More info:From €250 - €390 per week for a one bedroom cottage, depending on accommodation type and time of year. A two bedroom cottage ranges from €280 for a weekend off season up to €540 euro for a week in peak season.
The cottages provide an income which allows us to bring up our family on a third generation family farm. All labour and inputs sourced locally as much as possible. Guest are encouraged to take part in local life such as attending local shows and support other local enterprises such as restaurants, craft shops etc.
In 2016 we won a Gold Medal at the Irish Responsible Travel Awards for local sourcing and we are thrilled by that!
We have a recycling system in place for glass, cardboard, food waste etc. The cottages are insulated to a high standard and we have used non toxic paints and water based varnishes. We restored two old derelict buildings dating back before the 1860's and recycled a lot of materials in the building process. We meter electricity charges so visitors are encouraged not to waste.
As people living and working in our local community we are really aware of the need for rural areas to work together to counter the loss of jobs, population and services. We are active members of local sporting and arts groups and believe that local shops, businesses, food outlets etc need our support and the support of our guests.
We offer a loyalty discount for some local restaurants, and provide guests with a welcome pack of local produce which we hope you will enjoy and perhaps you will buy directly from the producer while you stay here. We encourage our guests to 'live like a local' and to engage with the local community, which is very welcoming.
The cottage I was staying in was located in a wonderful part of County Tipperary. The northern tip of Tipperary beside Lough Derg. I enjoyed exploring the area in my car in the first few days and then by traveling back to the locations and walking. The meadows and trees were still lush even though it was late September and I was blessed with wonderful weather in the first few days. I particularly enjoyed the drive from Terryglass to Nenagh by driving alongside Lough Derg. The lovely villages that I passed through and how clean and tidy everything looked. Views of the lake from higher roads were spectacular.
I was given the phone number of the owner of the cottages and spoke to him before I booked to get a better feel of what I needed to bring with me. He kindly arranged to have wifi in the cottage for me when I arrived and also a box of locally grown organic fruit and vegetables which I paid for on arrival. I would recommend that other travelers contact the owner for local information beforehand for anything they might have an interest in. They have bikes so to bring a helmet with them!
Yes to a point. I purchased the organic vegetables and purchased other food in the shops to cook myself. Also went to local town to their cafe. I would have cycled more had I stayed longer. I wanted to be familiar with the roads first before I ventured on a bike.
I wanted a retreat where I could be by myself without interruption and this is what I got. I knew that the owner was nearby if I needed any help which was comforting.
I had imagined the vacation before I left home and the vacation I got was that exact dream! Out of 10 it would be 10.
There was a beautiful bogland walk beside our accommodation. Also, Terryglass had an arts festival on while we were there, which was very enjoyable and this catered for young and old. The locals were very hospitable and friendly and the two pubs/restaurants also lay on a courtesy taxi, which is very handy.
Take a walk in Portumna forest park, which is also very scenic. There is a small shop in Terryglass for items such as bread, milk, but maybe bring a good amount of food items also if you plan on cooking much, rather than having to drive to Portumna for a bigger food shop. Bring night visibility vests for night time walking.
Yes. There are two local pubs/restaurants which are very good value and friendly. we also found it enjoyable to park up the car for a few days and walk instead.
We had a really lovely and relaxing vacation. The self catering house itself was very pretty, excellently maintained and very comfortable. There was some lovely little touches, for example, the access to the farms bogland for walking, some turf to light a fire in the stove, a kitchen well stocked in utensils/appliances, lovely bed linen and towels and information booklets about the area. A big bonus was also the accommodation being pet friendly. It was also really nice how the owner arranged for a family member to check in on us and say hello on their absence.
Cycling to various small villages, eating at the local pubs & eating blackberries by the side of the road.
Bring warm clothes, whatever the season. Ask for the full Irish breakfast wherever you go - it grows on you. Eat the goat cheese in filo pastry at the Derg Inn - and the chocolate soufflé (to die for). And go out into the open.
I guess it did benefit the local people, inasmuch as we ate at the local pubs and bought stuff from the local stores in the area.
It was an excellent retreat, and exactly what I was looking for: a small, warm, friendly place, far from the big city life. The pace of life is different, and although you do have a TV set in the cottage, I was never tempted to turn it on. The CD player came in handy, though. The people around are welcoming without being intrusive, the hosts are friendly and helpful, and the landscape is the greenest I've seen yet. An excellent vacation.
The owners are very friendly and family minded. On site play ground is great for the kids.
There is a nice forest with good walk ways a short drive away, also with good wheelchair access. The hotel shannon oaks is good value for bar food and quiet friendly staff.
My weekend visit to the farm was short but very relaxing. I had forgotten what quiet sounded like and it was a joy to be able to see the sky without the usual city lights. The cottage, which was cosy, was like stepping back to my childhood vacations on a rural farm but with hot running water and heating! It was lovely to be able to walk around such a peaceful spot and definitely worth packing good walking shoes. The village of Tullyglass is very pretty and not at all spoilt with a lovely pub and restaurant. Niall was very welcoming and helpful which I really appreciated. I had a most enjoyable stay and would recommend staying here.
If traveling by cheaper airline take an overnight bag as hand luggage (you can take up to 10kg) this will lighten your suitcase otherwise you will be charged £5.50 per Kilo for anything over the 15kg limit.
Yes we bought local food in local shops.
Excellent - cottage was wonderful.
Lovely area to stay but be prepared for averse weather conditions.