Guilcagh Church was a really atmospheric place to stay for our holiday to Waterford. The church is situated well off the main road down an avenue which was lit really beautifully by the sun in the evenings. The churchyard is a very quiet and peaceful place to sit in the evening. Inside it is tastefully decorated and it’s clear Liam and Carmel have put a lot of thought into the restoration. We had a chat with Liam about some of the work that was done - the roof in particular looks fantastic. The Church is very comfortable, the kitchen was well equipped, and there’s a BBQ and shed outside which is useful if you’re bringing bikes. Carmel showed us around on arrival and was on hand for any questions and with recommendations on what to do and see. This is one of the best places we’ve stayed. The kids in particular loved the novelty of staying in a church!
The location is close to the greenway - if you’re there with kids probably better to drive to one of the numerous car parks/road crossings though, but it’s an easy enough cycle for anyone experienced. The greenway is a must do - what a fantastic local resource - and there’s plenty to keep kids amused crossing viaducts, going through tunnels and down to Dungarvan for an ice cream. Beaches on the Copper Coast are drivable in about 20 minutes and with good weather it was like being on a continental holiday. The beaches are clean and the water excellent. We also visited the very impressive Mount Congreve gardens, which again is only a few minutes drive.
Any keen cyclists - this is awesome cycling territory and the church is a great base for it… look up Conor Dunne’s presenters favourite ride on YouTube/GCN if you want a challenging and beautiful route covering the area and a flavour for what the riding is like.
Thanks again Carmel & Liam!