CLANCYS of GLENFARNE, COUNTY LEITRIM, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
This two-bedroom cottage/apartment was an ideal place for me (age 72) and one friend (age 78) to share for a month. Initially, I selected this cottage because it had all the essentials we wanted – all rooms at ground level, ramp entry, two bedrooms (one with full/double bed and sliding doors to rear patio/garden and other with two twin/single beds and window view of rear patio/garden), spacious bath with large walk-in shower, combined kitchen-living room with electric fireplace, TV, WiFi, outdoor space on back patio/garden, off-street parking, and a bus stop in front. The buses run east to Belfast via Enniskillen and west to Ballina via Sligo. On arrival, we found the cottage sparkling clean, adequately furnished with good beds, equipped with plenty of storage space, and ample in size for the two of us to share. Maximum occupancy is four people. We felt location was very safe for us and for our rental vehicle. Electricity for heat, water, and appliances is charged separately from basic rental fee. For us for August 2019, electricity was roughly 3.8 euros (approximately $4.20) per day.
The cottage is rural without being remote. It shares one wall with a large building that houses the owners' apartment and their other businesses – a restaurant, small grocery store, B&B, and post office. From the long-term operation of these family businesses, the hosts Jim and Assumpta have earned a well-deserved reputation for taking care of customers. They made every effort to respond to requests. All together, the buildings owned by the hosts constitute about one-half the village of Glenfarne. Breakfast out was a few convenient steps away. The restaurant, open roughly 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with breakfast served all day, is very good. A welcoming pub is across the street. Local folks gather there for talking, music, and sharing time with each other. Several larger villages are ten minutes away. Nearby Manorhamilton to the west and Blacklion/Bellcoo to the east, each have grocery stores and several restaurants. Also, Manorhamilton has a laundromat. Sligo (population 19,000) to the west and Enniskillen, Northern Ireland (population 14,000) to the east are each less than an hour away.

Although one may travel here from Dublin Airport by bus, it is best to have a car to explore the area. The drive from Dublin is about 3 hours. If you are coming from the U.S.. and plan to drive, you might consider 1) purchasing in the U.S. a road atlas of Ireland with the names of towns in English and in Irish, 2) using the auto insurance benefit offered by a credit card company for a rental car, 3) resting a day in Dublin before driving, 4) while in Dublin taking a lesson from an established driving school to practice driving on left, and 5) if possible, leaving Dublin on a Sunday morning – minimum traffic.
Auto insurance from a rental car company can more than double the quoted charge for a rental car, often quoted with no insurance. If using the auto insurance provided by a credit card company, 1) confirm in advance that your rental car company will accept your credit card auto insurance, 2) determine all the documents you will need to provide to rental car company, and 3) learn the total amount due to rental car company including mandatory liability (cannot be waved for coverage via credit card benefit). Also, check the maximum number of days for which credit card insurance is applicable without a pause in rental. And, if you are under age 25 or over age 69, check the age restrictions imposed by different rental car companies. For anyone, U.S. health insurance may not apply abroad. Thus, you may wish to purchase a health/travel plan.
Finding this cottage was a perfect it for us. We wanted to escape the summer heat of home, to avoid tourist crowds, and to be with local folks. County Leitrim is the most rural county in Ireland. The roads are good, traffic is light, and “day-trip” driving is easy. The people we met were friendly, welcoming, and engaging – always willing to help a slightly lost stranger. Exploring by car, we found plenty to see – magnificent mountain scenery, distinct geologic formations, glens with beautiful lakes, ancient archaeological sites, seaside towns, and lovely landscapes at every bend of the road. And, we found plenty to do – going for boat rides, touring stately homes and a world-famous pottery, visiting small museums and colorful gardens, lunching in charming tea rooms, walking in forests, attending local events, etc. This is a walker’s paradise with many well-marked trails of different lengths and varying degrees of challenge. Other available activities include fishing, bicycling, canoeing, kayaking, and golfing. I would be happy to return to this cottage. It is a comfortable, peaceful, convenient, and welcoming retreat.