Brendan is a super-duper host and The Shoemakers Rest is a very special place and was perfect for our stay. We felt so much at home in this wonderful house and very comfortable surroundings. Our plan was for big days out and about and warm home cooked evenings and this house couldnt have been more perfect. Ardgroom is a lovely village with its shop-garage-post office on the corner, which had everything we needed and only a short stroll away. As it was Christmas week, the addition of a beautiful Christmas tree and festive decorations was a really special extra and made us very welcome from the get-go. Forecasts of a storm called Bella went unnoticed inside this wonderful house. Warm and cosy with exceptional heating meant we didnt have a real need to light the pre-stacked logfires– but we did, as who doesn’t want a real fire on dark winter nights. The mulled wine and After Eights that met us on our slightly later than expected arrival, were extra special. The space in this house is great, with two sitting room areas, which while we were only two, would have been really useful if we had filled all the very comfortable bedrooms upstairs. We loved our time in this very special house – and Ardgroom and Beara. We stayed seven days and it is somewhere I would readily go back to, as there is plenty more to see and do. We walked looped walks around Ardgroom, Eyeries, Allihies, some of the Beara Way and despite some gusty days and occasional showers, we had blue skies and sunshine most days. Not bad for December in Ireland, but then, Beara is special and Shoemaker’s Rest made it even more so. Brendan really made sure we were welcome and continued to enquire after us and our needs as if there was anything more he could do. His kindness and fun and friendly conversation made us feel very welcome and very much at home in this wonderful part of the world. I will highly recommend this house, this host and this wonderful part of the country. Thanks for a truly wonderful time.