We just returned from a lovely 3 night stay in Edel's house at Rossnowlagh. We have so many good things to say, but here are the main ones.
The house:
The house is great and the pictures do not do it justice. We were 2 families, 8 people and we all had loads of space. The house is modern and everything works. There is self regulating under floor heatings so it is always warm -- even when the February temperatures went below freezing. There is a cosy corner by the wood burner with fine views of lake and its many swans. Comfy sofas mean you could happily stay there all day reading. The house has a small library with a wide range of books including a lovely collection of poems by Seamus Heaney. All the rooms are large, there is a separate room to watch TV with a nice selection of DVDs for tired children and their keepers.
The welcome:
Edel is lovely. She was there to greet us with a warm Donegal welcome. There was really thoughful welcome pack -- far more than the usual tea and coffee. The whole house was spotless and fresh, even though this was the first rental of the year. Edel gave us great tips on walks, pubs and hard to find beaches. Invaluable on a short trip.
The area and activities:
We went in February with the usual mix of weather - high winds, snow, rain, freezing and also 'sunny spells' of bright cloud free skies. That all added to the fun. We put on plenty of layers and got outdoors. All the kids and some of the adults went in the water. Our two 13 year olds had a great surfing lesson from Finn McCools Surf School at Rossnowlagh -- they caught their first waves and have caught the surfing bug. Even our recticent 9 year old pulled on a wet suit and played in the sea. We climbed one of the Dartry mountains in Leitrim, near Eagles Rock and made a snowman in the deep snow. Edel recommended Silver Strand way out west past Killybegs which we never would have found ourselves -- glorious. A 13yr old and an adult swam in the huge waves (be careful!) and as we left the beach, snow was falling. We eat near the house in The Smugglers Inn and had excellent seafood, a friendly welcome, fine views and a much needed warm fire. We also bought some amazing shellfish from a fish plant down some country lanes in Killybegs. And cooked a delicious meal in the well equipped kitchen.
What more can I say?! We will certainly be back.