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For cottages across the Republic
of Ireland. Find your perfect holiday rental property in Holiday Villas & Cottages magazine or on this website. Then contact the
owner directly to arrange your booking.
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Cottage holidays in the Republic of Ireland
 Irish
cottages are really are the best base from which to appreciate the appeal
of this very distinctive country and wherever you go in rural Ireland,
you will find plenty of choice in holiday cottages. Ask people why they
choose Ireland for a holiday and the answers are likely to contain some
combination of the scenery, the Irish people, the laid-back lifestyle,
traditional Irish music, pubs, food, Guinness, fishing, history and
folklore.
But there are new elements too: the Republic of Ireland is deservedly a fashionable
destination, with a huge growth in fine restaurants, fashionable shops
and cutting-edge cultural events. Find out more about Irish cottages
below and search for holiday cottages right across the Republic
of Ireland from Kerry in its south west corner right up to Donegal in the
north.
 Irish
cottages in abundance
Cottage holidays have long been a mainstay of tourism in Ireland,
not least because so many people in the 19th and 20th centuries had
to abandon their cottages and emigrate to America or England to survive.
That left more houses than families in country areas, so it was natural
to turn them into holiday cottages to earn a little for farmers whose
other crops brought mostly meagre returns.
Those hard times are thankfully becoming a distant memory, because
Ireland and its people have prospered mightily since joining the EU.
Many Irish people have been only too glad to swap their traditional
homes for the space and convenience of a new bungalow and this has left
still more cottages for the holiday trade, many newly converted to a
very high standard.
The south west corner of Ireland
So where should you go? Many people will think first of the south-western
corner of Ireland, where the great bays and peninsulas of Bantry, Kenmare
and Dingle are home to a delightful collection of towns and villages
where the pubs are friendly and the seafood sublime. If you're lucky
with the weather the scenery is superb – a drive around the Ring
of Kerry will show you the best.
The west and north of the Irish Republic
Further up the west coast of Ireland, the beautiful estuary of the
Shannon stretches inland as far as Limerick. Between the Shannon and
Galway Bay lies Co Clare, home to the Burren, a strange limestone plateau,
and the towering Cliffs of Moher. Galway and Sligo are two more beautiful
western areas, and finally there is Donegal, tucked up to the west of
Ulster. Perhaps because of its out-of-the-way location it is less visited
than other coastal areas, but has some of the finest beaches in the
country.
The south and east coasts
While the Irish west coast has the best scenery, the south and east
coasts have more sunshine and their fair share of delightful cottage
holiday destinations. Along the whole south coast, from Mizen Head (the
western one, not the other near Wicklow!) via Cork and Waterford to
Rosslare (where the ferries arrive from Wales), is a string of pretty
Irish towns, harbours and inlets, some decidedly trendy with prices
to match.
Turning the corner northwards, the coast from Wexford to Wicklow also
offers charming towns, beaches and resorts, many of them growing fast
as weekend havens for Dubliners – Courtown is a typically pleasant
example.
The interior of Ireland
The interior of Ireland offers a wonderful patchwork of mountains,
lakes, rivers and farmland, with usually a ruined castle, crumbling
mansion or abandoned church somewhere in sight. Holiday cottages taken
here offer peace, tranquillity, the chance to fish and walk, drink Guinness
and reflect on the lunatic pace of life back home.
Search
for holiday cottages in the Irish Republic:
or visit our Republic of Ireland cottage
holiday planning guide:
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More Republic of Ireland ->
Glenmore Cottage,
Near Carlingford
This charming traditional cottage dates back to the 1800s but has all modern conveniences including ...
Pier Cottage, Castlecove ,
Ring of Kerry in S W Ireland
EAST END SLEEPING 2 TO 4 & WEST END SLEEPING UP TO 7
Pier Cottage, overlooking the ... Prices
from €350
Sleeps
11
Prices
from �295
Sleeps
6
Tranquillity Heights,
Rathmullen
2 holiday cottages with uninterrupted views across Lough Swilly
Just a mile from the lovely ... Prices
from €450
Sleeps
12
Prices
from €250
Sleeps
6
Glendale Holiday Cottages,
Glendalough
These five 3-bedroom cottages are set in idyllic surroundings a mile from Glendalough, among the ...
Coach House Cottages,
Lorrha
Once a coach house and stables for the rectory next door, these have now been converted into 5 ... Prices
from €220
Sleeps
6
Donegal Cottage Holidays,
**A wide and varied selection of individually owned cottages, apartments and holiday homes ... Prices
apply for price
Sleeps
No info
More Republic of Ireland ->
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