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4 Irish self-catering stays with interiors as gorgeous as their surroundings

4 Irish self-catering stays with interiors as gorgeous as their surroundings


by Sarah Gill
15th Jan 2025

Slow down this season with a trip to one of our most beautiful locales. From Connemara’s wild beauty to West Cork’s entrancing shores, these self-catering stays all come with the promise of interiors as special as the landscapes they sit within.

Within the Village, Roundstone, Co Galway

Photography: Cliodhna Prendergast

The experience of leaving the city, traversing with sheep-strewn roads of the Connemara countryside, and arriving in the town of Roundstone is something akin to departing one dimension for another. It’s a realm where peace is paramount and time ticks by at a slower, more leisurely pace, and that same tranquillity radiates from the new addition to the area: Within the Village.

It’s a concept that’s been more than a decade in the making and gained momentum when a cancelled birthday cruise led three childhood friends from Galway past a hundred-year-old townhouse clad in a “for sale” sign. The wheels started turning in the summer of 2020.

“Having spent summers in Connemara in the 1980s, we had great memories of our youth, and it was lovely to relive it all over again together during the pandemic,” Maria, one of the co-owners, tells me. “The one thing that puzzled us was how almost everything ‘went to sleep’ in the winter, when those of us from the west know it’s the nicest time to enjoy the beaches, the food, the pubs and the turf fires.”

Transforming the space into five luxury self-catering suites full of stone detailing and beautiful wood finishes, each with their own private outdoor terrace or balcony areas, Within the Village brings the natural beauty of the outside landscapes in. From the colour scheme and choice materials to the specially curated selection of local suppliers, artists and craftspeople, Within the Village is showcasing the beauty unique  to the area in so many ways.

Curated by Aoibheann McNamara of Ard Bia and The Tweed Project, the “Crafts of Connemara” offering is a wonderful collection of design pieces found in the space, each with its own ties to the area and roots in slow fashion, sustainability, tradition and heritage. There’s not an element that doesn’t come with its own backstory. Pieces and products from local makers including Roundstone Ceramics, Joe Hogan, The Burren Perfumery, and Inish Living are found at every turn, and the space is truly a celebration of what makes the West of Ireland so special.

Positioned in a central location right in the heart of Roundstone village, just an hour’s drive from Galway city, it’s the perfect base for returning to after dinner and drinks around the corner, or departing from for a sunrise swim the next morning. Escaping here conjures the casual comfort of spending a weekend at your (very fancy) friend’s home, but leaves you feeling utterly rejuvenated.

Lissaclarig Cottage, Ballydehob, Co Cork

From the cabinetry and lampshades to the bed frames and wall hangings, Lissaclarig Cottage is filled with a mishmash of treasures collected from flea markets and antique shops over the years, creating a space as eclectic as it is comforting. 

Located in the wilds of West Cork, the garden begs for you to sit and wait awhile, as the wood-burning stove seems to beckon you inwards. With marble countertops, 1940s sinks and a pink planted mezzanine of ferns and pelargoniums, the devil’s in the detail of every nook and cranny. 

A stay here offers an opportunity to observe the subtle changes that each month brings. No matter what the phase of the season, there will be something to see, smell or taste. 

Ocean Lodge, Doonbeg, Co Clare

This renovated coastal cottage set along the Wild Atlantic Way is perfect for families and larger groups searching for a soul retreat. Within a half-hour drive of Loop Head, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Burren, this modest space has been equipped with a gym, steam room shower, large kitchen, wood burning stove and outdoor seating space, making it the quintessential west coast hideaway. 

A space for connecting as well as exploring, the ten-seater dining table and breakfast bar invite conversation, while the loft area demands complete and utter relaxation. The clean lines and minimalist design offers a feeling of elegance coupled with the laid-back vibe of a surfer’s beach house. The vantage point from the swing chair is second to none, and – wait for it – they’ve even got a pizza oven.

Limehouse Cottage, Glenbeigh, Co Kerry

Seeming to exist in a world all its own, Limehouse Cottage is planted where mountains, valleys and lakes collide in the untamed Kerry countryside. A self-catering hideaway offering luxury rustic living, nature has seeped into the very bones of the space through the lime rendered walls, raw wood and natural textures and tones throughout. 

With floor to ceiling windows in the glass room, you feel enveloped by nature, cosying up to watch the weather move across the landscape – and it becomes a stargazer’s paradise when day turns to night. Materials throughout have been sustainably sourced, and the open-plan living area revolves around an open fire, with vaulted ceilings and wooden tie beams. The views will swallow you whole, and the external stone bath demands an al fresco bathe. 

This feature originally appeared in the autumn/winter 2023 issue of IMAGE Interiors. Have you thought about becoming a subscriber? Find out more, and sign up here

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