Connemara/Clifden - B&Bs & Guesthouses
Photos: Four of Connemara's inviting B&Bs are (top) Murlach Lodge, Ballyconneely Village, Clifden; (left) Ivy Rock Lodge, Roundstone; (right) Errisbeg Lodge, Roundstone; (bottom) Waterfall Lodge, Oughterard.
B&B per person per night
€ - under 50
€€ - 50 to 75
€€€ - 75 to 100
€€€€ - 100 to 150
€€€€€ - over 150
Buttermilk Lodge, Westport Rd., Clifden, Co. Galway; tel.
095-21951; e-mail: buttermilklodge@eircom.net.
Named after nearby Lough Ime (known as Buttermilk Lake), this cheery flower-decked
3-star guesthouse sits on a hillside overlooking the awesome Connemara mountain
scenery, an easy walk into the town of Clifden. Hosts Cathriona and Patrick
O'Toole provide a warm welcome with a turf fire (and a "cuppa"
with home-baked treats is always available). Each of the 11 guest rooms
is named after a different local lake and is decorated accordingly, with
country pine furniture, leafy plants, floral art, and buttermilk/bovine-themed
bric-a-brac, along with TV, phone and hairdryer. Internet access is also
available to guests. Best of all are the sumptuous breakfasts, offering
everything from "traditional Irish" (egg-bacon-sausage) to oak-smoked
salmon, hot porridge, and just-baked breads and scones (and buttermilk pancakes,
too). Closed: 4 Jan.-5 Feb. € Web site: www.buttermilklodge.com
Connemara Country Lodge, Westport Road, Clifden, Co. Galway;
tel.095-22122; e-mail: connemara@unison.ie.
If you are fond of Irish music, staying at this Georgian-style guesthouse
has a special reward. Hostess Mary Corbett, a well-known performer of Irish
music and song, often performs for her guests in the lounge. Mary offers
10 rooms, each with TV, coffee/tea-maker, hairdryer and telephone. There
is ample parking outside and the house is an easy walking distance from
town. € Web site: www.connemara.ie/accommodation/details/270
Corrib View Farmhouse, Oughterard, Co. Galway; tel. 091-552345;
fax 091-552880; e-mail: corribview@galwaybandb.net.
Rimming the shores of Lough Corrib, this Georgian-style farmhouse B&B
provides lovely water views in a secluded setting just 2 miles east of Oughterard
and beside the 18-hole golf course and within walking distance of Aughnanure
Castle. Hostesses Ethel and Rita Lee offer 6 guestrooms, 2 of which are
family rooms. Closed: Dec.-Jan. €
Web site: www.galwaybandb.net
Corrib Wave Farm Guesthouse, Portcarron, Oughterard,
Co. Galway; tel. 091-552147; fax 091-552736; e-mail: CWH@gofree.indigo.ie.
Overlooking Lough Corrib in a bucolic setting 2 miles outside of Oughterard
village, this B&B farmhouse is a favorite spot for fishermen and also
for families (there are 2 family rooms). Hosts Michael and Maria Healy offer
10 guestrooms, most of which have panoramic water views. Dinner can be provided,
if booked in advance. Closed: Dec. & Jan. €
Web ste: www.corribwave.com
Dan O'Hara's Farmhouse, Lettershea, Clifden, Co. Galway,
tel. 095-21246; fax 095-22098; e-mail: danohara@eircom.net.
If you are traveling with children, this B&B farmhouse provides a close-up
look at a traditional working Irish farm. It is a component of the Connemara
History & Heritage complex, 5 miles east of Clifden on main N 59 road.
Hostess Nora Breathnach, who provides home-baking, offers 4 rooms, each
with phone, TV, and coffee/tea-maker. Guests also enjoy access to the heritage
exhibits and scenic walks on the farm property. Closed: Nov.-Mar. €
Web site: www.connemaraheritage.com
Errisbeg Lodge, Errisbeg, Roundstone, Co. Galway;
tel./fax 095-35807; e-mail: errisbeglodge@eircom.net.
Located in a scenic rocky area just over a mile west of Roundstone, this
modern bungalow-style B&B home stands out in the Connemara landscape.
Hostess Shirley King offers 5 non-smoking guestrooms with basic comforts.
Closed: Dec.-Jan. €
Web site: www.errisbeglodge.com
Kingstown House, Bridge St., Clifden, Co. Galway, tel. 095-21470; email: kingstownhouse@eircom.net. Located in the town of Clifden, this townhouse B&B is just off Main St. Hostess Mary King offers 8 guest rooms (7 with private bath), each with TV, coffee/tea-maker, and hairdryer. Some rooms are suitable for triples or families. Closed December & January.
Kylemore House, N 59 Road, Kylemore, Co. Galway; tel./fax
095-41143; e-mail: kylemorehouse@eircom.net.
Nestled along the shores of Kylemore Lake, this Georgian-style B&B home
offers lovely views and a setting close to the famous Kylemore Abbey and
just 20 miles from Clifden. Hostess Nancy Naughton offers 6 spacious non-smoking
rooms in a cozy atmosphere, enhanced by her home-baking. Closed: Nov.- Feb. €
Web site: www.connemara.net/kylemorehouse
Ivy Rock House, Letterdyfe, Roundstone, Co. Galway;
tel. 095-35872, fax 095-35959; e-mail: ivyrockhouse@eircom.net.
Perched on a hillside on the east entrance to Roundstone, this modern dormer-style
bungalow B&B home is less than a mile outside of town. Hostess Catherine
Burke offers 6 non-smoking guestrooms, 5 of which are en suite. Closed:
Dec.-Feb. € Web site: www.galway.net/pages/ivyrockhouse
Mal Dua House, Galway Road, Clifden, Co. Galway; tel. 095-21171; e-mail: info@maldua.com.
Set back from the main N 59 road less than a mile from town, this 4-star
non-smoking guesthouse is an appealing place to stay with lovely gardens,
a sparkling brook and small stone bridge outside. Proprietors Peter and
Aideen Byrne offer 14 luxurious rooms, outfitted with TV, phone, hairdryer,
coffee/tea-maker. Guests are welcome to enjoy afternoon tea served in the
drawing room in old world style, or internet access in 21st century style. € to €€ Web site: www.maldua.com
Murlach Lodge, Ballyconneely Village, Clifden, Co. Galway; tel. 095-23921, fax 095-23748; e-mail: murlachlodge@eircom.net. Perched on the western edge of Co. Galway adjacent to the Connemara Golf Club, this modern home occupies a scenic quiet location, yet only about 5 miles from Clifden. Hostess Bernadette Keogh offers 6 non-smoking guestrooms, each with modern comforts and countryside views. And it's one of the few B&Bs in this area open year-round. € Web site: www.keoghs-murlachlodge.com/pages/lodge.html
Portfinn Lodge, Leenane, Co. Galway, tel. 095-42265; e-mail: info@portfinn.com. Hugging a hillside on the edge of Leenane overlooking Killary Harbor, this guesthouse was run as a laid-back fishing lodge by the Daly family for over 30 years. In 2009, it was dramatically rejuvenated, thanks to second generation of the family led by Oran Daly who returned to Ireland after working as a chef in New York. Spotlighted on the RTE-TV program At Your Service, it has evolved into a stylish country inn with a top class restaurant (serving lobster, scallops, mussels, turbot, brill and other fresh seafoods, as well as locally sourced meats and produce). The restaurant is reason enough to stay here, but the setting also draws people. The 11 guest rooms are furnished in contemporary style, with big windows framing the panoramic waterside and mountain views. It’s a great place to relax (no TVs in rooms nor WiFi), but, if you prefer outdoor activity, the hospitable Dalys will arrange activities such as scuba diving, fishing, golf, walking and hiking, or a cruise on Killary Harbor. Closed: January-February. € to €€ Web site: www.portfinn.com
Sea Mist House, Beach Rd., off The Square, Clifden, Co. Galway (tel. 095-21441). A cut above the usual B&B home, this Georgian-style stone-faced house dates back to 1825 and has been in the Griffin family since the early 1900’s. Hostess Sheila Griffin offers 4 non-smoking guest rooms (including a family room), with stylish country inn-style furnishings. Facilities include a newly built conservatory overlooking the gardens. Fruit from the garden is used in breakfast fruit compotes as well as fresh fruit salsa on pancakes. It is located in town, with private parking. Closed weekdays during off-season and also at Christmas. € to €€ Web site: www.seamisthouse.com
Waterfall Lodge, Oughterard, Co. Galway; tel. 091-552168;
e-mail: kdolly@eircom.net.
Relax amid a Georgian setting in this elegant non-smoking B&B home with
antique furnishings. Hostess Kathleen Dolly offers 6 guestrooms with modern
comforts including color TV. This place is a favorite with fishermen who
come to enjoy the private salmon and trout fishing for which Oughterard
is famous. Closed: Christmas. €
Web site: www.waterfalllodge.net
Connemara/Clifden —
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