Could really be so much nicer...
Yes the view of the ocean is beautiful and there were some lovely features about the house (the bathroom floor!) Unfortunately though there were many things in need of repair and replacement.
First, there was no welcome packet to advise us on how to use things or turn the water on! (I'm still not sure why the water was even off...) As a result, there was a fiasco with a blown fuse which left us temporarily without internet and refrigeration. Unfortunately at 10PM, we were still without refrigeration and internet. When I asked the host to send someone over to help, she advised she was in Dublin and nothing could be done until the am when her brother could come. At this point I will say that Carmel was very responsive to our emails through airbnb and we eventually worked out that it was a blown fuse on got back online shortly thereafter, but without the internet service at the house we had to find and use other means of contacting her as there was also no phone at the house.
There were at least two sticky notes in the house though; one about using the TV and stereo speakers. The other on the freezer door advising us not to drink the water out of the fridge, but assuring us the ice was fine! We were not much comforted...
Beyond our initial troubles getting started, the furnishing were well beyond their better days. The kitchen chair cushions were so worn you could feel the frames, on the beds you could feel the springs and multiple bathroom fixtures needing leveling. (We did not spend any time in the living area, so I cannot speak to the comfort of the couch there.) Beyond the furnishings there was water damage to the kitchen ceiling that needing cleaning and painting, an area of paint also was unfinished up to the peak of the wall and the water pump whistled quite loudly every time someone used the water, including in the middle of the night....
Any one of these things alone might have been chalked up to a quaint experience, but all of them together (including the check in troubles) added up to a less than stellar one. Not at all what we expected from the pictures and for what was to be the highlight of our stay in Ireland.
I am truly sorry to leave a less than stellar review, but based on the photos (& other reviews), we expected more. All 5 members of our party shared these feelings and opinions on furnishings and general state of repair, so this is not just one person's high expectations. Don't get me wrong, we still enjoyed ourselves! We were in Ireland after all! And on our last day at the house, we had some sheep come through the yard and graze just outside the windows while a good, gusty rain was blowing and the ocean in the backdrop. It was quintessentially Ireland!
In summary, this truly is a beautiful and unique home that could be fabulous, but really needs some updating and TLC.