Free castle tour when booking at Twelve Points Restaurant

Clonmellon plays a unique role in the development of Irish cuisine. It’s a big statement, but one solidified by the fact that in the late 1500s Sir Walter Raleigh chose Westmeath ground to plant some of the first potatoes he imported to Ireland.

A couple of hundred metres from Killua Castle stands a lone obelisk. Erected in 1810 by Sir Thomas Chapman, it marks the ground the Elizabethan explorer chose for those spuds.

It’s a corner of this beautiful country drenched in global history. In the 1800s, it was the seat of the Chapman family, whose seventh and final baronet, Sir Thomas Chapman, was the father of TE Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia.

Clonmellon’s origin as a market town hints at the history of local food production. Expanding the area’s contribution to the lexicon of Irish culinary achievements is the Twelve Points Restaurant, a fine dining establishment located in the courtyard of Killua Castle.

The castle and its demesne are owned by the Montpascal Foundation, the family foundation of the Krause family.

In 1999, Allen and Lorena Krause moved in to the landmark building to restore and maintain the historical heritage of the property. It married their mutual love of history, art and environmental conservation.

The couple have spent the last two and a half decades restoring the magnificent 18th century building they call home. They have also revitalised the 170 acres of farmland in Clonmellon.

To do so, they undertook a rewilding project that complemented the traditional farming of a small number of native cow, goat, and deer species. Those herbivores play a role in balancing an ecosystem that promotes biodiversity.

The Twelve Points Restaurant was the next step, one that took them from regenerative farming to gastronomy. It’s the bridge between the produce nurtured on the lands surrounding Killua Castle and the guests who travel from far and wide to enjoy a unique dining experience.

The exquisite interior of the restaurant reflects the elegance and warmth that the castle has become renowned for. This is very different to the vista that greeted guests before the Krause family took possession of the stately manor.

“It was a ruin 25 years ago, a complete ruin,” Lorena told the Examiner. “It had no roof, no ceilings, no windows and no doors. It was covered in ivy. We’ve been restoring it for the last 25 years.”

Part of that process has allowed members of the public access to view the restored piece of Irish history: “It’s mostly a museum now. We have an important medieval collection, but there are also other rooms of historic significance. We have some fantastic Renaissance art.”

A centre for preserving culture and heritage, a working farm and high-end restaurant, Killua Castle continues to evolve into the 21 century: “We’re on a journey to becoming the most significant organic enterprise in Ireland,” Lorena says of the ambitious plans, “We started the process about a year ago. It will take three years before we are fully certified.

“We have a fully integrated operation, with the exception of the abattoir, we control the entire process, so we are truly farm to fork.”

Since acquiring the land, one of the most important goals of the Montpascal Foundation has been the regeneration of the land. That has been done through a combination of regenerative farming and the creation of protected areas for environmental purposes.

That goal has been with the assistance of Forest Environmental Research and Services (FERS) under the supervision of ecologist Dr Patrick Moran and his team. The estate has dedicated 100 acres to a rewilding project that has a goal of re-establishing the parkland ecosystem.

“We’ve planted nine kilometres of hedging and over 8,000 trees to make the place regenerative. It was very eroded by intensive husbandry from the previous farmer that owned the land.

“A lot of work has been undertaken to restore the ecological balance,” Lorena explained.

The project has seen the farm stocked with rare breeds including Irish Moiled Cattle, Dexter Cattle, Jacob Sheep, Old Irish Goats, Wild Boar, and Red Deer. The restaurant only serves meats that come from the farm.

The name of the restaurant was inspired by the livestock: “The first animals we had were deer. Our stag, the main stag that started the whole herd, had 12 points in his antlers. On average an adult male deer has around 12 points in his antlers.”

Dining at the Twelve Points Restaurant is an experience. This Christmas, that experience is about to be enhanced: “We host tours of the castle, they are €50 per person. That money goes toward the maintenance and the continued restoration of the castle. As a special Christmas gift to our guests, we are going to offer a free tour to everyone who books a meal in the restaurant.”

There is another particularly fascinating feature about the special tours: “My husband, Allen, and I will act as guides for those tours. It really is a super opportunity for people who are curious about our beautiful historic castle.”

Twelve Points Restaurant is open for dinner every Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as lunch on Saturdays. Reservations are required for all those meal sittings. The opportunity to have a free tour with the dinner reservation runs until December 20.

On Sundays, Twelve Points serves brunch from 11am till 2 pm. No need for reservations and it’s a first come, first serve basis.

The Twelve Points Restaurant is located at Killua, Westmeath, (C15 HD3K), Ireland. Phone 087 486 8151 for reservation.