My husband and I spent two wonderful nights at Friars Glen. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left it was 5 star service all the way. A refreshing cup of tea in front of the fire and Mary's information was a great way to start our few days in Killarney. Mary and Bridget present the best breakfast and any additional information needed for a perfect day of sightseeing! Mary and John were the perfect hosts and the room was neat and clean with everything we like in a B&B. A walk to Molly Darcy's Pub for dinner was well worth it with great food! Thank you for our special time at Friar's Glen.

Friars Glen is a fantastic bed and breakfast run by John and Mary with the help of Bridget. Our first night in Ireland was our best thanks to Friars Glen. My husband and I arrived at the bed and breakfast in the afternoon after getting off a 7am flight and trying to do too much driving and sightseeing in one day (Blarney, Ring of Kerry). We were greeted by Bridget and two champagne retrievers. Bridget brought tea up to our room before we took a much needed nap. The b&b is cozy and tasteful. Our room (the Willow Room) was on the second floor with a huge windowbox of flowers. The furnishings were comfortable - I liked the mattress a lot. Great bathroom.

John gave us good tips for navigating Killarney and gave us a good overview of restaurants according to other guest's recommendations. I really appreciate that tact - I don't like staying at a hotel where the patrons recommend their friend's restaurant that may not be that great. John was completely neutral but informative. And our dinner in Killarney was delicious.

After a good night sleep, we went to breakfast. The breakfast is amazing - great cold options on a buffet, such as yogurt with fruit and honey and cereals. Bridget brought out tea and coffee and we ordered Irish breakfasts. I found I even like black pudding. The tomatoes were fresh and the sausage was amazing. Earlier, a red stag appeared in the field next to the breakfast room.

We stayed at Friars Glen on the last night before they closed for the season. Even so, they never rushed us. In fact, Mary took the time to answer our questions about the Irish presidential election which was in progress and our conversation was a highlight of the trip.

Mary also gave us good directions for getting to Dingle, the next point on our trip.

One big tip: Ireland does not have postal codes. GPS doesn't really work so well (despite what we were told at the rental car stand in the airport). The best thing that happened to us was our GPS dying. Don't type in "Mangerton Road" for instance - GPS will take you down by Kenmare, quite a distance from Killarney. Instead, read Mary or John's confirmation reply e mails for exact directions. They're detailed and easy to follow.

I have just returned from a tour of Ireland with 3 friends to celebrate our 40th birthdays. If Killarney National Park, Muckross House, the Ring of Kerry or Dingle are on your list of places to see - this is an IDEAL location. The guest house is neat and clean. Mary and John were the perfect hosts - greeting us upon arrival and assisting with every aspect of our stay (including arranging for a boat tour in the park, suggesting hiking trails and helping us to plan our tour around the Dingle Peninsula). The drying room is a brilliant feature - we were wet and cold each day after touring/hiking in and out of rain - and the ability to dry out out clothes each night was SO helpful. A hot breakfast was provided each morning. John owns the garden center next to the guest house - so the grounds of Friar Glen are an experience in and of themselves. The location is literally around the corner from Muckross House, downtown Killarney and the park entrance. We enjoyed local music and dancing at a pub right around the corner which was a highlight of our stay. There are lots of housing options as you drive through Killarney town - but this one is just on the edge of town; which feels less crowded and yet was very convenient. As an avid travel planner, I would gladly stay at Friars Glen again and recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Gorgeous setting. Lovely home. Gracious host Mary was a wealth of helpful information.