with the planet in mind. I buy a veg box from the Lisnavagh Walled Garden every Friday.
Where to Stay
Currarevagh House in Oughterard is my absolute favorite place to stay in the country—it's timeless and so relaxed you practically go horizontal once you turn in the drive. It's in Connemara on the edge of Lough Corrib in a stunning location, and the food is outstanding. They have the coolest teeny bar, and they look after you so well. You can have a sauna in the boatshed looking across at the incredible view or take a boat out onto the lake and explore the islands—and they'll make you a picnic to take. It's always unforgettable.
Sasha’s Favorite Books to Read Before You Go
I'm from a family of writers and married to one, so books are in the blood! Elizabeth Bowen's The Last September is a great nostalgic trip, and Hubert Butler's The Children of Drancy about the 1930s rise of fascism in Europe should be compulsive reading at the moment. My brother, Turtle Bunbury, has written many brilliant history books, but 1847- a chronicle of genius, generosity and savagery is a personal favorite. And my husband Tom's book BlowbyBlow about fashion maverick Izzie Blow, written with her husband Detmar after her very sad death, is brilliant.
For books about the area, Sebastian Barry is the most incredible writer and neighbor. His books often tie back into family members from the area—Annie Dunne and Old God's Time tap more into the locality, but Days Without End still blows me away. Claire Keegan (Small Things Likes These) grew up very near here and her book Walk the Blue Fields really gets the locality, and Carlow writer Tom Byrne's book Three Miles of Road: Tales of Country Life in the Sixties has wonderful tales from the 1960s near here.
Published onAugust 24, 2026
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