Part of my work is photographing hotels and small properties around Ireland, which means I have stayed in a lot of places I would never have found otherwise, and photographed several of them for their owners.
That gives me a slightly unusual view of accommodation here. I am not judging these on thread count. I am judging them on whether the place does something no other place does, and whether I would want to be there when the weather turns.
Six unique places to stay in Ireland, at very different price points.
Most of the places below sit in Your Ireland Guide alongside another sixty or so, with the access notes, parking and light timings I use myself.
Have a look hereBurrenmore Nest, County Derry
A cabin tucked into forest on the north coast, sleeping two, with floor to ceiling windows that put the woodland in the room with you. Wood burning stove inside, private outdoor bath outside.
What makes it worth planning around is where it sits. Mussenden Temple is essentially across the road, which means you can walk to one of the best sunset positions on the north coast and be back at the stove twenty minutes later. I shot this one myself, and the pines around it turn a proper amber at blue hour.
Galley Head Lighthouse, County Cork
A working lighthouse on Dundeady Island, a finger of rock reaching into the Atlantic near Clonakilty, guiding ships since 1878. The two former keeper's houses are restored and let by the Irish Landmark Trust, each sleeping four. Book both and the whole station sleeps eight.
No television, ocean on three sides, and the beam turning overhead after dark. If you are not staying, the lighthouse sits behind a private gate, though you can walk the headland road as far as the sign. This is the one on the list I would push hardest, and it books out well ahead.
Samsu, County Westmeath
An off grid cabin in woodland in the middle of the country, sleeping two. Floor to ceiling glass, wood burning stove, outdoor bath.
Westmeath is not where anyone plans to spend a night, which is precisely the appeal. It is also a sensible first or last stop if you are flying into Dublin and driving west. I photographed this one too, and the black timber cladding disappears into the trees in a way that makes the interior glow feel like the whole point of the building.
Goleen Harbour, County Cork
An eco resort on thirty eight acres near the tip of the Mizen Peninsula, where you can sleep in a geodesic dome, an eco cabin or a furnished bell tent, or pitch your own among the wildflowers.
There is a solar powered sauna and a wood fired hot tub looking out over the water, and the calendar runs to foraging walks and long table suppers. It is about as far south west as you can get and still have a bed.
Castlemartyr Resort, County Cork
The grand one on this list. A five star estate in east Cork built around an eighteenth century manor and the ruins of an 800 year old castle, set in 220 acres.
Rooms and suites in the manor, or self catering residences around the grounds, with a spa, indoor pool and golf course. I have photographed here, and the thing that stays with me is the grounds rather than the building: the castle ruin at dusk with the house lit behind it is a genuinely rare frame.
Gate Lodge 1837
A carefully restored gate lodge on the Clare coast, originally built in 1837 for the caretaker of a larger estate. Small, characterful, and one of my favourite places I have stayed in Ireland.
Bare plaster, slate floors, exposed stone and raw brass against sage and olive linen inside, with the whole cottage reading as a single warm point of light on a dark stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way after dark. Easy access to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren if you want to explore Clare's rugged coastline while you are out there.
