Drumcreehy House, Ballyvaughan, Ireland...Comments, please?
 

Has anybody stayed at Drumcreehy House, Ballyvaughan? Looked up what I could on-line and in guidebooks.

I'm leaning towards this one and want to book rooms for next summer. Just like to hear from folks on fodors who have stayed there. What did you think? I like the fact that it is located on a main road, therefore if we go out at night to Kinvara or Doolin, we can find our way back again!

Yes, we will have a car. Travelling with biologist hubby and 2 young adult daughters. Also considering Rusheen Lodge, which has the advantage of being able to walk into town.

But Drumcreehy House is on the coast, which would be more scenic.

During the day we will be exploring the natural beauty of County Clare and at night we will want to find some trad music in the pubs.

We like a nice, comfty friendly B&B/guesthouse, quiet at night, with a good breakfast and conveniently located. We will be spending 3 nights in the area to see the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Dunguaire Castle medieval banquet, and if there's time day-trip to Galway and Aran Islands.

Thanks! Everyone here has been great.

Hi Melissa...We stayed at Drumcreehy House a year ago, and thought the breakfast was awesome! Best we have had in 6 trips to Ireland. The usual menu, but the sidebar was unbelievable- meats, cheeses, different fruits( not just the usual peaches and pears)pastries, need I go on? You will enjoy this House, believe me. The location is also great..Hope this helps....Have a Safe and Happy Trip....Helen

Laoghaire, thanks very much for the reply. Sounds like you enjoyed Drumcreehy and we will too! Forgot to mention I was also considering Sheedy's in Lisdoonvarna...but I think the coast location of Drumcreehy will be nice. Since you've been to Ireland for 6 trips, you are quite experienced. Have you stayed anywhere else in County Clare you enjoyed as much as Drumcreehy?

I think I'm going to book Drumcreehy. But I love trip-planning and the more info the better.

Are you planning your 7th trip yet? You know what, I was typing in "Drumcreechy" instead of "Drumcreehy" and wondered why it wasn't coming up on-line! Funny how you see words the way you expect them to be spelled!

Which rooms do you think are best at Drumcreehy?

Melissa,
We stayed at Drumcreehy House last May...it was lovely...and YES a terrific breakfast!!

Bailey, thanks for the thumbs up on the breakfast at Drumcreehy's. Isn't it true that a great breakfast just lingers in your mind long after the trip is over? Really starts the day right. Also, you say it was "lovely", sounds good to me!

Just realized that Laoghaire is still fondly remembering her breakfast from last year!

I'm full of food memories as well. I could go on and on about our favorite family-run restaurant in Italy...that was June 2004 and we're still talking about it. Definitely looking forward to breakfasts in Ireland next summer.

Cappabhaile House sounds very appealing as well, sounds like a friendly place. But I think I'm about to book Drumcreechy because Drumcreehy House seems to be located right off N67, it sounds like it will be easy to drive to the Dunguaire castle medieval banquet without getting lost in the dark on the way back.

I am a bit nervous about staying anywhere in Lisdoonvarna or Ballyvaughan where it might be more difficult to find in the dark. We have 2 young adult daughters to entertain and so will want to venture out in the car each evening.

Anybody know how far Monk's Pub is from Drumcreehy House?

Thanks for everything.

Do not miss out in visiting the Aillwee Cave while you are in Ballyvaughan (appox 5 miles) Your hubby will be fasinated while your daughters can visit the perfume factory.
Look at www.aillweecave.ie
The place is very well laid out for refreeshments etc. with a great view of Galway Bay.

Definitely the Aillwee Caves sound interesting. I think daughters would like the caves AND the perfume factory.

And what is the right way to pronounce Ailwee? (I am thinking ale-weeee, which is probably wrong.) Thanks!

Just in case you were wondering, we stayed at Rusheen Lodge this past July and it was wonderful. Very large room, nice and clean with a great bath. Very good breakfast also. Close to Monks Bar where we had a very good dinner. Have fun.

Melissa, Did you notice the star ratings on the 2 guesthouses? Rusheen is 4 star, the highest a guestouse can go. I'm sure Drumcreehy is very nice also. I passed both of them a number of times. It seems Rusheen was a little closer to the village. It is very,very close or right in The Burren. Of course not ocean views. Let us know which one you stay in and tell us about it.

Hi Melissa...Have you booked Drumcreehy yet? Just found my info on that trip. These are my notes on Drumcreehy House;
Beautiful guesthouse, arrived at 3:30 pm, room not ready, served tea and cookies by Armin.

Room okay, with view (2nd floor) with 2 chairs and a table.

Bathrobes!! Nice shower room with shampoo, bath gel and washclothes (Many B%Bs don't furnish washclothes)

Breakfast: Many choices, unbelievable--cold cuts, local breads, liverwurst (Armin is German, remember?), raspberries,rhubarb,mixed fruit, prunes, Good Irish Breakfast.

Ask for a seaview room, they will try to have one for you.

As for our next Ireland trip, I am looking at next May or September We cruise, also, so have to work that into 2006 somewhere! Helen

Hennypenny, thanks for your reply. Rusheen Lodge sounds nice too, it was hard to choose. Rusheen has the advantage of being closer to the village, while Drumcreechy is within walking distance of a little beach. Both seem to have good food! Sometimes you almost feel like tossing a coin to decide!

chatham, thanks for giving me the "drive-by" review! Location is important too, one of the factors I consider. I was thinking that, considering we are planning to drive to Dunguaire castle medieval banquet one night, and drive to cliffs of moher before sunset, (plus drive to pubs in the evening in different villages), I was thinking that Drumcreehy, being right on the main road, might be easiest to find in the dark. Would you agree with that, having driven by lots of times? It sounds like Rusheen Lodge would be ideal for someone planning on spending most evenings in Ballyvaughan village, but we have 3 evenings and will choose to spend each one in a different place, including these choices: Kinvara, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Ballyvaughan, Corofin, and maybe the Aran Islands (day-trip only), or any other County Clare village which might have some good trad music.

Also being able to walk to the beach from Drumcreehy sounds appealing. but being able to walk to Ballyvaughan village from Rusheen Lodge has some advantages too.

Thanks!

chatham: Forgot to mention, I will definitely do a full trip report when I return and include details of whichever places we stay! (Complete with paragraphs and some section titles.) It's the least I can do in exchange for all the advice I get on fodors!

Laoghaire: Thanks for looking up your notes on Drumcreehy. Very helpful. I did e-mail Drumcreehy but haven't sent my credit card yet. They have sea view rooms which also are on the road side. Did you notice any problem with noise from the road? House is set back from the road, I understand, but I do have trouble falling asleep if it's noisy. However sea view is always nice!

They also have rooms overlooking the Burren. This might be an unusual and memorable view, also quieter. I'm torn about which view to accept! Want to decide soon, like today.

Rusheen Lodge sounds very tempting too, but I am thinking as I mentioned above Drumcreehy House sounds like an easy place to find in the dark, on the main road to Kinvara where we want to spend an evening. Also walking to the beach before or after breakfaast sounds nice from Drumcreehy. Okay I think I"m repeating myself! Thanks for all your advice.

Helen, forgot to say happy trip planning for May in Ireland! Hope to see spring in Ireland some day. (Our trip is next summer.) Will you see The Burren in the spring?

Hi Melissa:

Drumcreehy was very nice, bigger, more inn-like with a bit of a motel hallway feel than most of the places we stayed during our trip, but yes, the brekky was just terrific, and the breakfast area was cute and nice. We noticed almost all Germans/Scandinavians in the breakfast room with us. There was a cozy sitting room for writing postcards while hubby napped a bit.

It was easy to find, and mostly quiet. I do not recall road noise being any sort of a problem. At the time we were there in spring 2004, the owners had a baby who was teething so was loud and drooley ( but cute).

We were in "Dog Violet" which was a upper floor room over looking the road and the water, which was not all that close to the house, but pretty.

We had the worst dinner of our trip in Ballyvaughn, at a spot recommended by the inn-keepers (and got a good review by Georgina Campbell). I won't go into the grim details, but do not go to the Bistro they recommend if it is still open.

Happycheesehead, thanks for your info. Okay, I'll remember, avoid bistro (do you remember the name by any chance?) Cute drooling baby will be adorable toddler by 2006 which is fine with me, I like kids (my babies are young adults now!)

Hmmm...I have the Georgina Campbell guide too...shall I mistrust its advice on good food? Well after I zero in on all my B&Bs I can collect more restaurant recommendations, good plan, from fodorites!

I wish I could remember the name - evidently I tried to wipe the entire memory from my mind. Really, it was the only BAD meal we had in 16 days. We did eat at some other places Georgina Campbell recommended and they were fine. In two years a place you would think a place would have to improve, or go out of business so you might have better luck.

Hi Melissa,
Todays information for you is on:
www.irishtravelideas.com
and where to eat:
www.adlib.ie/quickguide.asp?CN=CE&recid=1
Hope it helps.
I think we all feel part of your trip now.
I have been to Ballyvaughan many times. It's a nice quiet place for a holiday. Lots to see and many friends to be made.

Just to jump in on Rusheen Lodge. We stayed there two years ago and it was truly lovely. But I would not say it was walking distance to the village---the distance is not too great, probably a 15 minute walk but it is a fairly main road with no lighting and no shoulder so walking particularly at night is a bit dicey. We drove to Monks and had a very nice dinner. Things might be a bit different in high summer when you have those glorious long days into night but we were there in October.