Staying at Cnoc Suain Conamara was a high point of our two weeks in Ireland.
We were delighted to find ourselves away from the hustle/bustle and traffic of Galway City, and into a different century. Hooray, no wifi! And off the main road and tucked into a compound of a small wood and hedge rows and pastures and gardens, restored buildings and dwellings and other hand made evidence of the preservation of the old ways. We loved our feeling of isolation and that our nearest neighbors were a rowan tree, a whitethorn tree, a holly tree, huge paving stones, pink schist gravel, and bees. We loved the books on features of Ireland's natural history which were kept in the cottage. We loved heating with peat in the woodstove.
Dearbhaill went to considerable lengths to make us feel welcome and at home and carefully thought about, through the offering which awaited us in the kitchen--home baked Irish soda bread, fresh eggs, homemade jam, and milk in the fridge.
Charlie thoughtfully left us a map of places we could drive to on the Connemara coastline which we used to good effect. We loved driving the roads of rocky Connemara, over the cultural offerings of Galway City. By staying in the cottage, in its own geographical and architectural bubble, we settled into an easy pace which allowed us to hear the quiet voices everpresent in the Irish countryside--birdsong, wind in the grasses and alders and hedgerow plants--and feel the particular magic of midsummer evening light. It was an easy day trip to the spectacular Burren and Cliffs of Moher from our cottage.
Besides being gobsmacked by the details which went into the renovating of so many buildings, we were equally impressed by Dearbhaill and Charlie's vision and mission to keep alive vibrant aspects of Irish tradition through their cultural center. Thank you Dearbhaill and Charlie for being gift givers to present and future generations.