County Clare Vacation Rental cottage

We just returned from our trip to Ireland, and spent one week in beautiful Fanore. This "cottage" was a luxurious yet cozy and comfortable house. Beautiful rooms, excellent bathroom and shower facilities, large master bedroom with its own fireplace and sitting area from which you can gaze out to sea, and a gourmet kitchen (plus the occasional cow that peers into the kitchen window). The house is very spacious. Each room has dramatic views of the ocean, the village, or the hills above Fanore (or all three!). Fanore is a tiny but sweet little village. It made a great base for reaching Doolin, Ballyvaughn, Ennis, Ennistymon and the rest of the Burren. Charming Lisdoonvarna is just up and over the hill on a very scenic drive --reachable in minutes. Can't say enough about how helpful and accommodating the owner was. We would return here in a heartbeat.

We found a peaceful, enchanting, romantic getaway
where we could breathe cool fresh air, and feel the
wind blowing, and enjoy all that nature has to offer
when we stayed at this blissful seaside stone
cottage. Located in the Burren (ancient geologic &
botanical wonder of the world left by the Ice Age-
cracked, strange limestone for miles) &1 hr. from
the Shannon Airport. This property has two
identical newly built stone cottages next to each
other on a hill facing Galway Bay. The cottage is
lined with large windows with panoramic views in
every direction. I spent most of our vacation
knitting a baby sweater on an overstuffed couch in
the masters sitting area next to a gas fireplace,
gazing out at the bay and Aran Islands with my 7
mo old daughter. Hours spent watching my
husband, 8, & 10 yr olds play soccer or walking
down the hill through the meadows to the rocky
shoreline, to the sandy Fanore Beach (surf school
and rentals.) Even ate the kids’ Mackeral caught at
Blackhead Point near lighthouse up the road!
Gourmand ready kitchen! Professional gas
stove/oven range. Oversized pedestal tub. The
living room has another gas fireplace, satellite tv,
board games, binoculars, tour guide books,
maps...everything. Walk down tiny country road,
admire the farm animals & unique flora on way to
the village pub. Favorite was eating mussels &
drinking a pint of Guinness out front, under blue,
sunny skies, under a big umbrella overlooking the
beautiful bay! Occasional car drives down coastal
road. Across the street is a nice Trattoria (romantic
dinner) and a tiny grocery store that gives great
tide/fishing reports. Drive all the way up small road
for surprise of a forest and views! Ennistymon
(awesome fresh fish market) or Ballyvaughn (cute
gift shop behind Sparks Supermarket)--10 min
away. Closest is Doolin-world famous music &
catch ferry to mystical Aran Islands (must see but
confirm printed schedules!) Great seafood
restaurant, The Lazy Lobster (small & cozy.) Small
perfume shop/factory in the Burren. Personal
walking tour to explain all the unique fauna and
geology of the Burren-magical area so take time to
enjoy. Rock climbing. Sunsets--golden and
spectacular. Listened to IELyric, Ireland's national
classic station most of the time. Night skies
clear/crisp & Milky Way seen every night. Howling
winds, but on quiet nights, ocean heard. We were
lucky enough to have heard a news tip and saw the
Space Shuttle fly over a few minutes after lift off
near our home back in Florida! Best of all, we
couldn't have asked for a nicer host & hostess.
Mary & Gus (live in cottage nearby) were as sweet as
they could be and so accommodating. Mary had a
fully made crib ready for our daughter and even
loaned us her niece's warm felt "joker's-style" hat.
Plan to rent both cottages for a reunion someday
soon.

I spent a month in this cottage in July/August of
2007, working on writing a book. It was a perfect
retreat: glorious views, easy walks to the shore or
into the Burren, quiet and peaceful. The abundance
of wildflowers and birds is remarkable. There are a
few other cottages nearby, but mostly the
neighbors are grazing horses and cows. Fanore
itself is tiny, hardly more than a pub, but the
nearby towns of Ballyvaughan and Enistymon had
excellent shopping (great summer farmers' market
on Saturdays in Ballyvaughan), and the cottage
facilities, from the kitchen to bath were top notch.
Mary was a wonderful hostess, happy to oblige any
request as best she could. The cottage is quite
large to be listed as a 1BR, with a second sleeping
area in a loft. It's new construction of high quality,
and stocked with everything you can imagine.

Be aware that the weather on the coast of western
Ireland is often rainy and cool, so bring warm
clothes. While the nearby beach (walking distance
from the cottage) is swimmable, the water is chilly
even in summer -- the local surf school has
wetsuits you can rent.

Overall, a great choice for folks looking for comfort,
beauty and quiet.