Donegal Thatched Cottage Accommodation
Available to rent now...
Description
The cottage features a double bed en-suite as the 'master bedroom'. Spacious, and tastefully
finished in pine. Wooden ceilings with exposed joists run throughout most of the cottage. Apart
from the kitchen/living/dining area, all floors are natural wood.
Adjoining the master bedroom is the open-plan kitchen/living/dining room which would be traditional
in this sort of accomodation. The kitchen features an original Belfast sink, hand-carved wooden
draining board and pine cupboards.
All utensils are supplied. There is an electric/gas cooker, fridge/freezer,
microwave oven, toaster, kettle, washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher, coffee pot and iron. The
main feature is a massive natural stone fireplace and natural stone chimney brest
reaching to the high natural wood ceiling. The decor and ornamentation reflects an by-gone era. Rather than
an open fireplace, we have a cast iron stove.
Leading from the kitchen/living/dining area is a hallway that connects a back door (the main entrance opens onto
the kitchen/dining area) with the other two bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the
two bedrooms features a double bed and built-in wooden wardrobe.
The other bedroom has two natural wood bunk beds sleeping four - ideal for
children but at the same time extremely sturdy, comfortable and large enough
for adults.
All bedrooms have ample cupboard/storage space and extra blankets & pillows are supplied.
All bedrooms are heated by radiators. While not very traditional in Irish cottages, we did source the large cast iron types over more modern designs. These are driven by an oil fired boiler and make the cottage very cosy indeed.
The bathroom features a solid stone sunken bath with a genuine Victorian era shower featuring an original
copper shower head and associated fitings in a natural hardwood surround. We guarantee you'll most likely
have never seen it's like.
To the rear there is a patio area with garden furniture and a drying shed - ideal for drying out diving gear and similar apparel. An outside tap provides cleaning facilities for water-sports activities equipment.
Scenery
Below are a number of exterior views around the cottage.
View looking to the North from the front of the cottage. The elevated location does allow some good views.
View looking to the North-East from the front of the cottage. Owey Island sits in the background
A view of the rear of the cottage in winter.
Restoration
We've tried hard to use as much natural materials as possible in the construction of the cottage. Extensive use has been made of natural stone, slate, woods and thatch, all of which add a warmth and character that many modern representations of thatched cottages lack.
The original cottage which sat on the exact footprint occupied by the current building had to be completely razed and rebuilt for a number of reasons - not the least being that it had evolved over time from a one to a three room house with outhouse - and none of the rooms was quite in line with any of the others. Additionally, years of not being occupied or the grounds being managed had led to problems with dampness.
However, rebuilding the cottage allowed us to install proper drainage, plumbing, heating and insulation. Again, where possible, we tried to use as much traditional skill and material as was feasible.
Odd fact
One feature we did enlarge somewhat from the original was the size and number of windows. Windows used to attract a tax based on size and number - so the locals would have minimised their 'tax liability' by having the smallest windows possible. The new windows, hand-made by a local artisan, are a little larger than the originals, but made to the same design.