– About Your Hosts –

Retiring in 2015, the couple moved to Felicity’s ancestral homeland, settling at Ballynoe House in Ardfield, West Cork. Setting up a ‘lifestyle business’, the guesthouses were opened in April 2018 following an 8-month conversion of two outbuildings. Video.

Felicity is a portrait and pet artist who also loves quilting and experimenting with textiles. Her art can be found in the guesthouses as well as around the woodland walk. Paintings are offered for sale at The Loft Gallery, Clonakilty and inside the guesthouses.

Felicity’s quilts have featured in Australia’s ‘Homespun‘ magazine and been on display at the NEC in Birmingham, England.

Having left the area at the age of six and travelled the world, she finally feels at home back in beautiful West Cork. More about Felicity’s early life in Cork can be viewed on a fun reel on Instagram. A significant number of her relatives and friends run quality businesses in the area. Her DNA origins are 100% Munster and County Cork.

Mark is the full-time gardener at Ballynoe House’s 5 acres and also the resident genetic genealogist / family historian. He is actively researching his British & Irish roots as well as Felicity’s West Cork origins and has supported collaborative family history & DNA research, since starting out in 1979. He is happy to share his experiences from over 40 years of investigation. He has also provided geologically-related articles for the local history ‘Ardfield & Rathbarry Journal‘.

Mark’s genetic origins include 22% maternal ‘Irish’ DNA from County Mayo. He has three genealogical research blogs on Facebook and provides a monthly column in the ‘West Cork People‘ newspaper, which discusses DNA matching and projects involving Felicity’s local families. Guests at Ballynoe House are offered free help with their British and Irish family history or advice on research and DNA testing/results during their stay. As a consequence, an increasing number of international guests are either proven cousins, genetically related to the couple in some way, or are interested in pursuing their ancestral origins in more detail.

Mark is a volunteer Director of the Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce..

Welcome to Ballynoe House!

Press Coverage:
Irish Independent Travel Feature (December 2018)
 RSVPlive.ie (Autism-Friendly Accommodation)
Guest Reviews

Mark & Felicity Grace T/A Ballynoe House
Business Partnership Reg. 573199 (Ireland);
VAT no. IE 3419741JH