ozgirl

Hello everyone,
my husband and I are visiting Ireland for the first time in mid June this year. I have been doing lots of reading trying to get my head around different counties and how to divide our 18 days.

We will fly into Cork and out of Dublin and want to spend a couple of days in Dublin before flying out.

My dilemma is this.... since I began planning trip to Ireland I have envisaged us in a remote little cottage somewhere (preferably by the sea but not essential) as part of our trip.

Of course at this time of the year cottages are a minimum one week booking, therefore I am struggling with where to insert a week in one place into our itinerary?

I had thought our time would be roughly divided into the areas of (but not exclusive to) Kinsale, ROK/Beara Peninsula (? Kenmare), Dingle, Doolin, and Clifden - with a wishlist of Donegal if anyone thinks that could be included!

If I were to book a cottage for a week am I impacting too much on the remainder of my time?

Is there somewhere that people would consider worth a week (I'm sure everywhere is worth a week but specifically as part of my 18 days)
from where I could cover a lot of ground?

Or, should I kiss the romantic cottage notion goodbye and confine myself to B&Bs and shorter stays?

Thanks in advance and also to all those posters that I have already gained so much info from!

Virgogirl

We stayed at the Atlanticview cottages in Doolin in October 2008. It was actually a townhome on a country lane with a nice balcony and view of the Atlantic and the Aran Islands. The hosts were welcoming, then left us alone. The place was cozy, clean and charming, with a peat fireplace upstairs in the living room. You could go into Doolin, Ennis, Galway, or do a daytrip into the Connemara area. You could drive the Atlantic coast road, stop at the cliffs of Moher, and have seafood at the many small villages. We loved it, and maybe you would, too. If the weather's good, you could easily take a ferry out to the Aran Islands.

Melissa5

I would happily spend a week based in a cottage in Dingle, or near Doolin (but not necessarily in Doolin.)

We loved the Dingle peninsula and wished we had time for a day-trip out to the Blasket Islands.

Doolin wasn't my favorite town, but it is surrounded by tons of little villages and places to see, so a cottage near Doolin would be great too! With a car, you could get to see the Burren area, Cliffs of Moher, plus lots of little villages with traditional Irish music in the pubs, and we enjoyed the Dunguaire castle medieval banquet up in Kinvara.

We actually stayed in dingle, and also in Ballyvaughan...as well as other areas of Ireland.

Can't wait to get back to Ireland! Enjoy!

WillTravel

I can't advise on where to stay, but is it possible you are focusing too much on the "week" requirement? If you only feel like spending five days wherever, maybe it would still be worth it even if you forfeit those extra days?

flanneruk

What WillTravel said. Renting a cottage doesn't require actually using it for the whole week, and the unused time will still work out cheaper than a B&B would have done. Don't build up your hopes about a romantic cottage too high: most are recent, and have the HUGE advantage that once inside, you can't see the outside, and you're mostly touring somewhere else anyway. Ireland is not famous for its legislation preventing the construction of monstrosities. Or at any rate, not for enforcing such legislation.

If you want to visit West Cork, you need to be somewhere like Kinsale for several days. There's no need for separate places for the ROK and Dingle, or for separate places for Doolin and Connemara.

For comfort, assume three locations, take a cottage in two assuming you'll use it for less than a week and fill in the other place with a B&B or hotel.

chip

Ireland is full of wonderful b&b's that would fit your requirements...if you do get to donegal...our favorite was castle murray house( it is called a hotel, but I believe there are only a few rooms, it is quite remote, evening and morning strolls by the water were nice, definately a place to sink into,and oh the view... we really didn't want to leave) a scenic and culinary delight!!


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

Here are pictures to go along with my "Ireland trip report-short version" from June 2006.

irelandjune2006.shutterfly.com

(castle murray house starts on picture #90)

on our 2 trips we went in june and it was wonderful...there are many at this site that are for staying put in one place...I am not one of them...I think you could have a wonderful time seeing all the places you mentioned

One place I would stay in town is dingle so you can get the most out of the wonderfule town and great music pubs...great place for a pub crawl

309pbg

bookmarking

cavan97

Ozgirl,
Don't give up that dream yet.......

http://www.couminolecottage.com/


This is in a very romantic location on the Slea Head Dr in Dingle. The cottage itself was once a derelict but recently lovingly restored..Search through the forum for some reports on staying here,,,they are here somewhere!
Cavan97

Itallian_Chauffer

Ditto what others have said, vis a vis paying for a week and using it less.

In April of '06 we stayed at a TERRIFIC and well-located old sone cottage on the Sheep's Head. We drove into Bantry for evening meals.

Here's a link to the Trip Report, which includes links to pix and the web site for the cottage.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34787168

Bob

ozgirl

Thank you everyone for suggestions.
Cavan97, Couminole Cottage is what started this whole notion but THEY WERE BOOKED!
Itallian_Chauffer thanks for the link, will read when I get home from work. I had skimmed over Pinewood Cottage but am having difficulty ascertaining whether remote means "inconvenient" as far as day to day activities when it comes to geography so glad to hear that you loved this locale.

I am thinking the pay for 7 stay for 5 may be the answer, now to narrow down to where exactly!

Will probably have more questions for those of you that know the territory then, thank you.

GreenDragon

And do double check that week requirement... we were able to get a self-catering cottage for just 4 days in June in 2006. Of course, that particular property isn't up for rent any longer, and it wasn't near the sea (in the mountains between Cork and Kerry) at any rate

ozgirl

Thanks Green dragon, I have emailed a couple that I like the look of and have asked for the possibility of 5 days so will wait and see.

sparky

A neighbour of mine has a one bedroom cottage they rent out and do shorter stays than a week , it is in Leamlara East cork
http://www.irishvacationrental.com/i...whitethorn.htm

ozgirl

Thank you sparky for this recommendation, it looks lovely but not quite where I want to be.

I am looking at a cottage near Killmackillogue - can anyone comment on this spot please?

Sassafrass

Try www.cottages4you.co.uk

rosetravels

Hi ozgirl - I was going to suggest somewhere near Kenmare so Kilmackillogue fits the bill. We spent a week at a cottage in Kenmare and filled all our days well. There's much to see and do in that area and you'll really see Ireland.

On that trip we had 2 weeks and spent 1 in Kenmare, then 1 at the Thatched Irish Cottages in Donegal. So 2 weeks, 2 cottages. We did lots of daytrips and loved it.

You could spend a week in Kerry, then several days at several B&B's - Clifden, then up to Donegal.

GreenDragon

Oh, and check with Michele at www.irelandyes.com - she is an amazing resource, she's been to Ireland over 30 times, and has a great forum for questions!

ozgirl

Thanks guys, I am busily perusing Cottages 4 You, hadn't seen this before!
More questions coming later...

BettyB

Hi there - we stayed here last summer- we loved it - see our comments on VRBO. Maryann was flexible about the days of arrival/departure - not sure about times of less than a week - but she's very helpful and friendly - you could ask.

http://www.vrbo.com/64925

Lawchick

http://www.rentacottage.ie/self-cate...ype_B)-33.html

http://www.donegalthatchcottages.com/

http://www.gtunlimited.com/irishthat...esrentals.html