Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Ireland / Celbridge / Cliff at Lyons
Cliff at Lyons
Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland · Cliff Collection · Core Luxury
Ryanair co-founder Tony Ryan spent roughly a decade restoring this 1820s canal village on Kildare's Grand Canal after buying Lyons Demesne in 1996. The Cliff Collection reopened the estate as a 32-room hotel in July 2016, spreading guests across a mill once run by Joseph P. Shackleton, a relative of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton.
- 32 rooms
- Opened 2016
- Neighborhood: Lyons Demesne
- Rooms from 291 sq ft (27 m²)
About Cliff at Lyons
- The Lyons Demesne main house was built in 1797 for Nicholas Lawless, Lord Cloncurry, on the banks of Kildare's Grand Canal.
- Its flour mill was once run by Joseph P. Shackleton, a relative of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
- Ryanair co-founder Tony Ryan bought Lyons Demesne in 1996 and restored the village between 1999 and 2008.
- The Cliff Collection acquired the village in January 2016 and reopened it as Cliff at Lyons in July 2016.
- Historic mill buildings now hold reception, a restaurant, a bar, and a boutique, with guest rooms in wisteria-covered manor houses and stone cottages.
History
Cliff at Lyons occupies a lovingly restored 19th-century estate village on the banks of Kildare's Grand Canal at Celbridge, part of the historic Lyons Demesne (whose main mansion was completed in 1797 by Nicholas Lawless, first Lord Cloncurry). The cluster of buildings — a mill, forge, barracks (formerly the Jolly Angler's Inn), cottages and even a Church of Ireland boarding school — evolved into a working village around the 1820s. Its flour mill was once run by Joseph P. Shackleton, a relative of the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
After falling into disrepair, the village was rescued by Ryanair co-founder Tony Ryan, who bought Lyons Demesne in 1996 and poured tens of millions into restoring 'The Village' between 1999 and 2008. Following Ryan's death, the Cliff Collection (owned by Barry O'Callaghan) acquired the village in January 2016 and reopened it as the five-star Cliff at Lyons hotel in July 2016, spreading guest accommodation across the restored historic buildings on the 16-acre estate.
The setting
On Kildare's Grand Canal at Celbridge, a restored 1820s canal village on Lyons Demesne. Rooms spread through the old Shackleton mill, manor houses, and stone cottages rather than a single block.
Restaurants and bars
- Mill Restaurant — Restaurant
- The Orangery — Restaurant
Experiences
- Team Building Activities — Team building activities in the Irish countryside for groups of friends, family or colleagues.
Amenities
- Spa
- Hot tub
- Pet-friendly
Open Cliff at Lyons in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.