From the moment we arrived, Mary welcomed us warmly and made us comfortable. If we hadn't had so many family members to visit, we'd have loved to have seen more of her. A lively and vivacious personality, she's a store of information on local history and things to see; once we were settled in she left us to it but was available at the other end of the phone for anything we needed.
The accommodation (a barn conversion) is more spacious than it appears in the photos, with a beautiful private outdoor terrace that overlooks a tidal river, that we made use of in the mornings for lazy coffees.
All of the important things that the Airbnb star ratings cover -- hygiene, etc. -- really do warrant five stars, adding a sixth for cleanliness if I could! The kitchen is stocked with everything you need -- cooking utensils, condiments, microwave oven and cooking hob -- to cater for all meals in your accommodation if you don't want to eat out. Mary treated us to a stock of artisan tea and coffee, and even had some gluten-free cereal in for me. The fridge was stocked with a selection of wine, Guinness and pale ale, as well as the essential milk and orange juice.
The only criticism, and this is really splitting hairs, is that the shower in the bathroom isn't a power shower; the weaker water pressure left me feeling a bit chilly, but I am someone who feels the cold easily anyway, so this criticism is based on personal comfort. A counterpoint to this is that the entire building has underfloor heating (Mary left us to adjust the thermostat according to our own level of comfort) AND a wood-burning stove, so we were toasty.
Dunkitt House is a wonderful place to say. Despite it being located close to where I grew up, I'm very tempted to go back and have a secret holiday there without letting anyone know I'm in the area! We were out each day visiting family, and each morning I had to drag myself away from peace and stillness of the house. For anyone who needs some quiet, relaxing time for reading and catching up on rest, I couldn't recommend anywhere better than this. Waterford city is 10 minutes away by car, and some of the best countryside in the South of Ireland is all accessible within one or two hour's drive. But really, I wouldn't be surprised if you arrive and just want to put your feet up, melt into Zen, and leave at the end of your stay feeling utterly restored.