Michelle and Mark's place is a small, cozy cabin, located in Michelle and Mark's backyard (maybe about 50 yards from their house). The cabin has two twin beds, a bathroom with sink, commode, and shower, a small refridgerator, and some shelves with a water cooker, French press, plates, cups, utensils, and books. Although it does not have a kitchen, this was not an issue for us, as we usually dine out while on vacation. Having the small fridge allowed for eating breakfast in the cabin, and preparing a lunch to take with us while exploring.
The cabin is located in a rural area outside of Castlebaldwin. The country road leading to it is very charming, being framed by ancient walls overgrown by many wild flowering plants. The view from the cabin was stunning. We could even see a prehistoric cairn from our window!
Getting to Castlebaldwin from the cabin was easy and quick (mayby 5 to 10 minutes by car), and the local pub (McDermotts) served excellent food. Going north to Sligo only took about 20 minutes, and going south to Boyle (past the awesome Celtic Chieftain statue!) took about the same amount of time.
The cabin is only 4 km (2.5 mi) from Carrowkeel - site of several megalithic tombs and spectactular views. (It does require a bit of hiking and some sturdy shoes; definitely worth it!!!)
There are many other wonderful places to visit within a relatively short drive: additional megalithic sites, incredible nature, waterfalls, mountain hikes, great views, lakes, castles, ancient monasteries, ancient churches, roundtowers and Celtic crosses, charming villages and small cities, beach, museums, etc. In other words, even though the cabin is located in a rural area, it is a very good base from which to make day trips and enjoy many of the amazing things that County Sligo and surrounding counties have to offer.
We didn't have the pleasure of meeting Mark, but our interactions with Michelle were very pleasant. When we arrived, there were tasty bread, butter, jam, and other goodies, waiting for us, and Michelle soon came over to welcome us. During the week, several times Michelle would make sure that we were comfortable, and that we had everything that we needed. She was very kind, and easy to talk to, and always willing to give us directions or tips for sights or restaurants. In my mind, she is the kind of person that you would love to have as your neighbor.
My husband and I very much enjoyed staying in Michelle and Mark's cabin, and can highly recommend the experience to others.
Thanks, Michelle and Mark!