An incredible place to stay on the edge of Ireland. Valentia Island although small is a pretty amazing place. The house was clean and well kept and had all the basics you might have forgotten, and the closest supermarket was an easy drive of 20 minutes away.
The grounds are great for children (and adults) to explore, and will only get better with the time and effort the owners are investing in it. There are so many things to discover, we'd recommend at least 4 days to really get the most out of it all, although even a night or two would be great.
For the kids, there's a safe forest with pirate treasures, a fairy village, a walled garden, a bamboo walk, a waterfall, the beach, chickens, donkeys, and I imagine a lot more we didn't have time to see. Through a child's eyes, this place is magical.
For adults, food-wise, there's not much on offer locally, so bring and cook your own. We didn't eat at the local hotel (The Royal Valentia) which may have been good, we tried the seafood-serving pub in Portmagee harbour which was a disappointment. I'd suggest the stopping at the local Supervalu or Aldi on the way and dining around the big dinner table instead.
The house has an open fire, a good laundry (making it an all year destination) and good heating. Bring gumboots and raincoats for everyone just in case.
Drive to the slate mine and the lookout to see the Skellig Islands (yep, Star Wars fans), although we had fog for our stay, it was still pretty cool.
Jessica and her family are great hosts, and we're planning to come back with friends. thanks.