COUNTRY HOUSE hotels and guest houses are having a torrid time of it at the moment, with tourists thin on the ground and locals wary of all but the most generous deals. So, it’s good to see Mount Falcon Country House near Ballina, Co Mayo garnering praise and a prize. The former huntin’-fishin’-shootin’ lodge, now owed by the Maloney family, has been awarded the AA Hotel of the Year award for 2009/10.

The AA’s Conor Faughnan said: “Mount Falcon has become an example of Irish excellence and is a key asset to Irish tourism. The management and staff can feel justifiably proud of their success in achieving the AA Hotel of the Year.”

It’s the youngest hotel in the business to get the award, having opened its doors three years ago following a lengthy and expensive refurbishment by the Maloneys who originally hail from Mayo but were new to the hotel business. The 32-bedroom hotel employs 73 people from the locality and surrounding counties. It’s a fully fledged operation with the obligatory spa and leisure centre.

There are also 45 lodges on the 100-acre estate available for guests who can try their hand at a range of activities, such as salmon fishing (two miles of double bank fishing on the adjoining River Moy), trout fishing on the three-acre stocked lake, clay pigeon shooting, archery, bicycle hire and hiking on the 4km of woodland trails.