Baunoges Cottage Connemara, Galway

We just returned from a three week vacation in Ireland and the whole family, all nine of us, agreed that Connemara and the Red Deer Cottage was our favorite stop! It is a perfect base for exploring Connemara and just enjoying the beautiful home and surrounds. Some of the highlights: the cottage is 5 minutes from the Connemara Nat'l Park- we took an afternoon and hiked Diamond Mountain, absolutely gorgeous and quite a feat to not get blown off! Kylemore Abbey is 10 minutes away it's breathtaking and definitely worth an afternoon wandering through, 15-20 minutes from Clifden where we rented electric bikes from "All Things Connemara" and biked the beautiful Sky Road. There are some great pubs in Letterfrack but our favorite was Paddy Coynes in Tully Cross, just 4 km away. They were so nice and the food was way above pub grub at pub prices! Our teenagers loved the "Killary Sheep Farm" and the sheepdog demonstrations, take that day and do a Killary Fjord boatride and then go up the Delpi Pass, it is some of the prettiest views in all Ireland(it even beats the Dunloe Gap in my opinion) We spent five wonderful days and only wish we had had more time. Now on to the cottage itself, I really cannot find one fault with our wonderful accommodations. The other reviews pretty well cover it, very comfy beds, spacious high end living spaces, and well equipped kitchen! We cooked in a couple nights and once you got yourself acquainted with everything it was an easy kitchen to cook in. American people take note: all the appliances are VERY different, we learned quickly to ask. Liz, the owner, was very helpful explaining how to run everything, and while I'm on the subject let me just stop here and say she was one of the sweetest most helpful people we met on our entire trip! That's saying a lot for Ireland, the people here are so nice it's amazing! She stopped by our first day to check in on us, and gave us wonderful advice on where to eat and what to see. My father had broken his glasses and Liz offered to take them with her to get them fixed for us, she even lent him her mother's reading glasses till she could get his back! Cannot believe how above and beyond she was! Also if she is playing anywhere nearby during your stay, don't miss it! Liz and her sister are renowned fiddle players and we went and saw her play in Clifden, one of our favorite nights!! Whenever you rent something you always hope it's going to be as good as the pictures and I can honestly say this place far exceeded my expectations in every regard! I hope to return to Ireland someday and if I do I will definitely be back to Letterfrack and the Red Deer cottage!

Red Deer Cottage is a real gem. This was our second holiday staying at this house. We stayed a few years ago before our daughter came along so we've seen how well the house works with or without children. The house is really comfortable, clean and well-equipped. Everything you need is there. The kitchen has everything you need to cook well which is great (and which is not always the case with rental houses). There are plenty of bedrooms and if you need to be downstairs beside your child there's a very good double room with an ensuite right next to where the children might sleep. All the bed linen is fresh, crisp, white and new. There are plenty of towels and a spacious utility room for all that kiddie washing! The living room is very cosy at night, with fresh turf in the shed for the stove and all the TV channels you might need. One of the perks of this house is the high speed internet connection. It never failed us, and this is great if you need to keep on top of work emails and so on (I know, I know, you're supposed to be getting away from it all!!). We love the location. This is the heart of Connemara - one of the most glorious spots in the world, whatever the weather. We drove to nearby beaches on sunny days - either to the stunning Glassillaun beach or to the smaller and really beautiful Eyrephort beach near Clifden town (both about 20 minutes drive). We also spent time at the little playground and tearooms in the Connemara National Park, which is about 5 minutes away by car, just as you drive into the local Letterfrack village (which has a very good supermarket). Entrance is free. There is a great walk/hike here too - all the way up to the top of Diamond Hill. There is a path all the way and it is worth the effort to get to the top - the views of the whole area are sensational! Clifden itself is about 20 minutes away by car and is a lovely town for a browse. We ate at Mitchell's Restaurant a couple of times, a very nice family run eatery in the town. There are good pubs in town and plenty of great traditional Irish music. The owner of this property - Liz (a very well-known traditional Irish musician) - is very quick to respond to any queries or requests and she runs a tight ship! We've always found her to be very helpful, warm and friendly. She has many return customers which speaks volumes about her house and service. In fact, her house is usually booked out a year in advance for the high season which says it all! We'll definitely be back!

We (a family of five) stayed at this house for a week in June 2012. We have stayed in many holiday houses throughout Ireland and this rated as one of our favorites. It is a welcoming, modern, comfortable house with all of the facilities that make a holiday enjoyable and relaxing. It is located in a beautiful area and the views from the house are lovely. We found the owner to be friendly and helpful and the house reflects her understanding of what makes a holiday house into a home away from home. We would definitely recommend this house to anyone looking for a peaceful, relaxing break.

We spent two wonderful weeks in Red Deer Cottage in May of 2013. The location of the cottage was perfect and the level of furnishings and attention to detail was very high. You can walk out the front door, walk to the road, turn right and walk for miles with great views of The Bens and the sea. Letterfrack Village has a well-stocked market and a very good bar/restaurant. Clifden is a 20 minute drive and has several large markets and many choices for shopping and meals. Liz and her entire family did everything they could to make our stay comfortable and we are returning for a second visit in May of 2014.

If you are considering a trip through Ireland's beautiful Connemara area, consider this cottage to be your accommodation. It is not only pristine in its cleanliness, comfort and convenient location, it is a vacation in itself. Nearby villages feature great eating and entertainment. And you are centrally located to visit the western coastline and the majestic Connamera region. We were very impressed with the quality of this cottage. First rate kitchen with well-equipped, high end accouterments. VERY restful beds, leather couches and chairs. Satellite TV and internet was a plus during a few exceedingly rainy days. We were very impressed with this cottage, which out-shined other places we evaluated in the area.