Vacation Rentals by Owner

Absolutely beautiful!

Guest: Mandi (CT, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/08/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Thank you so much for our stay at Ballyreen. It was so beautiful and my husband and I had such an amazing time. I knew the area was beautiful, but I did not realize we had such a good view of the Cliffs and the Islands from the top of the road! We caught some beautiful sunsets! Doolin is a great location for traditional music as well as beautiful hiking spots. The cottage was very private....our only neighbors were cows! We would recommend this spot to our family and friends and would like to stay again in the future.

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Lovely Ballyreen Cottage

Guest: Sam and Laura (Kansas City, Missouri)
Date of Stay: 08/31/10 Review Submitted: 09/09/10

We arrived at Ballyreen Cottage after a long day of driving from Kenmare, across the ferry in Tarbert and through the scenic coastal towns toward Doolin. As soon as we entered the cottage, we felt relaxed in such a warm and inviting home. We loved the artwork, skylights, sound system, books, candles, and all other thoughtful extras in the cottage. The remote location was just what we wanted; the gardens and scenic views from the cottage were so very pretty. On one of our evening walks down the short path to the ocean we saw the most amazing sunset over the Aran Islands and later that night a million stars lit the sky. We will never forget it. We took the Aran Magic ferry to the Aran Island of Inis Oirr to spend part of a day, and returned to view the spectacular Cliffs of Moher from the water. A school of dolphins performed for us along the way, diving in and out of the water alongside of the ferry. We enjoyed the food, the music and the people (and the Guinness) at McDermott's pub and had a great lunch at Fitzpatrick's. We also enjoyed exploring the Burren, and the scenic drive towards Galway. Thank you, Maryann, for sharing your cottage with us. If we are fortunate enough to ever come back to Ireland, we would love to stay at your cottage again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Charming and Relaxing Cottage!

Guest: Dana (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 07/18/10 Review Submitted: 09/01/10

When my family decided to take our long-anticipated trip to Ireland, we knew that we wanted to spend the first week somewhere where we could unwind and enjoy the Irish countryside. We also wanted a good 'home base' for our many drives around the area. This proved to be the perfect spot! The town center of Doolin is only a few miles away (you'll need to drive a car to get to shops, pubs, etc.), and the cottage is on a very infrequently used road (no cars driving by at all). The cottage is quaint and charming. The cows and horses in the nearby pastures, along with the clouds that rolled off the ocean, made this a picturesque spot. From here, we took day trips to Westport, the Aran Islands (where we took a bike tour) and Bunratty Castle (pretty touristy but still fun). Of course we also spent time in Doolin and going to the pubs. This is a great place to vacation! I would love to come back in cooler weather to have an opportunity to use the fireplace.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Ruth Baranowski (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 09/29/09 Review Submitted: 09/29/09

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ballyreen. What a fabulous location on the private road, with the cows and the horses and the ocean nearby. The peace and quiet was amazing, and my cousin commented that it had been years since she had slept so soundly. We explored Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands. We also spent two days in Dublin and wished that we had skipped it and stayed on the west coast of Ireland. It is a special place. Thanks, MaryAnn. We enjoyed your beautiful cottage very much. Ruth and Loretta

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Guest: Carolyn & Graig (Silver Spring, MD USA)
Date of Stay: 08/26/09 Review Submitted: 08/26/09

I think Kellie said just about everything that I had in mind to say (8/8/09 comment)! The weather was also temperamental during our honeymoon stay at Ballyreen. But it gave us an excuse to light the fire. We really enjoyed Doolin and made use of the ferry rides to see the Cliffs of Moher. Ferries also run daily to the Aran Islands, for those interested. We happened to enjoy McDermott's pub the best with their live music. After an evening out, Ballyreen Cottage was the perfect retreat. Access to the cottage was easy enough after Maryann's detailed directions. The cottage is in prime location to explore to the south or north. Outdoor enthusiasts will really enjoy the area as there are many hiking and biking paths near by. Maryann, you may be hearing from some of our friends - we've recommended your place to everyone we know interested in traveling to Ireland!

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Guest: Kellie Griego (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Date of Stay: 08/08/09 Review Submitted: 08/08/09

We arrived at Ballyreen at midnight in torrential rains and wind! I tried to hold my umbrella over my husbands head while he put the cbination into the lock box, but the umbrella quickly turned inside out and was blown down the road. We laughed as we became drenched, and then made a mad dash for the door! Struggled a bit to find the key holes...and then when we hit the lights, WOW!!! The cottage is so charming and feels so welcoming. The beds are comfortable, the shower is great, and the fire place is easy to use and makes everything so cozy and warm. It's definately everything we had hoped for! When we woke up and finally got to treat ourselves to the view, we were completely amazed! It is incredibly beautiful with lush green hills and the cows and horses. You can see the castle in the distance, and hear the ocean. Walk a couple steps out the ocean is right there! I lived being at the end of the road. Doolin is the best! We definately chose the right village to stay in. We lived O'Connors pub. The music was great and the food was wonderful! If you like seafood and are daring, try the seafood plate! It's huge! They had the best seafood chowder and the best lamb. Lisdoonvarna has a good Chinese restaurant! We used the market in Ennistimon. They make great sandwiches for picnics. The Cliffs of Moher are incredible and inspiring, the Burren could be explored forever, and the rock walls are such a piece of history! Unbelievable!!! Castle and church ruins are everywhere. We made a trip to Galway and shopped, ate outside at a cafe, and checked out the Hookers (boats). Lovely! We went to the beach in Fenore, the sandy beach, and watched the crazy suffers in their wetsuits as the went into the freezing cold water. Ireland takes you back in time. The weather...well we caught a few funny days, but always have a sweater and rain jacket available! The air was warm, but the wind from the Atlantic ocean has a mind of it's own! If you get the chance to rent a car and drive, Do it! But beware. The roads are narrow with no room for forgiveness. Driving on the left side was quite an experience, especially with their speed limits! It really was fun and we laughed a lot! We were so glad that we had the freedom to take off and explore! Thank you Maryann for a WONDERFUL holiday and experience!!!!! Best, Kellie and Eric

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Guest: danny blaydes (orlando, fl)
Date of Stay: 06/17/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/09

This cottage is wonderful! My daughter, granddaughter and I spent nine of the most glorious days there. It was well stocked, so charming, clean, peaceful-could not have been better. Maryann is so nice and helpful. I can't wait to return. The view from every direction is breathtaking. We felt comfortable letting the 5 year old in the yard to do 5 year old things-she loved all of the cows and horses surrounding the cottage. We loved walking the area around the cottage and never tired of the view. We would give Ballyreen Cottage 5 stars.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/31/09 Review Submitted: 05/30/09

Staying at Ballyreen was a magical experience for our family. My wife and I brought our 3 children to Ireland and the stay at Ballyreen was amazing! There is complete peace and serenity, with no house between us and the Atlantic Ocean. Having never been to Ireland, we loved the look of the Burren, and we chose the right location. We traveled to other parts of the country, but found ourselves loving the Doolin area more and not wanting to stray far. The Cliffs of Moher are very near and Lisdoovarna has a nice market and some nice restaurants. Although our vacation is over, I feel as though my thoughts remained behind at Ballyreen. Thank you Maryann - it was a wonderful and memorable experience.

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Guest: Hannah13 (New York)
Date of Stay: 05/12/09 Review Submitted: 05/12/09

Ballyreen Cottage was just wonderful - the location was perfect, and the facilities were just what we were looking for. We sat by the fire and made a wonderful curry on the stove and took a walk down to the wild ocean and just had a marvelous time. Thanks!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/14/08

Thanks Maryann,we ran out of time all too quickly. Ballyreen all we could have wanted, that bath!!!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/22/08

We had a fabulous time at Ballyreen, and the cottage really felt like home to us. We had a couple of cosy nights by the stove with the rain outside - even our 16 year old daughter was charmed by it all! I enjoyed "chatting" with the cows over the garden fence. We all felt that it was the best equipped holiday house we have ever stayed in, and the library of books was much appreciated. I also loved being able to pick some fresh herbs from the garden. We felt quite sorry for the people in the new-build holiday cottages around Doolin, which looked quite soul-less compared with Ballyreen. We would come back in a minute!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/08 Review Submitted: 05/24/08

Staying at Ballyreen Cottage was like stepping back in Time to the days when my Irish ancestors still walked Ireland. The views from the hill overlooking the Burren and the Aran Islands were perfect. Doolin is a very sweet town. And all of the back roads from the cottage led to villages, castles, ruins, and magical places where the "little people" must still be in residence. Because the entire experience was simply enchanting.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/07 Review Submitted: 11/14/07

Staying at Ballyreen cottage does good things to the soul. It is a healing place that, with the surrounding environment of the burren, ocean, and vast open space, exudes relaxation and serenity. Our week here was the highlight of a 6 week trip through Ireland, Italy, and Portugal... Maryann, we cannot thank you enough.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/03/07 Review Submitted: 09/03/07

From the moment you set eyes on Ballyreen cottage, there’s a smile on your face. It charms you at every turn. Attention to detail is evident everywhere. And what a surprise when you walk a few yards to the crest of the hill to be greeted by the most beautiful view... Sigh. We didn’t want to leave.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/07 Review Submitted: 09/16/07

We booked three cottages throughout Ireland for our vacation and none disappointed, but Ballyreen reigned supreme! The location was just what we wanted and the cottage more than met our expectations. We were thrilled with the amenities and all the touches of Provence as well! It was our cozy refuge from the rains and a quiet oasis in the sun with a cup of tea - we would recommend Ballyreen in a heartbeat!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/07 Review Submitted: 09/02/07

From the moment you set eyes on Ballyreen cottage, there’s a smile on your face. It charms you at every turn. Attention to detail is evident everywhere. And what a surprise when you walk a few yards to the crest of the hill to be greeted by the most beautiful view... Sigh. We didn’t want to leave.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 07/07/07

Driving up road towards Ballyreen Cottage, the anticipation grew. We were not disappointed at what we found. The cottage is everything it boasts. The house is in a lovely, private location. The quiet is wonderful. The hike down to the rocky shoreline is well worth the effort. Serenity at its best. The cottage is tastefully appointed, quaint and comfortable. Everything that you need to set up housekeeping is available. The beds are comfortable and inviting. There is a great selection of books available, good cookware, fluffy full towels and a drawer full of helpful information about the Doolin area. I highly recommend a stay at this charming cottage. If you are looking for peace, quiet, talented decor and the occasional mooing of a cow, this cottage is the place to stay near Doolin!!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/15/07

Great place, perfest location, had a fantastic holiday. Will be returning soon as I can!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 06/12/07

We had a splendid week in your beutifully kept cottage, The weather was so good we had no time to read more than a few of the great selection of books! The Burren's wildflowers lived up to expectations.A great place to stay. Thank you.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/07 Review Submitted: 05/20/07

Our short stay at Ballyreen Cottage was one of the highlights of our first trip to Ireland. It was the perfect retreat after a day of sightseeing, and a wonderful place to simply relax. We particularly enjoyed its warm decor, and it includes all the amenities needed for a great vacation home stay. We hope to return in the future for a longer stay!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/07 Review Submitted: 04/19/07

If there was a category above Positive, Ballyreen would attain it. There just aren't enough superlative words to use to describe our wonderful visit there. The cottage is the embodiment of Ireland and we loved every minute we were there. Now we're just trying to figure out when we can get back. One of the neatest feelings we experienced was living as the Irish do for a while. We became neighbors, not tourists hurrying through on our way to somewhere else. We lived, shopped and ate as the locals do which gave us a much deeper appreciation and understanding for life in another culture. That's our type of vacation rather than just watching the scenery passing at 100 kilometers an hour. Very relaxing and we came away with a priceless perspective. If only we could do that in countries where people are adversaries! If you're thinking of a stay in Ireland, this should be your place. We were fortunate to find it and will be back again and again. Please contact us for more detail.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 11/13/06

The cottage was perfect.....a real taste of Ireland at her finest.We stayed one of the two weeks of our first visit to the country.We loved the seclusion ,the land ,the cows,the nearby pubs and the sweet cozy cottage.Such a treasure to come home to each day.Hope to see you again

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/06 Review Submitted: 10/29/06

I stayed in Ballyreen Cottage a few weeks ago. This is the fifth year in a row I've stayed in the cottage, I adore the place. The cottage itself is spotlessly clean,quaint and very comfortable. I believe the surrounding area is the most beautiful in all of Ireland. I can't wait to return Fall 2007!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/06 Review Submitted: 08/01/06

Maryann, Kathy & I had the best time in Ireland and Ballyreen cottage was our haven at the end of each busy day. Returning to the cottage was so relaxing & we both felt totaly comfortable there. The view from the end of the road was spectacular as promised. So glad we didn't do a B&B this is the only way to go. You should be proud of your cozy cottage. It's was absolutly charming. Thank you for opening your place to us...we loved it!!!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/06 Review Submitted: 07/09/06

Our very first visit to Ireland, and how could we have been so lucky to have found such a quintessentially Irish cottage as Ballyreen! My 20 year old daughter, myself, a friend, and her 18 year old daughter were quests for a week and we wish it would have been longer! There is much in County Clare and surrounding areas that we did not have time to see, so certainly we intend to come back. But one does not need to DO when at Ballyreen. One could be content to just BE at Ballyreen, it is that kind of cottage. Ballyreen captured our hearts!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/06 Review Submitted: 06/30/06

What better place to spend our honeymoon than that quaint little cottage on the edge of the burren. The location is perfect for exploring county Clare or for just kicking back and relaxing with the only real neighbors, cows. The rocky burren coastline is a mere short walk down the private lane. The cottage is warm and inviting, cozy and comfortable. It is decorated very tastefully and just begs you to stay. The cottage lived up to and beyond all our expectations. It felt like home upon crossing the threshold. Thanks again for opening your doors to us. We had an unforgettable time at Ballyreen Cottage and plan on saving up to come back again as soon as we can.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/01/06 Review Submitted: 06/29/06

We spent our second week in Ireland at Ballyreen Cottage and wished we could have stayed longer. It is a charming cottage overlooking a magnificent rocky coast. We would take leisurely strolls past down to the beach past the rolling hills. The views were fantastic of the contrasting ocean and rocky plains of the Burren. The cottage had all the amenities plus more - it had charm. It was quant and comfortable. It is a short, 5 minute drive to the lovely town of Doolin. We plan on coming back and plan on staying in Ballyreen. We highly recommend it.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/06 Review Submitted: 05/06/06

Our stay at Ballyreen Cottage made our first trip to Ireland most enjoyable. Self-catering cottages are our preferred vacation accomodations, and Ballyreen was perfect - a comfortable and convenient home base for our explorations of the Burren, Aran Islands and Dingle Peninsula. The cottage has all the necessary conveniences, is beautifully decorated, and is in a truly idyllic setting. The pubs in Doolin are inviting and friendly, and the shops are diverse and appealing (don't miss the Clare Jam Co.). We came home talking about our next visit - we can't wait! Thank you, Maryann.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/06 Review Submitted: 04/17/06

We stayed at Ballyreen cottage for the second week of our recent holiday in Ireland. The first cottage was purpose build and had every mod-con, but not much a break from modern living. Ballyreen was a real contrast. It oozed character from every corner. We felt very privileged to be able to spend our time there. It's a great many years since I've had the pleasure of building a fire in the iron stove, and never with peat! There was clearly much attention given over to the decoration which complimented the style of the accommodation. The cottage is sufficiently far enough away from what is a well trodden tourist route, but is still only minutes from pubs, shops etc. We'd recommend the short(ish) walk down the lane to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. We were really lucky to have almost continual sunshine for our visit and were never short of places to visit. We would certainly holiday in Ireland again (this was our first visit) and wouldn't hesitate to spend more time at Ballyreen cottage. We all felt very refreshed and ready to take on the trials of city living once again...well almost..

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/06 Review Submitted: 04/10/06

Ballyreen Cottage was the ideal place for us for our week in Ireland. Maryann was very kind & helpful prior to the visit, and the cottage lived up to our best expectations. We plan to come back again and continue our exploration of one of the unique places in the world - The Burren.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/06 Review Submitted: 04/05/06

Ballyreen Cottage was the perfect retreat during our whirlwind trip to Ireland. The cottage is truly lovely. We have been to a number of rental cottages, and this one is clearly very well loved: the carefully chosen details of furniture, linens, dishes, and stemware all made Ballyreen feel like home. The location, just outside of Doolin, made for a nice getaway from the rest of the world -- we hardly met a soul out there on the Burren. On a clear day, you can see right out to the Aran Islands. We listened to the waves crash into the coast on our walks down the country lane, and to the wind gusting around the cottage's corners lulling us to sleep. This is a place to treasure & our time at Ballyreen will be etched in our memories.

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