It was an amazing discovery, this wonderful dairy farm just into the Irish countryside from Dublin. The "barn" is no such thing, really. You can see the thick stone walls and deep windowsills, but everything else is fresh and new. The barn is spacious, comfortable and has everything for which one could ask!
Searlait and her family went out of their way to make our stay absolutely lovely. Fresh flowers throughout the house, a bottle of wine and a loaf of fresh brown bread on the counter, a bottle of fresh milk in the refrigerator. Two little fairies even gifted us with a carton of freshly-gathered eggs and a bowl of freshly-picked tomatoes for our breakfast the next morning!
The woodpile was kept full for our evening fires and even the dogs were welcoming. A stroll down their lane takes you past a small orchard loaded with apples and hedges covered with blackberries. You can hear the cows a little (just enough!) at milking time and see a mother hen and her ten fuzzy chicks scampering across the grounds. We were even invited to help ourselves to their family garden, if we wanted!
They hosts very kindly referred us to a local farmers' market in Carlow, which was everything you would want it to be-- stalls for vegetables and fruit, honey and preserves, baked goods, etc... They also answered a slew of questions from some very curious guests, all with a warmth that is sadly lacking in so much of today's world.
I cannot recommend this stay enough. Five stars? Make it ten!!