Vacation Rentals by Owner

A Wonderful Christmas Stay at The Hilltown

Guest: jen m.
Date of Stay: 12/22/11 Review Submitted: 02/08/12

Our stay at the Hilltown for Christmas was wonderful. The location was beautiful - gorgeous views, very quiet, with the beach a short walk away. The home was even better than we imagined. The setup was perfect for a family Christmas - lots of room to relax, spread out, and enjoy. The kitchen was especially well equipped, making it easy to cook a large Christmas feast that we all enjoyed in front of a roaring fire in the dining room. And the washer and dryer in the mudroom was very convenient, especially after excursions to the local beaches and walks around the countryside. Our kids loved it too - the bunk room was a big hit. Geoffrey and Jennifer, the caretakers for the home, were so hospitable, always available, and even invited our kids to their farm to meet the cows, horse, and pony - a highlight of the trip. And many thanks to Boyce Budd, who provided so much helpful information about the local area (and great pub tips!), and who checked in with us to ensure everything went smoothly with our trip. We have rented several vacation homes in Ireland, and the Hilltown was by far our favorite. We are already thinking about our return trip...we highly recommend the Hilltown for a wonderful, memorable vacation in Donegal.

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Home away from home...

Guest: Judith (Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/14/11 Review Submitted: 04/26/11

Our visit to County Donegal and Hilltown was delightful. The house was better than described, and we so appreciated your helpful information about sights, dining and hiking. We would definitely recommend the Hilltown for anyone who is looking for a picturesque setting in County Donegal. All the amenities of home were available to us, even clothes pins for hanging laundry outdoors on a bright sunny day!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Beautiful home and location

Guest: Lisa (Nazareth, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 09/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/26/10

What a beautiful home and location! My family and I had a wonderful time here. The house is so spacious yet so cozy - we all had plenty of space to stretch out. The surrounding countryside is beautiful. It's located in the country but so close to Donegal town. The pictures of the house on the website do not do it justice - it was even better than we expected it would be! Everything was spotless and well maintained. Geoffrey (the caretaker) was readily available if needed, and he was a very nice man. Boyce was very helpful by providing us with a list of local pubs and restaurants and local attractions. After a day of touring it was so nice to come "home" to this lovely farmhouse. We would recommend this home and we will stay here again on our next trip to Donegal! Thank you Boyce for sharing your home!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Storybook Setting

Guest: Kathy (Chatham NJ)
Date of Stay: 08/21/10 Review Submitted: 09/14/10

My husband and I, with teens down to young children, loved your elegant renovated home. I am so glad the roads are still one lane with those old hedgerows! The land feels like a storybook setting, but with modern comforts in the house. Mary, the cleaning lady, let us in, was very helpful and the place was clean. The gardens are beautiful outside. It is so nice that the cows and the pony are on the fields near the house. We felt we were transported to a quieter time. Very relaxing. Also, the view with the ruined stone church and graveyard and the bay view from the top of the hill was fabulous. So wonderfully linked to the past and so aesthetically pleasing! Donegal town and Murvagh beach are also really inviting. The apple orchard and blackberries in August were a bonus. I made 4 pies with my daughters.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

The perfect Ireland Vacation home!

Guest: Barbara Z (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 09/04/10

Hilltown is a beautiful, perfectly appointed home that serves as a great base for a visit to NW Ireland. We were two couples and played golf 5 out of 7 days, at great courses like Enniscrone, Sligo, Donegal, Rosapenna and Cruit Island - all at a fraction of the cost of the better-known Irish links courses. After using the terrific materials provided by the owner, we were able to provision the house with local food products and cooked in a couple nights. The kitchen has everything you need. All the other evenings we enjoyed some of the great local restaurants and pubs featured in the owners guide. We cannot recommend Hilltown enough if you are interested in discovering a little-visited lovely part of Ireland.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Guest: Robert & Robin Finnesey (Chester, NJ)
Date of Stay: 02/02/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/10

We would like to thank the Budd family for helping to make a dream vacation come true. Our trip to Donegal and Hilltown marked our 6th trip to Ireland. We have had the good fortune to see the southwest, the west coast to Sligo, greater Dublin, and the Antrim Coast. We thoroughly enjoyed all of these trips and have played some of the great links golf courses in the world. These previous trips required 2 and 3 night stays at various lovely B&Bs and enchanting castles. Living out of a suitcase, however, does have its drawbacks. Our 2 week stay at The Hilltown was easily our favorite accommodation to date. It was relaxing, the house was charming, spacious and very well appointed,making us feel right at home. Geoffrey and Jennifer McClay, the house and farm managers, were extremely gracious and helpful. Between Boyce and the McClays we were provided ample guidance, including handwritten guides to help us operate everything in the house, directions to various Pubs, restaurants and shops, we never felt lost. The golf was spectacular. The Links at Murvaugh, 5 mins from the front door; Narin and Port Noo; Cruit Island (the best 9 hole course in the world- not to be missed); Port Salon; Rosapenna; County Sligo; and Enniscrone are all fabulous and less than half the cost of Ireland's more famous venues. In addition to Boyce's great recommendations, another restaurant worth the trip is The Courthouse in Kinlough (071) 984-2391. Also, take the opportunity to walk the miles of sandy beaches only minutes away. We cannot wait to return. Morning coffee is not quite the same without the daily parade of 90 single file dairy cows on their way to pasture, topped off by a nice carrot for Lizzy the pony. Being at Hilltown is a magical experience that we hope to repeat in the near future.

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Guest: Mike Cotter (-)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 06/24/09

My friends and I (8 in total) had the pleasure of staying at The Hilltown as our base for a golfing tour of the Northwest coast. A beautifully restored property in the most pastoral of settings, The Hilltown was a perfectly quiet retreat that still afforded us all of the comforts of home, including cable TV and very fast wireless Internet service! We played 5 rounds at spectacular links courses all within a 90 minute drive. The courses were: Donegal Golf Club (very close..great)Enniscrone (90 Minutes …Fabulous), Cruit Island(90 Minutes ..great scenery), Narin & Portnoo (45 Minutes and a real GEM) and Sligo Golf Club(60 minutes ...Great). Downtown Donegal is a short 10 minute drive providing excellent restaurants and pubs. We all had a great trip. The Hilltown was perfect and the owners were a pleasure to deal with. Highly enjoyed and recommended by all of us.Thanks very much!!!

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Guest: Kelly Hamill (-)
Date of Stay: 04/27/09 Review Submitted: 04/27/09

We have fallen in love with Hilltown & Donegal! I would start out the day chasing the sheep around the front yard trying to get them to eat from my hand. I went so far as to dice-up an apple/carrot mixture, which they seemed to prefer! There were baby lambs everywhere which made it irresistible! We would then venture into town or to a neighboring town for site-seeing. During the weekend, there was an amazing festival with celtic performers. On Saturday we spent the morning in town at St.Patricks Cathedral listening to the choral competition. Amazing! We want to thank you again for opening Hilltown to us. We now know why it is such a magical place. We will always remember Donegal and Hilltown with love!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/11/08

We had a grand week this August ('08) with two other couples. The accomodations were charming and comfortable. The caretaker, Geoffrey, was attentive and helpful. We ate in three times, enjoying the Olympics and turf fire. The Hilltown is centrally located for golf: Murvagh (Donegal), Rosses Point (Sligo), Great Northern (Bundoran) and Narin-Port Noo. There are plenty of others, but time only allowed us these four. There are beaches, restaurants, culture and Donegalness! We defintely will repeat. Enjoy, Denis and Louise Duffy

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Sue D. (Wilmington, Delaware)
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/17/08

We spent a week at this beautiful home with three other golfing couples this August. It was spectacular, warm, cozy, spacious, updated and on acres of fantastic land with panoramic views. We walked down to the beach, to the old cemetery, to the apple orchard to pick a few for pies. The sheep were out the kitchen window sometimes. Geoffrey would take the cows in and out in the distance. This piece of heaven helped create a memorable vacation - plus, the golf courses were great. Kudos to the owners! Note: The fourth bedroom with bunkbeds is a tandem bedroom but does have a back staircase which worked fine for our group.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/04/08

Hilltown was an ideal choice for a relaxing family vacation. Although rural in location, many activities can keep you entertained and active. If golf is your focus, there are several outstanding links courses within easy reach; most particularly Donegal Golf Club, which is only 5 minutes away. The house itself is supremely suited for a group/family vacation. It is comfortable and lacks no conveniences. If you prefer eating out, there are numerous quality choices; some very near, some a bit of a drive, but the scenery enroute or upon arrival makes the drive worthwhile (see the owner's recommendations). At least once you should take advantage of a cliff top or beach venue and enjoy a wine and cheese outing.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/08 Review Submitted: 04/02/08

A perfect place for our family to reunite with my husband during his 2-week leave during his tour of duty in Iraq. The caretakers were helpful and accommodating to our every wish - we were welcomed by a decorated Christmas tree upon our arrival on Christmas Eve. The Hilltown is the perfect place for any holiiday - especially with children, as there is ample space, a large dining room, and plenty of fresh air and scenery to admire. The town has shops aplenty - and the people are all wonderful and helpful. Make sure you go to the Cliffs of Bunglass - highest cliffs in Europe!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/26/08

We landed home yesterday evening and just wanted to share our feelings about Ireland and the Hilltown. Both were everything we expected and much more, offering a snapshot into a wonderful home and a wonderful heritage. The entire Donegal area was beautiful and the caretaker for the Hilltown was kind and very helpful. We spent a tremendous week together as a family and loved the house, the land, Lizzie the pony, the people, the scenery, the beach (although we could never find Bell's Isle), and more. We enjoyed the guest book and browsed through two family albums we found in the book shelves, intrigued by the history and stories within those pages. The house itself was perfect and we did our best to respect the property. We were even sure that we had the company of a friendly ghost but your imagination can go crazy in an old farmhouse in an ancient land on a foggy night. We were amazed by the rapid changes in weather and appreciative for the very brief rain storms, the wind howling at night, the warmth of the fire places and the Cadbury drinking chocolate we became addicted to, and the many rainbows we saw as we drove from one end of the north country to another. Eventually we ran out of time but never out of love for what we saw. A week certainly wasn't long enough and we are already talking about going back. Thanks again for the wonderful opportunity to experience Ireland through the truly magical portal of the Hilltown.

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