Great stay! Very cool train car turned home. I was there doing some writing and sightseeing and thought it was perfect.
House - set up very nicely for the space! I was impressed. Two beds. Also better wifi and more outlets than some hotels I’ve been in so it was good for remote work.
There’s some cookware, hot plate, microwave; I’d brought some food but also got some at the convenience store by the gas station. I could have used a fan maybe but I think I was there during their only week of hot weather; it was very nice with the door open. Felt safe and private as a female solo traveler. They also rent the garage apartment so you might meet some other guests.
The outdoor porch/sitting area was the best, lots of trees around and you could watch birds (including the chickens in the backyard.)
Host - James was very helpful, picked me up at the bus stop. Suggested things to do and see and chatted very nicely. He sells books and eggs at the farmers’ market on Fridays. Seems like everyone in town knows him so if you get lost, you can probably just ask people how to get to his place.
Area - friendly people, nice walking area, lots of little farms and houses but not unpopulated. I walked over to the bay, very cool. The town Ballinderreen itself has a pub, a takeout kebab/pizza/chips place, and a gas station with a little convenience store. There’s a town Kinvarra about 15 minutes on the bus from there that has cute restaurants, a pier, castle, coffee shops. Lots of things to do, the people seem like a good mix of locals, tourists, and people who moved in from abroad.
Access - the place is right on the 350 bus line from Galway which goes on to the Cliffs of Moher. Turned out to be very convenient. I didn’t bring a car so I took the bus around, but there’s parking available for a car. You can also call and have the tour buses stop at Ballinderreen if you want to join a tour—that was a tip from James!