Here is my summary of our stay at the Mermaid Cottage:
Paraic: He. Is. Adorable. We LOVED chortling with him and hearing his stories. When he spoke of his love of the land I couldn't help but get teary. He has his hand in many pots and is a potato farmer, an AirBnb host, and the owner of a bike rental shop. He is not technologically savvy and does not have wifi at the house. Thus, don't expect much communication via the interwebs with him. I believe a friend helps him with the coordination of this site. So, expect to give a little patience and adjust your expectations for instant communication. He was supposed to pick us up from the ferry and didn't because the ferry was running late and he needed to spray his potatoes for blight. So, we just asked an islander where Paraic's (pronounced "Pahr-ick") place was and they pointed us in the right direction. A lady even stopped and gave us a ride up the hill. This is about the smallest "town" possible and everyone knows everyone! Which leads me to the next point.
Inis Oirr: A great benefit of staying here overnight is that most of the "tourists" have left with the last ferry at about4- 5. There is only one restaurant/pub open late (and maybe three pubs total but we only ever saw the one) and all the locals emerge and congregate there! You get a true sense of the islanders "off the clock." So fun!
Inis Mor: If you want to visit Inis Mor from Inis Oirr you can hop on one of the ferries coming from the mainland that drop off tourists here at 10:30 and then return at 4. You can't buy these tickets ahead of time but it seems probable that there will always be room because people will be getting off at Inis Oirr!
The Mermaid Cottage: Simple but sweet. My husband didn't love the bed but I had no trouble. The decor could probably benefit form a woman's touch ;0). The BEST part of the stay is the breakfast. SO delicious. Probably the best breakfast I had my whole trip. Paraic fries up his sausages, eggs, and bacon in a cast iron skillet that must have decades of seasoning. Top it off with a thick slice of soda bread, butter, and jam and you are ready for hard labor in the fields all day....or, you know, touristing. :0) So sustaining!
My recommendation is to STAY HERE if you enjoy getting to know the people and the heart of a place! You will love Paraic, his sense of humor, and his scrumptious breakfasts.