My husband and I absolutely loved our stay in your gorgeous place! Thank you for sharing your home and showing us what a dream it would be to live there!
The location and scenery are spectacular. I loved taking a cup of tea on my daily walks down the lane to the beach; the entire place changes with each hour and with the changing light. It's no wonder you bought it and hope to end up there full time!
We also appreciated all the thoughtful and organized elements. My husband--an organization freak--LOVED everything about it. From your detailed directions for finding the house (with very helpful photos!!) to the instructions on the duvet cover, I would hear him exclaim "I love these people!" repeatedly as we settled in on our first evening. It made the entire process so easy.
While I, too, was impressed with the cleanliness and organization of the house, my loves were more aesthetic: the views from every window were fabulous (I especially loved standing at the stove and watching the waves roll in!); the birdsong, the lowing of the cows, the sounds of the sheep, and the breaking of the waves were absolutely relaxing; the mountains and shifting light made me wish I had an entire summer there with an easel and paints; the books in your shelf were a great mix of ones I have at home and ones that were new to me, so I thoroughly enjoyed investigating and noting books to buy when I got home.... Truly, we loved every bit of our stay.
As for proximity to things to do, we traveled everywhere! The Doolough Valley is breathtaking--and it's a great drive to access the beauty of Connemara. We spent time in Cong, Killary Harbor, Leenane, and Clifden over two separate days. We also loved exploring Louisburgh and the area beaches. And thank you for recommending Silver Strand--we spent a good long time wandering there and soaking in the beauty! Finally, while it was a stretch, I'd always wanted to see Belmullet and the rest of the Mullet Peninsula. We had a great time, but I do think I'd rather have returned to Achill Island instead. (I always prefer exploring on foot, rather than spending time in the car!)
Anyway, all of this is to say that we just fell in love with your house and with the area. We're already talking about returning in the next couple years, and we would love to stay at Gaoth na Mara again.