Where can I find a great holiday cottage in Ireland to rent for a week
in September or
October of 2002?
It must be right by the sea so that I can sea-fish from the property.
It must be picturesque yet have modern amenities. In a quiet by not
isolated area with road access to explore by car. Preferably in the
south or west of Irelan. Must allow smoking but no pet requirement.
Needs to sleep 2 only but larger is ok, price immaterial - quality,
location and view are the criteria. Offering must show images of the
cottage interior, exterior and views, and must have comprehensive
description of property, location, amenities etc
Please answer with specifics, not generalised holiday cottage websites
- I've been to them and they are all too vague and show only thumbnil
sized images.
If anyone points me to a suitable property that I subsequently rent
and enjoy my vacation I will pay an additional $100 in way of
"thanks".
Cheers!

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Request for Question Clarification by voyager-ga on 16 Jul 2002 05:13 PDT

Hallo draco!

Considering the vast selection of available cottages, your question
isn’t easy to answer at all and there'd be some luck involved if I
found exactly what you're looking for.
"great" means something different for most people, so I tried to
include a variety of different styles. Even if none fits your ideal,
you could tell me by answering the clarification request, and I could
concentrate on a certain style that best matched your ideas:

This one is looking pretty good and doesn't seem to be lacking any of
the amenities of modern live. I can imagine the nights out there must
be especially beautiful.
http://www.irishcottagebythesea.com/

If you like castle style surroundings and don’t want to live too far
outside you might have a look at this (cottages belonging to a
castle):
http://www.castle-townshend.com/selfcat_cottages.html#mews

This one is overlooking Ventry Bay and not too pricy but looks pretty
good from the pictures. It also has a very nice stone fireplace:
http://www.cottagenet.com/Cottage8.htm

This is more like a holiday village made of many cottages, if you
desire the company of fellow tourists.
http://www.ichh.ie/schull.htm

This property is more North American style if you want to “feel at
home” without having to take the local culture into account:
http://www.irish-holiday-rentals.com/collarushouse/index.html

If your dream always was to live in a signal box – here’s your chance.
That’s at least a very novel idea to me. Including the usual amenities
of modern life. (I know this is probably not what you want, but I just
wanted to make sure to cover as much as possible)
http://www.shamrockcottages.co.uk/cottages/174.htm

This is a bit further north than you planned to go I think but here’s
info anyways: The cottages are located next to an old harbour in the
middle of a village.
http://www.rentacottage.ie/ballyvaughan.html

This cottage is a converted stable overseeing Bantry Bay including a
pebble beach of its own.
http://www.rentacottage.ie/bantry.html

If you would consider this an answer, please tell me, so I can post it
as one. If not, please use this to better define what you are looking
for. Maybe I or another researcher can then locate something that
would qualify as an answer!

Thank you to ciara-ga for her input.

voyager-ga

Additional Resources:

Yahoo’s directory entries for cottages
http://uk.dir.yahoo.com/regional/countries/ireland/business_and_economy/shopping_and_services/travel_and_transportation/accommodation/self_catering/

Shannon Regional Fishing Boards (accommodation service – you can also
get lots of fishing links from there)
http://www.shannon-fishery-board.com/shannon/accommodation_services/AccommodationSearch.asp

The Great Fishing Houses of Ireland (not cottages but very
picturesque)
http://www.irelandflyfishing.com/map.html

Irish Castles (some also rent out cottages. Definitely "great"...
mostly rather pricy, too, but if you're looking for something
exclusive...)
http://www.irish-castles.com/

Search Strategy:

Yahoo!Ireland
http://www.yahoo.ie

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Clarification of Question by draco-ga on 16 Jul 2002 19:30 PDT

Hello Voyager and Seedy

Thank you for your efforts.
Of course I had not given sufficient thought before posting my
question to the all important aspect of what is "great" to me. I did
try and give some parameters in the form of requirements but having
now seen the responses I really must be more specific, so here goes!
I suppose the easiest and best way I can clarify is to say that I am
not looking for A cottage but for THE cottage. I rarely venture on
vacation as I detest it, but my long suffering wife deserves and needs
a break after a very severe illness, and its about time I got off my
butt and took her on vacation.
We have both always had an inkling to visit Ireland and it has the
advantage that I can reach there by car (we live in England).
There are just the two of us so we dont NEED somewhere large to rent
but I wouldnt be put off if the "cottage" was much larger than we
require - the all important aspect LOCATION. I want it right by the
SEA - so when I referred to fishing in the original posting I meant
SEA fishing, and the SEA i.e. the ocean, not a dirty smelly estuary.
The cottage needs to have all mod cons, so need not necessarilly be
old, but must sort of look the part. It must be quiet in the sense of
rural but we dont want total isolation! Ideally it would be on or near
the foreshore of a rugged area. It needs to be in the south or west of
ireland and it must have car parking at the cottage i.e. be accessible
by car for ease and also for sight seeing.
I am looking for somewhere really special, and dont mind paying. It
doesnt have to be a "cottage" - a house, small castle or whatever,
just as long as its location and amenities are fantastic.
MY wife and I have trawled through dozens of sites listing cottages,
many of those you have listed we already viewed. I am not interested
in a bunch of generic URLs, what I am looking for is specific URLs
that direct me straight to the holiday cottage of my dreams. While you
are researching when you come across the right place you will know
it!!
Oh, and a most important requirement is that it is available for a
weeks rental in the last half of September or anytime October but
preferably early in the month).
MY offer of an extra $100 still stands to anyone that points me to the
right place if we subsequently rent it and enjoy ourselves!!!
Thanks.

---

Clarification of Question by draco-ga on 18 Jul 2002 04:17 PDT

I replied with a clarification but I am receiving emails from Google
Answers asking me to clarify. MY clarification is within the thread.
Did I do something wrong?

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Request for Question Clarification by cobrien-ga on 18 Jul 2002 08:35 PDT

Hi draco-ga,

First of all, congratualtions on your choice of holiday destination -
I have spent many holidays in the south and west of Ireland and
enjoyed every minute of it.

I have looked into this a bit, but the main problem I am having is
with the sea fishing on the property. I thought I might have had one
for you, but unfortunately it is lacking in the sea fishing
requirement. However, they were willing to arrrange it close by.

What I'm really asing is if you are willing to be flexible on the
sea-fishing on the peoperty issue. If you are, I can post some info
for you now. If not, I'll keep looking and harassing the people at my
local tourist info bureau!

regards,
cobrien-ga

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Clarification of Question by draco-ga on 18 Jul 2002 10:22 PDT

Hi Cobrien

Regarding the sea-fishing...
I am not a keen fisherman or anything like that, but the idea of being
so close to the sea that I can touch it appeals to me, to be able to
sit at the end of the property by the sea and cast out a line is what
I am looking for, though I am willing to wander a few extra yards to
achieve this <G>I am not looking for any heavyweight fishing or going
out in a boat, just something casual that I can do when the fancy
takes me.
I just want somewhere BY the water as opposed to 300 yards up a cliff
looking down at the water.
However, if you have something mind-bogglingly good in every other
respect that you feel I should take a look at then I would be willing.
Cheers

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Request for Question Clarification by cobrien-ga on 19 Jul 2002 04:22 PDT

Hi draco-ga,

Sorry for yet another clarification, but I need to check one thing
with you. I have found a group of about six cottages that are located
in Kerry, on the Portmagee Channel. I was wonder if you would be
interested in renting one of these - I want to clarify if you are
opposed to a holiday home that is in a (small) group development.

Fingers crossed!

Thanks, 
Cobrien-ga

---

Clarification of Question by draco-ga on 19 Jul 2002 05:46 PDT

Cobrien - I am looking for privacy so a group, collective, commune or
other such assembledge isn't what I am looking for.

Hi draco-ga,

There has been much to-ing and fro-ing about this question, but at
long last, I might have an answer for you. Of course, you will have to
check it out yourself, but I think it just might fit all the
requirements.

You wanted a property right by the sea so you could do a bit of
fishing from the property; not too isolated; and with all mod cons.
You also wanted a Website that would show different photographs of the
house, with views, etc.

After a lot of searching, I think we finally have a winner –
Fairywell, located in Cork. This property is located about a mile from
Schull (pronounced 'skull'), which is a nice little town/village on
the coast of Cork.

It is a four-bedroomed house, but you did mention size wasn’t an issue
, as long as the location was correct.

The house overlooks the harbour, but judging from the views shown on
the site, it’s not too close to the town. The garden runs down to the
sea, so you can sit on your property and cast a line whenever the
fancy takes you.

There is also a conservatory, which looks out over the sea. You will
get to see some great sunsets there!

The site itself has a good number of images of the site – all of which
open in a small, separate window. The images include a view from the
house out over the sea, images of two bedrooms, the conservatory and
views of the house from the sea. It also has a decent back garden – if
the image is anything to go by!

As you required, it has mod cons, including TV, video and kitchen
appliances. It does say that the kitchen is not state of the art, but
it is functional. It doesn’t mention whether smoking is allowed or not
– but then, few houses I have come across mention it one way or
another.

As for sightseeing, the town is ideally placed to explore this coastal
area of Cork – it’s quite beautiful.

I’ve checked on its availability – at present, it is available from
September 28th onwards. If you wish to book the house, you can contact
the agent at 00 353 28 28122 – the company name is James Lyons
O’Keefe.

http://www.westcorkproperty.com/properties/WCP_P_Add.asp?ID=87


Here is some general information about the area: 

http://www.12travel.com/ie/Cork_Kerry/Schull.html

This also gives some details on fishing: 
http://www.where-to-fish.com/docs/4c016001.html

If you want to eat out, there is a list of restaurants here (not all
are in Schull, but there are a couple):
http://www.adlib.ie/quickguide.asp?cn=CK&recid=21

If you want some further information on Cork, try this site: 
http://cork.local.ie/

I hope that this property meets your needs, and I wish you and your
wife a lovely holiday. It’s a wonderful part of Ireland to visit, and
having spent many holidays in that area I feel qualified to recommend
the area.

On the off chance that it doesn’t, the same property agent also offers
the following properties:
 
Briar Lodge, also about a mile from Schull. It over looks the sea,
although it is on an elevated site. It is available from the 28th of
Spetember until October 19th.

http://www.westcorkproperty.com/properties/WCP_P_Add.asp?ID=39

Kilbrinogue Cottage: there isn’t much of a description of the cottage
– only some images. This is available from the 21st of September until
the 30th.

http://www.westcorkproperty.com/properties/WCP_P_Add.asp?ID=43

I suggested to voyager-ga previously that Castletownshend might meet
your needs – it is on  the water, and you can rent out parts of the
castle. It’s quite an interesting place to stay – I stayed there once
myself and enjoyed it immensely. The only thing is that it is situated
at the bottom of a hill, which may not be suitable for your wife if
she is ill, unless you have a car. Take another look and see what you
think. It is located in the same area as the other houses – in and
around Schull and Skibbereen.

If you require further information, please post a clarification and I
will try to address it.
Good luck with your holiday.

Cobrien-ga

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Clarification of Answer by cobrien-ga on 19 Jul 2002 07:57 PDT

My apologies - I forgot my search strategy.

To find the property, I searched Doras.ie, which is a directory of
Irish websites. This can be found at www.doras.ie.

I searched Google (the irish version, www.google.ie) for further
information using the search terms 'Schull and Cork'

cobrien-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by draco-ga on 19 Jul 2002 13:15 PDT

Hi Cobrien

Thanks for the answer. I took a look at Fairywell - certainly much
nicer than some I have seen but it didn't really do it for me, lacked
any charm and character, and I don't fancy spending a week at a
property with a suspect kitchen, I also found the website unhelpful -
no prices, no availability info, and quite frankly I am not about to
complete an enquiry form every time I wish to enquire on a property
for rent.

I possibly misled you with the info about my wife's illness, she is
well and active, and her hobby is whill-alking - she is fitter and
faster than me, she has recovered from her illness, hopefully for
good.

I have yet to be impressed by any suggested property, though some are
much better than others. I appreciatte you have all contributed a lot
of research time but at this moment I have yet to see anything I would
book and as such I have no solution. I have been searching for
something "special" rather than "acceptable", I feel in my bones there
IS the right rental property out there but it most certainly isnt
Fairywell.

I compliment the researchers on all their efforts to provide me with
an answer. The final suggestion was not to my taste, so ultimately
while I enjoyed the experience of this Google Answer thread it did not
provide me with a solution - maybe thats just a facet of the
difference between asking a question that has a definitive answer to
one that has a subjective element. So I reluctantly feel I have no
choice than to rate the answer as only 2 stars as it did not solve my
requirement. Thank you all for your comments.

Although is is often difficult to interpret a person's concept of
greatness, the following links resulted from a google search of "irish
cottages" + fishing + great

The first link that came up looked pretty great to me and offered fly
fishing and deep sea fishing by information was not available as to
whether it was available on or from the property.  
http://www.a1vacations.com/irishrentals/2/#Amenities  I have sent an
email to the rental agency as follows:  "If I were to rent rent at
Rose Cottage, can the fly fishing be done on the property.  If not,
what is the distance away from the property and can transportation be
provided to the fly fishing location. I'll assume the deep sea fishing
would involve transportation to a nearby dock."

Another link that may prove to be valuable is:

       http://irishcottagevacations.com/more/index.html
This comment struck me as being responsive to your needs since you can
probably rent a boat during your stay to accomplish fishing right from
your property..

This site seems to offer quite a variety of conditions. The main page
can be found at:

      http://irishcottagevacations.com/accommodations/index.html

Another link which seems interesting is the following one:

     http://www.ichh.ie/gold_coast.htm

The attraction here is the indoor swimming pool which could ease the
wear and tear on your body of casting all day and hauling in thoes
lunkers.

Well, I don't know if any of these locations will completely satisfy
your desires.  I hope they supplement the effort made by the original
researcher and can form the basis for a "full" answer to your
facinating question.

seedy

Hello draco-ga,

I've got one possibility for you. It appears to meet all of your
requirements:

You said: "It must be right by the sea so that I can sea-fish from the
property"

They say: "This beautiful green valley is filled with waterfalls,
rocks to climb, caves to swim in and great ocean fishing right off the
rocks in front of the cottage"
http://www.irishrentals.com/index.html

And, another alternative: "P.J. O' Grady will take you out fishing in
the sea and you can pull up your own shrimp fresh from the sea if they
are in season."
http://www.irishrentals.com/tirnanog/index.html


You said: "It must be picturesque yet have modern amenities."

They say: "Our unique home is filled with all our personal, favorite
things. Our love of antiques is evident throughout the vast open space
of the house. It is very special to us, as we personally designed it
so that we could enjoy the beautiful view of the sea through the
expansive windows. When relaxing in bed, the stars peer in through the
skylight above. Tir na nO'g sleeps 8 people comfortably. There are 4
bedrooms and 3 baths (2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths downstairs; 1
bedroom, 1 bedroom loft, and 1 bath upstairs), a modern kitchen [they
include a photo of the kitchen on the Web site] with microwave,
dishwasher, laundry room. A fireplace in the living room and in one
bedroom. Books are provided for your reading pleasure."
http://www.irishrentals.com/tirnanog/index.html


You said: "In a quiet by not isolated area with road access to explore
by car. Preferably in the south or west of Ireland"

They say: "An abundance of ancient sites to explore, 3 golf courses
between nearby Bantry and Castletownbere, and quaint shoppes, pubs and
restaurants provide an abundance of recreational possibilities. The
Fisherman's Coop boasts of fresh catch, including crab and salmon.
Casteltownbere is the second largest fishing port in Ireland."
http://www.irishrentals.com/tirnanog/index.html

Also: "Our Irish cottage rentals are based in West County Cork,
Ireland on the Beara Peninsula in the village of Adrigole. The Beara
Peninsula (click here for picture) is on Bantry Bay, which is part of
the Atlantic Ocean." (West County Cork is in the southwest of Ireland)

You said: "Must allow smoking but no pet requirement."

The lease for the cottage specifically prohibits pets, but neither it,
nor the Web site that I can find, makes any mention of a prohibition
against smoking.
http://www.irishrentals.com/irishcon.pdf


You said: "Offering must show images of the cottage interior, exterior
and views, and must have comprehensive description of property,
location, amenities etc"

The Web site includes a photo of the cottage exterior, one of the
modern kitchen, and two photos of the grounds/view. The description of
the cottage is excellent and they have a huge page of suggested
daytrips and another page of quotes from people who have stayed at the
cottage and loved it.


You said: "Needs to sleep 2 only but larger is ok, price immaterial -
quality,
location and view are the criteria."

Well, it's larger (though they also offer a slightly smaller cottage
which may also meet your needs) but it sounds perfect to me in all
other respects.

Some of the things which make it unique:

"Built on the edge of Bantry Bay, Tir na nO'g has it's own natural
bathing pool sculpted from the rocks."

"It is the most beautiful place on earth and our favorite place to be.
At night, the stars are so big, you feel as if you can reach out and
touch them. When it rains, there is a rainbow that arches over the
house into the Bay."

"There is a garden where you can dig your own Irish potatoes and pots
of fresh herbs to compliment the fish you just caught the night
before."
http://www.irishrentals.com/index.html

"Legend has it that Oliver Cromwell landed here, and the Cave of the
Ivy was formed overnight. This cave is accessible from the Sea and has
a lovely little beach."
http://www.irishrentals.com/tirnanog/index.html

It's even within a day's drive of the Blarney Stone if you're into
that kind of thing ;-)

I hope that I've been of some assistance in putting you and your wife
in the cottage of your dreams. The only thing that I can't confirm is
that it is still available for the weeks you requested. You will need
to email them for that. Best of luck in your search.

Regards,

inquisitive-ga

Hello again draco-ga,

TirnanOg (the cottage I mentioned in my other comment above) is
available for two weeks during your requested time period:
Sept 28 -October 5 
October 5-12 

Howie Fagan would be happy to send you additional photos, a brochure,
etc. Here's contact information (and I didn't give him any information
about you):

Howie Fagan 
1-800-964-9979 
careyco2@aol.com

The other cottage, Rose Cottage (which doesn't appear to stretch to
the ocean but is a short walk) is available:
Sept 20-27 
Sept 27-Oct 4 

I hope this helps.

inquisitive-ga

Dear Inquisitive

Thank you very much for your suggestion. We have emailed Mr Carey
regarding availability (prior to your second comment) and asking a
couple of questions. The property looks possibly ideal!

Cheers
Joe

Glad to help. Please let me know if it turns out to be "the one!" I'm
a sucker for romantic getaways :)

inquisitive-ga

Hi draco-ga,

Forgot to mention my search strategy:

ireland unique vacation rental ocean fishing

Hope this helps!

inquisitive-ga