Where do I start.... the highlight our our trip to Ireland. Communication with Brian was always prompt and informative from the time of booking till our arrival in Ireland.
We arrived later then expected and was warmly greeted by Brian and his dogs. We were shown to our living area, an apartment with plenty of room for the four of us.
This is a working farm with hundreds of acres, hundreds of sheep, dogs, horses and all that a farm has to offer. This is a hard working man!
We woke the next morning and found a beautiful black horse in a stall near the apartment we were staying in. I was in heaven. We walked the grounds and found the pond with a beautiful swan. We did not fish but Brian said there were plenty of fish for those interested in the warmer months.
Brian gave a a leisurely tour of his farm, introduced us to the newborn lambs and many horses he has. He has dogs, quite a few and very funny personalities.
The dogs are with Brian wherever he goes, friendly, silly and smart! The sheepdogs...they are in a class by themselves (incredible). We learned a lot about the farm, farming and stories from the past. It goes without saying, we got in the saddle and went for a walk. Brian has a mud hut that is incredible. He built it years ago and it is solid and amazing. A must see! After we left Rathe House and moved along with our trip we couldn't help but want to go back. Our thoughts for the rest of the trip were when can we go back... Rathe House is not a luxury resort but it is a special home that Brian shares with the world. It is a place that myself and my husband will always remember and cherish.
I cant' say enough about the true gentleman that Brian is and if you get the chance to stay at his farm...do it!